Week of Prayer for Christian Unity: Kenyan Catholic Archbishop Appeals for Joint Fight against Evil

Nyeri, 19 January, 2026 / 7:13 PM

Archbishop Anthony Muheria of Kenya’s Catholic Archdiocese of Nyeri has urged the people of God to mark the 2026 Week of Prayer for Christian Unity by strengthening bonds of unity and identifying areas of cooperation in addressing social challenges.

In an audio recording of his reflection for the annual spiritual activity dedicated to prayer for the unity of Christians from January 18-25,  Archbishop Muheria highlighted the importance of embracing all human beings “with whom we can join and cooperate in acts of goodness” regardless of their denominations.

“It is a week in which we are called to pray, to open our hearts, welcome others, and embrace them as brothers and sisters, even if they do not belong to our religion,” he said in the reflection published by The Catholic Mirror of the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops (KCCB) on Monday, January 19.

He added, “The second point is to open our eyes to see the opportunities where we can work together. We must unite in the fight against evil in our world.”

“The Church cannot be used for personal gain. We must not accept division based on religion or denomination,” he said, describing the exploitation of religion to fuel hatred and political or personal interests as the first evil Christians must confront together.

He explained, “Some spread hatred because they do not like someone for not being of their faith or use religion to advance their own political or personal interests through the church. That is an act that goes against God.”

The Local Ordinary of the Kenyan Metropolitan See further called for Christian unity in addressing poverty, protecting the environment, and promoting compassion within communities.

“We must unite in fighting the evils of poverty and the exploitation of the vulnerable among us,” Archbishop Muheria said, stressing that unity is essential in lifting up those who are suffering.

He appealed for collective action, encouraging neighbors regardless of their religious backgrounds to join hands in practical acts of compassion that reflect shared moral values, saying, “Let us see what we can do and show the face of God, the face of Christ, because we are doing good together.”

“This week, therefore, we are invited to reflect on all these things and plan how we can move forward in the days ahead, building better relationships among us,” he said, noting that “the goal of unity in the practice of goodness, unity in building the world, and creating humane environments that are good, joyful, and peaceful is the work of all of us.”

The Kenyan-born Catholic Church leader emphasized that caring for the environment is a shared responsibility that the people of God can effectively address through collective initiatives.

He said, “We must also unite in caring for the environment—protecting it, planting trees here and there, cleaning rivers, and tidying our homes.” 

“All these are things we can do together,” Archbishop Muheria observed and went to highlight the importance of Christian unity during times of mourning, particularly at funerals.

He said, “When we enter that space, let us pray together and be able to comfort those experiencing the pain and sorrow of death. Let there be no rivalry, but unity. Unity in the practice of goodness and God will bless us.”

“The command of God to love one another reaches every religion. So now is the time to support one another, walk together, and God will bless us. We are all called to fulfill one greatest task: an act of love, of care and affection among human beings,” Archbishop Muheria said.