Ideas for "bringing unity down to earth", "communicative action" and a "theology of the wilderness" were among the winning entries submitted for an essay contest on Prospects for Ecumenism in the 21st Century. The winners, two women and four men, come from Africa, Asia, Europe and North America.
Challenges facing Christians today are too strong for a divided church, said World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia in Egypt recently as he called for church unity both locally and globally. Kobia was speaking during a 16-21 June visit to WCC member churches in the country.
La segunda vuelta de la elección presidencial en Zimbabwe deberÃa ser aplazada, afirmó un joven dirigente del Movimiento de Estudiantes Cristianos del paÃs, durante una visita a Suiza para pedir apoyo de las iglesias por la crisis humanitaria en ese paÃs sudafricano.
Over the last decade, Orthodox women reached significant milestones regarding their participation in church life, but many of their concerns have not yet been fully addressed, an international gathering of Orthodox women stated.
"Living Letters" from member churches of the World Council of Churches (WCC) in Burundi, Brazil, Greece and the United States will come to Germany, 27 June - 4 July, for an exchange of experiences in overcoming violence.
Zimbabwe's run-off presidential election should be postponed, according to a young leader of the country's Student Christian Movement, who is in Switzerland to request the churches support for addressing the humanitarian crisis in the South African country.
"Cartas Vivas" de las iglesias miembros del Consejo Mundial de Iglesias (CMI) de Burundi, Brasil, Grecia y los Estados Unidos visitarán Alemania del 27 de junio al 4 de julio para intercambiar experiencias sobre la superación de la violencia.
Two international ecumenical bodies called on the UN, the South African Development Community and the African Union "to increase [their] efforts to address the rapidly deteriorating situation in Zimbabwe". Emergency aid, postponement of the run-off election and the responsibility of the international community to intervene in protection of the people are amongst the main concerns.
Churches around the world will pray for the peoples of the Pacific as an international church initiative against violence focuses attention on the region this year. Pacific churches themselves will pray and reflect together on how best to promote peace in their communities.
En una carta al secretario general de las Naciones Unidas, Ban Ki-moon, el Consejo Mundial de Iglesias (CMI) ha expresado su continua preocupación por la situación en Zimbabwe y ha pedido a la organización mundial que utilice sus recursos para asegurar que se ponga fin a la violencia preelectoral en ese paÃs sudafricano y que la elección del 27 de junio sea libre y justa.
As the internet has developed into a social network where individuals as well as institutions exchange ideas via text, sound and pictures, churches face new opportunities and challenges. At the 13th European Christian Internet Conference in Lyon, France, 13-17 June, participants came from as far away as Iceland and Romania to share their views on how the churches should be "following Jesus into virtual space", as one of the keynote lecturers put it.
A medida que Internet pasa a ser una red social en la que las personas asà como las instituciones intercambian ideas por medio de textos, sonidos e imágenes, las iglesias se enfrentan con nuevas oportunidades y desafÃos. En la 13ª Conferencia Cristiana Europea sobre Internet que se celebró en Lyon, Francia, del 13 al 17 de junio, participantes que procedÃan de lugares remotos como Islandia y Rumania compartieron sus puntos de vista sobre cómo las iglesias pueden "seguir a Jesús en el espacio virtual", en palabras de una de los principales expositores.
En Australia, diferentes lÃderes eclesiales se reunieron para dirigirse a los creadores de la opinión pública del paÃs en relación con el conflicto de Israel-Palestina y dar publicidad a un conjunto de materiales para la toma de conciencia de las parroquias. En Escocia, un grupo integrado por varios partidos del Parlamento se reunió con representantes cristianos, judÃos y musulmanes. En Budapest, la segunda mayor iglesia de HungrÃa envió cartas sobre la paz para los israelÃes y palestinos al Gobierno nacional y a gobiernos extranjeros. En Noruega, el ministro de relaciones exteriores y un obispo palestino intervinieron en un servicio multirreligioso por la paz.
In Australia a broad spectrum of church leaders came together to address national public opinion makers on the Israel-Palestine conflict and launch a parish awareness kit. In Scotland a cross-party group in Parliament met with Christian, Jewish and Muslim representatives. In Budapest, Hungary's second largest church sent letters about peace for Israelis and Palestinians to the national and foreign governments. In Norway the foreign minister and a Palestinian bishop addressed a multi-religious peace service.
In a letter to the UN secretary general, Ban Ki-moon, the World Council of Churches (WCC) has expressed continued concern about the situation in Zimbabwe and asked the world body to utilize its resources to assure an end to pre-election violence in the southern African country and a free and fair election on 27 June.
Las iglesias de todo el mundo están invitadas a celebrar un dÃa de oración por Zimbabwe el domingo 22 de junio como comienzo de una campaña de oración por el pueblo y el gobierno de ese paÃs africano, que está atravesando momentos muy difÃciles.
