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As religions and cultures from across the globe gathered for dialogue on 15-17 September in Madrid at the Sant’ Egidio conference on “Peace with no borders,” World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit addressed the crowd, reflecting on “the simple truth" of one human family.
This truth, he said, is both liberating and also very demanding, and was also the focus of a historic event in Abu Dhabi in February at which His Holiness Pope Francis and the Grand Imam of al-Azhar, Ahmad al-Tayyeb issued a bold declaration about human fraternity.
"This was an encouraging moment in the long journey on which we as Christians are travelling with members of other religious communities – a journey towards greater recognition of our shared humanity and of our call to work together for the common good,” Tveit reflected. “The Abu Dhabi declaration reminds us of the truth that we are all members of the one human family.”
As in Abu Dhabi, so also in Madrid for the “Peace with no borders” conference, Tveit noted, as people are coming together from different religious traditions to affirm their human fraternity. “We will naturally do so in different ways, according to our different convictions,” he said. "Speaking for the WCC, a fellowship of 350 Orthodox and Protestant churches from around the world, I can say that we base our commitment to human fraternity on the fundamental Christian conviction, found in the first chapter of the Bible, that every single person, of whatever religion or none, has been created in the image of God.”
The WCC seeks in its varied activities to witness to the love of God which bestows dignity upon all people, said Tveit.
“The current motto of the WCC is that we are together on a Pilgrimage of Justice and Peace,” he said. “This year we particularly focus on how to combat racism, which perhaps more than anything else directly opposes justice and peace and undermines human fraternity.”
Read full speech by Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit
Learn more about Panel 19, on Human Fraternity
‘Ecumenism: is it still on?’ WCC general secretary addresses global peace conference (WCC press release of 16 September 2019)
World Week for Peace highlights humanity and equality (WCC press release of 15 September 2019)
Reflection explores humanity and equality in God's creation (WCC press release of 16 September 2019
Human fraternity is a divine calling, says WCC general secretary (WCC press release of 3 February 2019)
Pope Francis says pilgrimage to UAE is a new page in Christian-Islam dialogue (WCC press release of 7 February 2019)
