News
Full text of the statements and photos available, see below.
"Churches are called to play a prophetic role in the promotion of justice, peace and reconciliation in both North and South at this critical point in Korean history," stated WCC central committee moderator Catholicos Aram I of the Armenian Apostolic Church (Cilicia) in Seoul, as the WCC executive committee adopted a declaration focusing on Korean reunification.
In a public statement on Korea, the executive committee recognized the risk of conflict on the Korean peninsula, and urged the churches and the international community to find ways of consolidating efforts for a peaceful reunification of North and South Korea.
It called on churches to "mobilize support" for actions which reinforced stability, dialogue and exchange in the region, and urged the lifting of sanctions and the provision of aid to North Korea. Earlier in the week, the WCC leadership met with South Korean president Roh Moo-hyu and officials at the South Korean Ministry of Unification.
The statement was issued as the WCC executive committee completed its meeting in Seoul, the first to be held in an Asian country, 24-27 August 2004. The meeting, which also reviewed WCC programmatic activity and administrative issues, was hosted by the National Council of Churches in Korea (NCCK) and visits were made during the week to the WCC member churches in the country.
Somalia, Zimbabwe, Sudan
Commenting on other issues of international concern, the committee encouraged WCC to work with other civil society groups in support of the renewed peace initiative in Somalia. The moderator of the WCC Commission of Churches on International Affairs, Ambassador Betheul Kiplagat, is leading the peace negotiations in the country.
In a minute on Zimbabwe, the executive urged the Zimbabwean churches to support efforts towards democratic reform, and agreed to send an international ecumenical team to the churches there as a sign of encouragement and solidarity. The country faces serious social upheaval and politically-motivated violence.
In a statement on the situation in Sudan, the WCC executive committee deplored the ongoing humanitarian disaster and forced displacement of civilians in the Darfur region, and urged the African Union and the United Nations to provide for an international peace-keeping force, the investigation of war crimes, and the full deployment of independent observers to monitor the cease-fire and human rights in the region.
A step towards consensus
The WCC executive committee marked a significant step forward in the introduction of a consensus model of decision-making in the WCC by authorizing the necessary changes to WCC rules for the next central committee. According to Catholicos Aram I, "much more than a change of procedures, a consensus approach will enable all programmes and actions of the WCC to be perceived as building fellowship and understanding."
The move to consensus was decided after some member churches, especially the Orthodox churches, expressed disagreement with the current style of WCC decision-making.
Religions as a source of peace
The committee voiced support for a major international inter-religious conference to be sponsored by the WCC in June 2005. According to WCC general secretary Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia, "the Council seeks to uphold how religion can be used as a source of peace and justice around the world, and avoid situations when religion can be a source of conflict."
The next meeting of the WCC central committee will be held in Geneva in February 2005, one year before WCC the ninth assembly in Porto Alegre, Brazil. During the week, the Korean churches reiterated their hope that a future WCC assembly will be held in their country.
The full texts of WCC executive committee statements are available at
wcc-coe.org/wcc/press_corner/index-e.html
Photos of the WCC visit to Korea are available at:
