Council of Christian Churches in France

The Council of Christian Churches in France (French: Conseil d'Églises chrétiennes en France, CÉCEF) is an ecumenical organization established on 17 December 1987. It gathers the heads of the principal Christian church families in France to foster dialogue, common prayer, and joint action. The council is composed of nineteen members and is co-presided by the presidents of the Protestant Federation of France, the Conference of Bishops of France, and the Assembly of Orthodox Bishops of France. In addition to these three co-presidents, it includes five Protestant representatives, five Catholic representatives, three Orthodox representatives, two representatives of Oriental Orthodox Churches (including the primate of the French diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church), and one Anglican representative (the archdeacon for France of the Diocese of Gibraltar in Europe). Decisions are taken unanimously. The CÉCEF regularly issues messages to Christians on the occasions of Easter, Christmas, the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, and the European Taizé meetings. It also speaks out on bioethical issues and major national or international events. Notable initiatives include a 1994 ecumenical translation of the Creed (Nicene-Constantinople and Apostles' Creeds), a common celebration of the Jubilee of the Year 2000 held in Lyon on 13 April 2000, and the launch in 2012 of a biennial prize for university work on ecumenical questions. In 2017, the council recommended the new French translation of the Lord's Prayer for ecumenical celebrations, and in September 2017 it founded the Église verte (Green Church) label to encourage Christian communities to fight climate change through measures such as insulating places of worship, reducing energy consumption, and raising environmental awareness. The council continues to be active, publishing messages such as the 2025 Easter message, the 2025 Christmas message, and communications for the Season of Creation in 2025 and 2026. Its work is rooted in the Charta Oecumenica and in collaboration with other European churches. The CÉCEF operates as a not-for-profit religious body rather than a commercial enterprise, but it functions as a recognized brand-like umbrella organization within French Christianity.

The Council of Christian Churches in France (CÉCEF) was founded on 17 December 1987. It emerged as an ecumenical body to facilitate dialogue and cooperation among the major Christian confessions in France. From its inception, it was structured to include representatives from Protestant, Catholic, Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, and Anglican churches, with decisions made by consensus. In 1994, the council proposed an ecumenical translation of the Creed in French, covering both the Nicene-Constantinople Creed and the Apostles' Creed. The Jubilee of the Year 2000 was celebrated with a common gathering on 13 April 2000 in Lyon. In 2012, the CÉCEF launched a biennial prize for university research on ecumenical topics. In 2017, the council recommended a new French translation of the Lord's Prayer for ecumenical celebrations; the previous common translation dated from 1966. In September 2017, the CÉCEF founded the Église verte (Green Church) label to encourage Christian communities to engage in environmental stewardship, including insulating places of worship, reducing energy use, and raising ecological awareness. The council continues to issue regular messages for Easter, Christmas, the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, and the Season of Creation. Recent communications include the 2025 Easter message, the 2025 Christmas message, and messages for the Season of Creation in 2025 and 2026, often referencing the Charta Oecumenica and collaboration with European churches.

• Founding of the Council of Christian Churches in France (CÉCEF).

• Proposal of an ecumenical translation of the Creed in French.

• Common celebration of the Jubilee of the Year 2000 in Lyon.

• Launch of a biennial prize for university work on ecumenical questions.

• Recommendation of the new French translation of the Lord's Prayer for ecumenical celebrations.

• Founding of the Église verte (Green Church) label.

Ecumenical dialogue and common witness among Christian churches in France

1. 1CÉCEF - Unité des chrétiensunitedeschretiens.fr
2. 2Message du CECEF 2026 à propos du Temps de la Création - Unité des chrétiensunitedeschretiens.fr
3. 3Conseil d'églises chrétiennes en France - Wikidatawikidata.org
4. 4Conseil d'Églises chrétiennes en France - Wikipédiafr.wikipedia.org