As the world approaches the 2,000th year since the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, American pastor Rick Warren is urging Christians across traditions to reflect on a prayer of Christ that he says still remains “unanswered”: unity among believers.
Warren, who founded Saddleback Church in California and is one of the most widely recognized Protestant leaders, recently took part in a Catholic event in Rome organized by Global 2033. The movement aims to intensify the spread of the Gospel in anticipation of the major anniversary in 2033. Speaking to Andreas Thonhauser of EWTN during his time in the Vatican, Warren explained why he believes collaboration between Christian denominations is not only necessary but urgent.
“There are 2.5 billion people in the world who claim to believe in Jesus Christ,” he said. “1.3 billion are Catholic. About half of the Christian Church is Catholic.” In his view, the size of the Catholic Church makes it impossible to ignore if Christians are serious about completing the Great Commission.
Responding to those who might question why a Baptist minister would take part in a Catholic-led initiative, Warren was direct. “No single denomination can complete the Great Commission on their own,” he said.
He also pushed back against any suggestion that his presence at the gathering was an attempt to draw Catholics toward Protestant beliefs. Instead, he turned to the words of Jesus recorded in the Gospel of John. “Holy Father, protect them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one, as we are one.” That prayer, Warren said, still waits for fulfillment. “That is still the unanswered prayer of Jesus.”
Warren made it clear that his vision for unity doesn’t require Christians to agree on every point of doctrine. “We’re never going to have cultural unity. We’re never going to have structural unity. We’re never going to have unity in doctrine,” he said. But what matters most, according to him, is agreement on mission. “But we can all agree on one thing. Every Christian understands we’re called to go.”
During his time in Rome, Warren joined Catholics in prayer and explained his openness to doing so. “I pray with anybody who believes Jesus Christ is the Lord of my life,” he said. “These are brothers and sisters in Christ.”
The Global 2033 event was not just a time for public calls to action. It also opened space for Warren to share a personal story that has shaped his life and ministry. In 2013, his son took his own life after a long struggle with mental illness. “It was the worst day of my life,” he recalled. In the months that followed, he said he found unexpected comfort from a Catholic tradition.
“One of the things that helped me through was on EWTN, they were praying the Chaplet of Divine Mercy. And the Chaplet of Divine Mercy ministered to me and to my wife,” he said. “It was a healing balm in my heart.”
