The faithful of different confessions in Odesa can write down their prayers for unity in the symbolic book of unity

In Odesa, as well as in other regions of Ukraine, on January 18 the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity began. During this period Orthodox, Catholics and Protestants will pray together for unity. This practice in Odesa was begun by the chancellor of the Odesa-Crimea Exarchate of the UGCC, Fr. Volodymyr Zhdan. As the site "The Canonical Orthodox Church in Odesa" reports, Fr. Volodymyr passed the symbolic Book of Unity to Bishop Yakiv (Makarchuk) of Odesa and Baltia of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church-Kyivan Patriarchate. "The present time shows that it is necessary to pray for unity. As Odesa is a multiethnic and multi-confessional city, prayer which will help us live through the crisis which has grasped Ukrainian society can unite us, in particular Odesa," Fr. Volodymyr noted. He said that in the Book of Unity believers of different confessions can write down their own prayers for unity in Ukrainian society, in the church and in the world. "Prayer is the beginning and basis of any Christian matter. It is the motive force of inter-confessional dialogue," the priest remarked. The book already has been in Greek- and Roman Catholic churches of Odesa and Orthodox and Protestants soon will be able to write in it. www.risu.org.ua/ukr/news/article;26885/