Christian unity in Japan has advanced more visibly through shared social action than through formal church structures, Cardinal Isao Kikuchi said, as churches mark the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.
In his weekly message for the Second Sunday of the Year, the Archbishop of Tokyo reflected on the state of ecumenism decades after the Second Vatican Council, noting that institutional unity remains difficult despite long-standing dialogue.
“Since the Second Vatican Council, the movement for unity known as ecumenism has seen a variety of initiatives,” Kikuchi said.
The prelate said doctrinal and theological dialogue has taken place, “but in reality, since different faiths have been maintained along different paths for many years, achieving unity in the form of a concrete organizational merger has not been easy.”
He said cooperation across denominational lines has become more common where churches respond to social concerns, describing this as a significant development in ecumenical life.
“However, in the field, where various social issues are being addressed, it has become commonplace for people to cooperate with each other across the boundaries of denominations and sects,” Kikuchi said.
“In other words, it can be said that unity in living the Gospel has progressed considerably,” he added.
Kikuchi identified the next challenge as deepening this cooperation beyond practical collaboration and into shared spiritual life.
“One of the challenges is how to extend this unity in the field to the spiritual dimension,” he said.
The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity is being observed nationwide in Japan, with an ecumenical prayer meeting scheduled in Tokyo on Jan. 18 at St. Mary’s Cathedral.
This year’s theme is drawn from Ephesians 4:4, which states, “There is one body and one Spirit, just as you are all called to one hope.”
As churches reflect on unity, Kikuchi emphasized that Christian witness must focus not on institutional identity but on proclaiming Christ.
“It is not ourselves that we proclaim, but the Lord Jesus,” he said. “It is the Lord Jesus, the source of hope for living life.”
He called on Christians to continue walking together in society, grounded in shared faith rather than formal structures.
“As brothers and sisters who share the same body and one spirit and are called to the same hope, we want to continue to be pilgrims who walk together in society and bear witness to the gospel of hope,” Kikuchi said.
