By bringing together brothers from a wide variety of ecclesial, cultural and geographical backgrounds, the community's vocation is to be a sign of unity in the Church and in the human family. “Never resign yourself to the scandal of the separation of Christians who so readily profess love for their neighbour and yet remain divided. Make the unity of the Body of Christ your passionate concern” (Rule of Taizé).

Before arriving at Taizé in 1940, the young student who would become Brother Roger took part in the first large ecumenical assembly of young people which, in 1939, brought together in Amsterdam 1500 delegates from 70 countries. From the community’s beginning, brothers contributed to ecumenical theological reflection, notably in the “Groupe des Dombes” for French-speaking countries and “Faith and Order” on an international level. In 1960, to support the preparation of the Second Vatican Council, a colloquium brought together Catholic bishops and Protestant pastors at Taizé.

Beginning in the 1960s, young adults of different denominational backgrounds have come to Taizé in ever greater numbers. Their presence stimulates the ecumenical commitment of the community. Many Church leaders come to pray and share with the brothers and young people during shorter or longer stays: Pope John Paul II in 1986, the Orthodox Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople in 2017, four Anglican archbishops of Canterbury, all the Lutheran bishops of Sweden as well as many pastors and bishops from across the world.

The stages of the “pilgrimage of trust” animated by the brothers also manifest their passion for unity. The meetings outside of Taizé, especially the European meetings at the end of each year, are prepared as far as possible with all the Christians of a city or a region. The community prayers and the hospitality offer a foretaste of what a united Church, in its great diversity, could look like.

For the Catholic Church’s recent synod on synodality, Taizé proposed and helped with a “gathering of the People of God” in Rome. The ecumenical prayer vigil “Together” brought together 18,000 participants in Saint Peter’s Square on September 30, 2023, blessed by Pope Francis together with nineteen other church leaders from different denominations.