By Martin Hoegger
On Saturday, 23 August 2025, the bells of Stockholm Cathedral rang out, just as they did in 1925 when bishops, patriarchs and church leaders entered in procession for the first Life and Work conference held in the city. Dressed in their liturgical vestments, they demonstrated both the diversity of their traditions and their desire for unity.
The celebration was structured around three themes: the past (commemoration of the 1925 conference), the present (the state of ecumenism today) and the future (hope for the road ahead).
The past
Lutheran Bishop Emeritus Jonas Jonson recalled the 1925 procession, describing the tears, hopes and emerging fellowship. He recalled how the walls of nationalism and confessional divisions had begun to fall, and how, for the first time, Orthodox and Protestants had cooperated. “Wounds were healed. Twists of bitterness were resolved. The churches ethical responsibility was widened to encompass every living soul in the whole world. The Christians’ spiritual unity showed that it was strong enough to shoulder the work for unity, peace and social justice. The Stockholm conference was a turning point in the history of the church”.
The present
Sofia Camnerin, general secretary of the Christian Council of Sweden, recalled that unity already exists, rooted in the Trinity. Ecumenism does not invent unity, it reveals it. In a world of violence and division, she emphasised that unity and fellowship are instruments of peace.
She affirmed: “God is near us now. At this present time – each one of us wherever we are – God continues to create the world, enables every breath we take, sends his Spirit, loves the world to the extent of bringing about unity and reconciliation. This is happening right now, even though at times, it seems to be going in the opposite direction.”
The future
Free Church pastor Lisa Fredlund evoked a poetic vision: Christ coming to meet us, wiping away tears, setting creation free. But she insisted: until then, the Church must be his presence on earth, celebrating life’s small victories and sowing the mustard seed that becomes a great tree.
She urged, “We should find the courage to meet others we don’t normally meet within our own circles. Jesus was not afraid to lose either himself or his reputation when meeting people – he stood firm in his position. We should go to those places where no one else will go. We should set up our tent there, not just to visit or give a passing glance, but give time to understand »
All the speakers agreed: ecumenism is now a project for peace. Today’s challenges – wars, economic injustice, the climate crisis, migration, artificial intelligence, social division – demand a common Christian response.
Returning to the roots of the Christian faith
In this year marking the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea, its creed was recited twice in the cathedrals of Stockholm and Uppsala. In the latter, Patriarch Bartholomew proclaimed it in Greek, as Patriarch Photius of Alexandria had done in 1925. This unique gesture established a link between the Council of Nicaea (325) and the Stockholm conference. The assembly was deeply moved: the visible unity of the Churches embraces both time and space. It is the work of the Holy Spirit.
Flávio Pace, secretary of the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity, read Pope Leo XIV’s message, recalling that Nicaea had helped to preserve Christian unity. Although the Catholic Church was not present in 1925, it is now fully committed to the ecumenical movement. The Pope added:
“What unites us is far greater than what divides us. Christ’s will is that we be together to bear witness to him. We believe that the unity Christ desires for his Church must be visible, and that such unity grows through theological dialogue, common prayer – when possible – and shared witness in the face of human suffering.”
In a world marked by violence, where the Evil One is working to divide us, Flávio Pace called on the Churches to return to the sources of their faith by going to Jerusalem for the Jubilee of the 2000th anniversary of Christ’s resurrection in 2033.
“This was also the challenge issued by Lutheran Archbishop Martin Modeus in his homily: “If I am close to the risen Jesus, I will see what he sees and I will be able to do what he does.” This presence of Christ gives us the strength to be reconciled “seventy-seven times seven times”, as that day’s Gospel says (cf. Matthew 18:18-21).
In a workshop where I presented the JC2033 initiative, inviting people to a journey of unity and witness towards 2033, I recalled that faith in the Triune God, revealed in the death and resurrection of Christ, is the foundation of all commitment to justice and peace. The first words of the Risen Lord to his disciples are indeed: “Peace be with you. ‘ (John 20:19).
Conclusion: a path for tomorrow
In 1925, emerging from the ruins of war, the Churches took a decisive step towards unity by confessing their sin, proclaiming the Trinitarian faith and placing themselves at the service of peace.
In 2025, a century later, more numerous and diverse Churches – including Catholic and Pentecostal Churches – are renewing this commitment.
The Stockholm Conference was a turning point that broke down walls and opened new paths. Its centenary reminds us that Christian unity is not a spiritual luxury, but a missionary urgency and a requirement for peace in the world.
The bells of Stockholm still ring today to remind us of Christ’s call: “May they all be one, Father, as you and I are one… so that the world may believe.”
Illustration: In the cathedral of Uppsala, 24 August 2025 (Photo Hillert, WCC)
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First published in this link of The European Times.
