Every year from January 18 to 25, all Christians are invited to participate in Christ’s high priestly prayer: “I pray for them that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you sent me” (John 17:21).

This Week of Prayer for Christian Unity has been jointly organized by the World Council of Churches and the Pontifical Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity since 1966. In the Northern Hemisphere, the traditional period for the Week of Prayer is January 18–25, a time framed by the feasts of the apostles Peter and Paul. In the Southern Hemisphere, the Week of Prayer is often celebrated during Pentecost. The Estonian Council of Churches began joint ecumenical prayers for Pentecost in 1995. in. In later years, they gathered at the invitation of one or another denomination. Since 2018, the Vespers of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity has been prayed in the Cathedral Church of St. Peter and Paul in Tallinn from January 18 to 25; prayer topics are also shared with other congregations through press releases. 2025. In 2018, the EELK Teachers' Conference joined the intercession.

2026. The themes of the 2019 Week of Prayer have been prepared by the Armenian Apostolic Church, based on the text of the Holy Scripture: “One body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling.”
      "(Ephesians 4:4). They can be read here: https://oikoumene.org/sites/default/files/2025-07/EN%20%202026%20WPCU.pdf It is recalled that all Christians are one body in Christ, led by the Holy Spirit. This unity is essential, which is not damaged by confessional, cultural or national diversity, but rather enriched. The Holy Spirit empowers the unity of Christians to become visible in this world, the Spirit sets the people of God in motion on a pilgrimage towards a common hope. The common hope of all lies in eternal life with Jesus Christ. The pilgrimage continues until "we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ" (Ephesians 4:13). Spiritual maturity, as the measure of the fullness of Christ, is still ahead of Christians - this is what is strived for continuously and persistently by getting to know Christ. In Christ we find common faith and fellowship, renewal of the mind, and active love.

But the visible unity of Christians is not an end in itself, but rather a means of making the Gospel of Christ visible in the world, so that people may find faith in Christ. On 5 November 2025, the document “Charta Œcumenica” was presented in Rome, jointly by the Conference of European Churches and the Council of European Bishops’ Conferences. With this document, the European churches reaffirm that they are on a common pilgrimage, that they remain in dialogue and that they are committed to a common proclamation of the Gospel. “A credible witness requires us to spread the Good News together and not in competition with each other.” The document emphasizes that the faith proclaimed in common affirms respect for life; the importance of human relationships, including marriage and the family; the preferential option for the poor; the readiness to forgive; and compassion in all things. In seeking peace in Europe, longing once again to “beat swords into plowshares and spears into sickles” (John 2:4), we realize that we must face the tragic reality of choosing between allowing violence to continue or using force to end it. “As churches, we must ask God for peace as his gift, recognizing that peace must also be actively built day by day through acts of justice and love.” Therefore, our faith does not allow us to despair of our adversaries. We do not identify those who err with their errors or lose hope in them.

Let us pray for the unity of God's people according to the will of Christ, so that people may believe in the gospel and follow the Lord Christ:

God, our heavenly Father, we worship you who have revealed yourself to the world in truth, goodness and beauty. We pray that you will allow us to live together as your children in the world, doing your will. Make us bold to profess the Christian faith, so that we may be bearers of truth, light, purity, goodness and beauty in the world.

Lord, hear our prayer and guide us!

Gracious God, we come before you repenting that as Christians we have failed to love one another as you expect us to. We are often powerless and accept injustice in the world, in human relationships, and in the life of the church. We ask you to forgive us, purify our minds, and renew our hearts.

Lord, hear our prayer and renew us!

Almighty God, we pray, put an end to wars and grant peace to people again, for You love Your creation. Protect our land from evil and deceitful people. Show us Your mighty hand. Let those who suffer pain and injustice see that they have not hoped in You in vain. Give them hope for life.

Lord, hear our prayer and protect us!

True God, judge justice over those who are leaders and bear responsibility. Guide their decisions and actions according to Your laws. Today we pray for leaders of government, business, culture, education, and the church. Bless their service for the good of all people.

Lord, hear our prayer and bless us!

Holy God, let your church become strong in faith, hope and love, so that we may trust and support each other even more on our pilgrimage until we reach unity with you, the holy triune God – Father and Son and Holy Spirit.

Lord, hear our prayer and make us glad!

The joint vespers will take place on Friday, January 22, 2026 at 6:45 PM in Tallinn's Peter and Paul Cathedral. The speaker will be Archbishop Urmas Viilma of the Estonian Orthodox Church.