Feature story
The World Council of Churches (WCC) was represented in the service by Bishop Ingeborg Mittömme, a member of the WCC central and executive committees.
The service was led by Archbishop Dr Martin Modéus and Dean Matilda Helg.
His All-Holiness the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew led the Nicene Creed in Greek during the service, as the Patriarch of Alexandria did at the service in the cathedral in 1925.
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Bishop Ingeborg Midttomme of Church of Norway and other church leaders from a range of different traditions gather to present an ecumenical appeal on the theme 'Time for God's Peace' during an ecumenical prayer service in Uppsala Cathedral.
Albin Hillert/WCC
An Ecumenical Appeal was presented, acknowledging that church leaders were gathering in a time that cries out for peace. “A peace that is not merely the absence of war, but is marked by justice and reconciliation,” the appeal reads. “In this time, God calls us—as churches, as siblings in faith, as fellow human beings—to be bearers of God’s peace.”
The appeal reminded those gathered that the mission of the church is not for our own sake, but for the sake of the world.
“We stand together—different in traditions, languages, contexts, and expressions—yet united in Christ,” reads the appeal. “Our unity is not uniformity, but a reconciled diversity that reflects God’s creative love.
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His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew of the Ecumenical Patriarchate (left), Most Rev. Stephen Cottrell, Archbishop of York (right) and behind them Archbishop Dr Martin Modéus of Church of Sweden, exit the church in procession at the conclusion of an ecumenical prayer service in Uppsala Cathedral.
Albin Hillert/WCC
The appeal also emphasized the common responsibility to work for peace.
“The pursuit of peace and the possibility of reconciliation are central to the churches’ common witness,” reads the appeal. “We urge one another to stand against violence, to promote dialogue between religions and cultures, and to be a voice for those who are not heard.”
The appeal reflected that God’s peace is not passive. “It is active. It seeks justice. It builds bridges. It heals wounds and creates space for reconciliation,” reads the appeal. “Therefore, we cannot remain silent when people are displaced, when hatred takes root, when human-caused climate change threatens the future of life.”
Many of the churches that were represented with guests at the 1925 meeting are now established in Sweden.
In 1925, the theme for the Stockholm meeting and the service in Uppsala was that the unity of the church is for the sake of the world. The meeting was part of the efforts for peace and understanding after the First World War, in a tumultuous time when the church sought its mission in relation to modernity, industrialization, and new social forms.
Photo gallery: Ecumenical Week in Stockholm 2025
Video: Ecumenical service in Uppsala cathedral
Sermon by Archbishop Dr Martin Modéus of Church of Sweden (in Swedish)
A Time for God’s Peace – An Ecumenical Adress
Peace festival high point of Ecumenical Week in Stockholm (WCC feature, 24 August 2025)
Roundtable focuses on urgent need for God’s peace (WCC news release, 24 August 2025)
"United in faith and action,” global church prays together (WCC news release, 22 August 2025)
WCC releases Life and Work Digital Collection (WCC news release, 21 August 2025)
“Reclaiming the Spirit of Life and Work for Ecumenical Renewal” (WCC news release, 18 August 2025)
Ecumenical Appeal – Uppsala 2025
