A World Council of Churches (WCC) delegation led by WCC acting general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Ioan Sauca visited Jerusalem and the West Bank from 14-17 July, meeting with patriarchs and heads of Christian communities as well as local clergy and laity.
After being received by representatives of the churches managing the Church of Nativity in Bethlehem on 15 July, President Joseph Biden was accompanied on a short tour to the site of the birth of Christ, where he was awaited by Patriarch Theophilos III, the Custos Father Patton, and the Armenian Orthodox Patriarch Norahan Manugian, all of whom took Biden on a tour and exchanged discussion with him in the presence of a number of Palestinian officials.
La celebración de la Semana de Oración por la Paz en Palestina e Israel del 15 al 22 de septiembre de 2022 será una oportunidad para que el mundo se una en la oración con el propósito de rogar por el fin de la ocupación de Palestina.
The 2022 World Week for Peace in Palestine and Israel, to be held 15-22 September, will be an opportunity for the world to come together in prayer to end the occupation of Palestine.
The Middle East Council of Churches held its 12th General Assembly on 16-20 May in Egypt, exploring the theme “Take courage, it is I, do not be afraid.”
A message from the gathering touches upon many challenges facing the Middle East.
El secretario general en funciones del Consejo Mundial de Iglesias, Rev. Prof. Dr. Ioan Sauca, afirmó que los recientes acontecimientos en Palestina e Israel han puesto trágicamente de relieve una vez más la necesidad acuciante de una paz justa en la región, tanto para el pueblo palestino como para el israelí.
Recent events in Palestine and Israel have, tragically, once again underscored the critical need for a just peace in the region, for both Palestinians and Israelis, said World Council of Churches acting general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Ioan Sauca.
As Orthodox institutions and individuals called for unimpeded access to the Holy Sepulcher for Holy Fire Saturday and Easter, the Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem rejected restrictions announced by Israeli police.
Easter for Christians, Passover for Jews, and Ramadan for Muslims coincided on the weekend of 15-17 April this year. Still, violence in the holy city of Jerusalem shared by the three faiths was a reminder of the fragility of their relationships.
As the ninth anniversary of the abduction of the archbishops of Aleppo approaches, World Council of Churches acting general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Ioan Sauca invited prayer for the safe return of the two religious leaders, as well as others missing amid conflicts and crises.
Tras una declaración del Patriarcado Ortodoxo de Jerusalén, el 11 de abril, en la que expresa serias preocupaciones por las anunciadas restricciones políticas del Sábado Santo, el Consejo Mundial de Iglesias (CMI) condenó enérgicamente dichas medidas que restringen el acceso a lugares de culto, pues considera que son violaciones a la libertad religiosa en la Tierra Santa.
Following an 11 April statement of the Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem expressing grave concerns over announced police restrictions on Holy Fire Saturday, the World Council of Churches (WCC) strongly condemned such measures restricting access to places of worship as violations of religious freedom in the Holy Land.
El 5 de abril, dirigentes y miembros del personal del Consejo Mundial de Iglesias (CMI) se reunieron con representantes de las iglesias miembros en Siria venidos al Instituto Ecuménico de Bossey para una serie de consultas sobre la labor programática de larga data del CMI relacionada con su país. El secretario general en funciones del CMI, Rev. Prof. Dr. Ioan Sauca, fue el organizador de la reunión
On 5 April, World Council of Churches (WCC) leadership and staff met with representatives of WCC member churches from Syria, who came to the Bossey Ecumenical Institute for consultations on the WCC’s longstanding programmatic work relating to Syria. WCC acting general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Ioan Sauca, was the convener of the meeting.
In the wake of a series of violent attacks in Israel, World Council of Churches (WCC) acting general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Ioan Sauca condemned the attacks and extended condolences to those who lost loved ones.
Tras una serie de atentados que se han producido en Israel, el secretario general en funciones del Consejo Mundial de Iglesias (CMI), Rev. Prof. Dr. Ioan Sauca, condenó los atentados y transmitió sus condolencias a las personas que han perdido a sus seres queridos.
Following the occupation of the historic Petra Hotel in East Jerusalem by members of a settler group, Patriarch Theophilos III and the heads of churches in Jerusalem are urging the Jerusalem police to act fairly and in accordance with their responsibilities.
El secretario general en funciones del Consejo Mundial de Iglesias, Rev. Prof. Dr. Ioan Sauca, reiteró las peticiones de liberación de dos arzobispos sirios, el arzobispo ortodoxo sirio Yohanna Ibrahim y el arzobispo ortodoxo griego Paul Yazigi, que fueron secuestrados cerca de Alepo (Siria) en abril de 2013.
World Council of Churches acting general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Ioan Sauca reiterated calls for the release of two Syrian archbishops, Syriac Orthodox Archbishop Yohanna Ibrahim and Greek Orthodox Archbishop Paul Yazigi, who were kidnapped near Aleppo, Syria in April 2013.
More than 400 people participated in an olive tree planting and solidarity event in the West Bank village of Burin. The gathering, organized by Rabbis for Human Rights, occurred in the wake of an extremist attack two weeks ago on people planting olive trees.
