ttps://www.prounione.it/it/ Centro Pro Unioneis a ministry of the

Franciscan Friars of the Atonement The Society of the Atonement, also known as the Friars and Sisters of the Atonement or Graymoor Friars and Sisters is a Franciscan religious congregation in the Catholic Church. The friars and sisters were founded in 1898 by Paul Wattson as a relig ...

, a Franciscan Anglican community founded in 1898 b
Fr. Paul Wattson
SA, Servant of God, an
M. Lurana White
SA, and welcomed into full communion with the Church of Rome in 1909 by St.

Pius X Pope Pius X ( it, Pio X; born Giuseppe Melchiorre Sarto; 2 June 1835 – 20 August 1914) was head of the Catholic Church from 4 August 1903 to his death in August 1914. Pius X is known for vigorously opposing modernist interpretations of ...

. Among the charisms of the Congregation of the Atonement is the promotion of unity among all Christians. The Centro Pro Unione, fulfills this particular vocation.

History

The roots of the Centro go back at least to 1948, when the friars began collaborating with the ecumenical magazine “Unitas”, founded by the Jesuit P. Carlo Boyer and based in th
convent of St. Brigida in p.zza Farnese
in Rome. Between 1950 and 1960 a collaboration was developed with the Ladies of Bethany and the Foyer Unitas, for the welcoming of Orthodox and Protestant visitors to Rome. The Prayer Association “Pro Unione” (Lega di preghiera), conceived by Fr. Paul Wattson, was formed and directed by Fr. Celestine Leahy. The League provided the Italian translation, the printing and the dissemination of the texts for th
“Week of Prayer for the Christian Unity”
which is celebrated every year from 18 to 25 January in the Northern hemisphere. In 1962, Princess Orietta Doria Pamphilj and her husband, Commander Frank Pogson, invite
Foyer Unitas
the International Association Unitas and the League of Prayer “Pro Unione” to move to Pamphilj Palace in p.zza Navona. From that moment on, the noble dwelling became a center of ecumenical meeting, especially in the years of the

Second Vatican Council The Second Ecumenical Council of the Vatican, commonly known as the , or , was the 21st ecumenical council of the Roman Catholic Church. The council met in St. Peter's Basilica in Rome for four periods (or sessions), each lasting between 8 and ...

. In 1968 the Friars ceased the English edition of the magazine “Unitas” and founded th
Centro Pro Unione
which became a place of meeting, study, research and ecumenical dialogue and formation. The Centre began to coordinate, with other Italian ecumenical centers, the Italian edition of the “Week of Prayer for the Christian Unity”. In 1969 the Centro was officially inaugurated by the card.

Johannes Willebrands Johannes Gerardus Maria Willebrands (4 September 1909 in Bovenkarspel, North Holland – 1 August 2006) was a Dutch Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as President of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity from 1 ...

. Th
Centro Pro Unione
to date, has
library
specializing in the field of ecumenism, continues its work to promote ecumenical dialogue, through meetings and conferences and by maintaining an up-to-date documentation on the official theological dialogue, and continues to coordinate and disseminate the material useful for the yearly celebration of the “Week of Prayer for Christian Unity”.

External links

Official Website

Franciscan Friars of the Atonement
{{Coord, 41, 53, 56.6, N, 12, 28, 19.9, E, type:landmark_region:IT_dim:27, display=title Catholic–Protestant ecumenism Christian ecumenical organizationsbr>Centro Pro Unione
is a ministry of the

, a Franciscan Anglican community founded in 1898 b
Fr. Paul Wattson
SA, Servant of God, an
M. Lurana White
SA, and welcomed into full communion with the Church of Rome in 1909 by St.

. Among the charisms of the Congregation of the Atonement is the promotion of unity among all Christians. The Centro Pro Unione, fulfills this particular vocation.