Image
Photo: Marcelo Schneider/WCC

Photo: Marcelo Schneider/WCC

In a letter of solidarity to church leaders in the Solomon Islands, Fiji, Vanuatu and Tonga and the Pacific, World Council of Churches (WCC) acting general secretary Fr Ioan Sauca expressed sadness and concern over the recent devastation caused by Tropical Cyclone Harold.

“We are mindful of the extra burden that this presents for the people of the Solomon Islands, Fiji, Vanuatu and Tonga and the Pacific amid the pressures of addressing the COVID-19 pandemic,” Sauca wrote. “You have especially been in our communal prayers this week.”

The Pacific region is the WCC regional focus for 2020 but, due to the current pandemic, some planned programs and visits have had to be deferred or cancelled. “Please be assured of our continuing support for you in the common concerns that we share,” wrote Sauca. "At this time we hold fast to our faith in God through Christ, who through the Holy Spirit reminds us that God continues to be at work.”

Sauca expressed the wish that the hope of Easter and Christ’s resurrection be a continuing strength for us all in this strange and uncertain time. “We continue to stand with you in solidarity and prayer,” he concluded.

Read the full WCC message

WCC member churches in the Pacific