Service to mark retirement of Churches Together president

A Service of Vespers at Westminster Cathedral will be held to mark the retirement of Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor as President of Churches Together in England.

The service on January 22 will be attended by co-presidents of Churches Together, Dr Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury, Commissioner Elizabeth Matear, Free Churches Moderator, and Bishop Nathan Hovhannisian, Primate of the Armenian Church of Great Britain.

Archbishop Rowan Williams will give the sermon during the service, which will also be attended by a number of other leading figures from the different Christian Churches in England.

The service takes place during the annual Week of Prayer for Christian Unity and is one of several ecumenical events taking place that week.

Speaking about the service, the Cardinal said, “I have been delighted to be a president of Churches Together in England over the last nine years and am proud of the work we have done to bring Christians of all denominations together, recognising our shared belief in Jesus Christ and promoting our communion with Him and each other.”

The Cardinal has been a president of Churches Together since he became Archbishop of Westminster in March 2000. His previous ecumenical work included serving as Joint Chairman of ARCIC II (Anglican-Roman Catholic International Commission, Second Phase) from 1983-2000.