Press centre

Grief and anger in Canada and across the world have followed the news that the remains of 215 children were found on the grounds of the Kamloops Residential School in the western Canadian province of British Columbia.

The World Council of Churches (WCC) executive committee, convening from 17-20 May, set a tone of hope for the future while, at the same time, addressing multiple global crises with statements, pastoral messages, and calls for prayer.

World Council of Churches (WCC) acting general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Ioan Sauca expressed mounting concern and profound grief at the rising toll of people killed and injured in the escalating violence in Israel and Palestine.

In the midst of one of the worst public health crises in the world, Christians in Brazil are upholding their tradition of celebrating the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity in the lead up to Pentecost. For the second year, they will be gathering in prayer without physical gatherings though. 

After releasing in 2020 the research paper Cooler Earth - Higher Benefits: Actions by those who care about children, climate and finance, the World Council of Churches (WCC) is launching a tool to be used online or in print, encouraging young people to promote financial choices in response to the climate crisis.

In an Easter message, World Council of Churches acting general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Ioan Sauca conveyed the traditional greeting: “Christ is risen! He is risen indeed!”

With a year soon past since the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the spread of COVID-19 a global pandemic, the World Council of Churches (WCC) will observe a week of prayer from 22-27 March. 

The World Council of Churches and the Christian Conference of Asia, in a joint statement, expressed distress and concern over the disturbing trend of continued lethal action against the people by the Myanmar military.

A 9 March webinar—the third in a series of seven on bilateral dialogues—will focus on “Anglican-Orthodox Dialogue: History, Results, Reception” as well as the Canterbury Statement “Stewards of Creation: A Hope-Filled Ecology,” a statement on ecology jointly published by the Anglican Communion and the Orthodox Churches in October 2020.