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In his opening remarks, H E Metropolitan Emmanuel, Elder Metropolitan of Chalcedon, member of the WCC executive committee, and co-moderator of Religions for Peace, underlined the importance of respecting International law in times of war. He also lifted up the importance of freedom of worship for Christians and Muslims in Jerusalem. He noted that, while freedom of worship in Jerusalem for Jews is a good thing, we want the same for all followers of the three monotheistic religions. At the moment, he added, we are in the middle of Holy Week for the Orthodox family and Holy Fire Saturday will be on 11 April, two days from now.
Dr Francis Kuria, secretary general of Religions for Peace, said: "Religious leaders around the world are gravely concerned at the devastating conflict in the Middle East, a region which is the spark of the divine for many of our traditions. Today's statement, issued with full support of Religions for Peace, seeks to provide moral guidance. We pray it will help political leaders immediately end the violence and establish a sustained dialogue for peace.”
WCC director of communication Marianne Ejdersten, representing WCC general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay, expressed prayerful solidarity with all people of the Middle East.
"We urge political leaders to act with responsibility, and a renewed commitment to peaceful resolution of disputes,” she said. “Military confrontation and retaliatory escalation cannot bring sustainable security or peace.”
Ejdersten emphasized that the path forward must be one of de-escalation, dialogue, and respect for human dignity.
“Violence will not secure the future of the region; only justice, accountability, and sustained diplomatic engagement can lay the foundations for lasting peace,” she said. “This dangerous spiral of violence places millions of civilians at immediate risk, undermines regional and international security, and threatens already fragile economic and social stability across the Middle East and worldwide.”
The WCC called for an immediate cessation of all military actions; protection of civilian populations and critical infrastructure in accordance with international humanitarian law; resumption of diplomatic engagement and political dialogue through established international and regional mechanisms; and coordinated international efforts to prevent further escalation and to restore stability.
“It must be emphasized that the joint Israeli and US attacks are clearly illegal under international law and are in flagrant violation of the UN Charter which was created precisely to save the world’s people from the scourge of war,” said Ejdersten. “The World Council of Churches and Middle East Council of Churches affirmed in a statement yesterday that the world today faces a serious test of its humanity.”
Dr Rachel M. Tavernor, global advocacy and policy manager for the ACT Alliance, expressed deep concern about the gendered impacts of the war on women and girls. “Conflict, occupation, and economic collapse create disproportionately harsh consequences for women and girls—driving increases in gender-based violence, loss of livelihoods, barriers to healthcare, and the breakdown of community protection systems,” she said.
The consultation released a “A Multireligious Statement on the Urgent Imperative for Peace in the Middle East.”
The message is a shared call for compassion, justice, and reconciliation.
“Iranian, Israeli, Lebanese, and communities across the Gulf States alike have suffered under missile barrages, airstrikes, and ground operations,” reads the statement. “Proxy fronts in Lebanon and Yemen have reignited with fresh intensity, while strikes have targeted military, energy, civilian, and nuclear-related sites.”
The statement notes that innocent civilian blood has stained the Holy Land and the wider region. “This is a desecration of the sacred spark in every person,” reads the statement. “The extreme dangers remain both immediate and longer-term.”
Homes, schools, hospitals, factories, cultural heritage, and sacred sites revered by billions have been damaged or destroyed. “A humanitarian catastrophe continues to unfold, risking the collapse of basic services threatening millions,” notes the statement. “The disruption of the Strait of Hormuz has convulsed oil markets and supply chains, threatening economic ruin for vulnerable populations worldwide.”
Strikes near nuclear facilities have raised the specter of a radiological disaster; ecological damage mounts, continues the statement. “Escalation risks drawing in more nations and shattering the fragile threads of international order,” reads the text. “All parties—Israel, the United States, Iran, and their respective allies and proxies—must immediately and fully halt war operations across every theater, including Lebanon and other proxy fronts.”
This must include an end to all attacks on civilians, added the text. “The current two-week pause must be fully honored and transformed into a permanent ceasefire,” reads the statement. “Direct talks must urgently address core grievances: a nuclear-weapons-free region and world, mutual security guarantees, ending of proxy wars, accountability for harm inflicted, and the legitimate aspirations of all peoples for safety, dignity, and self-determination.”
The statement also urges that civil society—especially youth, women, and elders of all faiths— play a central role.
“We, as representatives of the world’s faith communities, pledge our services as peacemakers. We will accompany every step with prayer, interfaith solidarity, moral witness, and practical service,” reads the statement. “We commit to mobilizing our religious communities to serve as peacemakers, including reaching across conflict lines to fellow religious leaders. We will stand with all who suffer—Palestinian, Iranian, Lebanese, Israeli, peoples of the Gulf States, and others—until violence ends and a just peace is secured.”
The Urgent Imperative for Peace in the Middle East and Iran: A Multireligious Statement
WCC, Middle East Council of Churches denounce attacks on civilian locations in Lebanon
WCC gravely concerned over threats to Iran of attacks on civilian infrastructure
