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22 January: what is celebrated today
22 January lies at the heart of a time for reflection: one week that invites us to think about the body and another that looks towards the spirit. Between health campaigns and ecumenical gatherings, this day proposes a twofold gesture of responsibility: caring for ourselves and living together. In the middle of winter, when days pass slowly and light seems scarce, both celebrations remind us that health and unity are also forms of hope.
European Cervical Cancer Prevention Week
In the middle of the third week of January, Europe focuses its attention on a disease that often progresses silently but whose prevention is within most people's reach: cervical cancer. The campaign, which runs from 20 to 26 January, seeks to reinforce an essential message: information saves lives. Regular check-ups, HPV vaccination and access to preventive medicine turn what could be a serious threat into a manageable risk.
The figures remain striking: hundreds of thousands of new diagnoses each year on the continent and tens of thousands of preventable deaths. That is why this week is not only a technical reminder, but also a social one. It speaks of inequalities, lack of access and the need for women's health to be a real priority rather than a peripheral issue.
Across Europe, hospitals, associations and community centres organise conferences, talks and awareness campaigns that seek to make information clear and accessible. The aim is simple: that no woman should face this disease without first having received the tools to prevent it. The week thus becomes an invitation to regard the body with respect and prevention as an act of collective care.
Week of Prayer for Christian Unity
From 18 to 25 January, different Christian denominations come together to reflect on unity, reconciliation and common paths in a fragmented world. 22 January falls right in the middle of this special week, where dialogue replaces confrontation and prayer becomes a bridge across centuries of doctrinal differences. The 2025 motto, ‘Do you believe this?’, calls for an introspection that goes beyond theology: it invites people to ask what it means to believe in justice, compassion and fraternity.
Each day offers a different reflection, inspired by biblical texts dealing with solidarity, mercy, consolation and human dignity. Local communities organise vigils, meetings and shared readings that seek to strengthen a spirit of listening. Unity does not appear as a rigid ideal, but as a process that requires patience, openness and humility.
From small rural parishes to the solemn celebration in Rome, the week recalls that faith can be a space for meeting rather than division. At a time marked by social and religious tensions, this celebration takes on renewed value: it proposes that coexistence is possible, even when paths seem different.