The sermon preached at an Ecumenical Service of Vespers on Sunday 19 January 2025, marking the beginning of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

This evening, as we gather here in Southwark Cathedral for Solemn Vespers, we are united in prayer, worship and hope. An opportunity to give thanks to God not only for the friendship we share as Cathedrals, but also for the true friendship I enjoy with Dean Mark, the Chapter and so many of this Cathedral’s congregation.

It is a profound privilege to stand together as members of the Body of Christ, Anglicans and Catholics alike, seeking the unity for which Our Lord prayed on the night before His Passion:

“That they may all be one. As you, Father, are in me, and I am in you, may they also be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.” (John 17:21)

This evening, in this sacred space, we celebrate not only the bonds of history and geography that bring us together, but also the deeper bond of our shared baptism, our shared faith in the crucified and risen Lord, and our shared mission to proclaim His love to the world.

We cannot speak of Christian unity without acknowledging the pain of division that has marked the Church over centuries. Yet, as the former Archbishop and theologian Michael Ramsey reminds us,

“The unity of the Church must be more than institutional; it must spring from the unity of the heart and the will in love for Christ.”

Tonight, in this place of warmth and welcome, we find ourselves blessed by this unity of heart – a unity that transcends difference and calls us to deeper mutual understanding, respect, and collaboration.

Indeed, the Second Vatican Council reminds Roman Catholics that “many elements of sanctification and trust are found outside the visible confines of the Catholic Church” (Unitatis Redintegratio, 3).

These words remind us that God is at work in ways beyond our imagining, planting seeds of truth, holiness, and love wherever hearts are open to His grace.

Our gathering here at Southwark Cathedral is not just a symbol of our unity; it is also a call to action. As Christians, we are called to work together in a world longing for the light of Christ. Archbishop Rowan Williams once wrote: 

“The Church is not an end in itself. It exists to be a sign, a foretaste, an instrument, and a servant of the unity God desires for His creation.”

In this spirit, our shared mission compels us to be agents of reconciliation, voices for justice, and hands of compassion in our local community and beyond.

The warmth and hospitality extended to us by the Dean and Chapter of this Cathedral speak volumes about the kind of unity we seek – not a unity of uniformity, but a unity that celebrates diversity and fosters mutual enrichment.

Pope Francis reminds us,

“Unity does not mean uniformity. It does not mean doing everything together or thinking in the same way. Nor does it signify a loss of identity. Unity in diversity is actually the opposite: it involves the joyful recognition and acceptance of the various gifts which the Holy Spirit gives to each one.”

So, let us learn from one another. Let us open our heart to the richness of each other’s traditions, liturgies and spiritualities. We must walk together, as companions on the journey, strengthened by our shared hope for His Kingdom. This will be more than ever important during this Jubilee Year when we are called as Christians to be Pilgrims of Hope.

As we pray the words of the psalms this evening, let us echo their ancient cry with renewed conviction:

“How good and pleasant it is when brothers and sisters dwell together in unity!” (Psalm 133:1).

We should leave this sacred gathering committed to building bridges of understanding, friendship and love – not only between our two communities but also within our fractured world.

May our prayers and our lives become a living witness to the unity for which Christ prayed, so that all may know the love of God, made visible in Jesus Christ.

Amen.