Mercy, not sacrifice, is the Christian keynote when dubious appeals to unity are used in religion and in society to thwart calls for social justice, says Savi Hensman. She cites recent examples in Japan and in world Anglicanism.

European Commission president José Manuel Barroso has praised the role of Christianity in promoting European unification, and has appealed to religions to strengthen the values on which the unity of the continent is based.

Seven 'Global South' archbishops refused to receive Holy Communion with their fellow Primates on 16 February 2007, at thir Tanzania gathering. They alleged that they were "unable to come to the Holy Table with the Presiding Bishop of The Episcopal Church [USA] because to do so would be a violation of Scriptural teaching and the traditional Anglican understanding" - writes Matthew Davies for Episcopal News Service

Philippine churches, buoyed by a yearly celebration of a National Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, are uniting to help ensure clean and honest elections in May - writes Maurice Malanes from Baguio City, Philippines, for Ecumenical News International (ENI).