Prayer for Christian Unity at the Mother Cathedral of Holy Etchmiadzin
25.01.2026
On January 25, at the Mother Cathedral of Holy Etchmiadzin, under the presidency of His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, the Holy and Immortal Divine Liturgy was celebrated. The celebrant was the Reverend Father Archimandrite Movses Sargsyan, Spiritual Leader of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Armenia.
At the conclusion of the sacred service, presided over by the Catholicos of All Armenians, a Prayer for Christian Unity was offered before the Descent Holy Altar of the Mother Cathedral. This marked the culmination of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, an annual observance held from January 18 to 25 and jointly organized by the Vatican and the World Council of Churches. This year, the Week was dedicated to Armenia.
The prayers, hymns, and reflections for the Week of Prayer were prepared by the Armenian Apostolic Church, based on the Morning (Arevagal) Service of St. Nerses the Gracious (Shnorhali). Throughout the week, Christians across the world prayed these Armenian prayers, translated into dozens of languages, thus joining in a shared spiritual and liturgical heritage.
The theme of this year’s Week of Prayer for Christian Unity was “One Body and One Spirit”. During the Week, Christians worldwide lifted prayers for the Armenian people and the Armenian Church, as well as for the broader cause of Christian unity and communion.
