“Unity is not something reached by human effort, it is a gift given by God. Our task is not to create it, it is to protect it, live it and make it visible in a world wounded by delusion.” So said Bishop Hovakim Manukyan, Primate of the Armenian Church of Great Britain and Ireland at the opening service of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity 2026.

The service, organised by Dublin Council of Churches, was hosted by St Thomas’ Indian Orthodox Church in Palmerstown on Sunday, January 18. Dublin Council of Churches Chairperson, Deacon Eamonn Murray, commented that unity is a divine mandate at the core of our Christian identity and is more than just an ideal. He pointed out that participants in the Dublin service were joining in prayer with Christians all over the world who pray annually for unity.

The archbishops of the Roman Catholic Church and the Church of Ireland, the bishop of the Romanian Orthodox Church, and leaders and representatives of the churches affiliated with the Dublin Council of Churches participated in the service.