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Days before the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity begins, many across the world are getting ready by accessing the resources prepared by the Minnesota Council of Churches, based in the USA.

Expressing the profound sadness of the World Council of Churches (WCC) following the announcement by the Holy See of the death of His Holiness Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI today, the WCC acting general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Ioan Sauca stated:

“On behalf of the World Council of Churches, I express our deepest condolences on the passing of late Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI. He was the first pope to have come from a country, Germany, with a roughly equal balance between Protestants and Catholics, and one that had been at the very centre of the 16th century Reformation.”

Applications are open for the Ecumenical School on Governance, Economics and Management (GEM School) for an Economy of Life, which will be held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia from 21 August through 1 September 2023.

An international conference entitled “WE BELIEVE: The Status Quaestionis and the Neglected Topics of Nicaea and its Creed” was held in Istanbul on 1-2 December. WIth the theme “The Churches and Nicaea: An Anniversary for New Beginning,” the conference inaugurated a series of scholarly events on the occasion of the forthcoming 1700th anniversary since the convocation of the First Ecumenical Council in Nicaea.

During a webinar, “Faith Communities in the HIV & AIDS response today,” held on World AIDS Day, participants received an overview of the history of response to HIV from the World Council of Churches (WCC) and UNAIDS, and they mapped the way forward in combatting new challenges.

On 29 November, World Council of Churches (WCC) staff held a farewell prayer for staff members who are retiring or moving on to serve elsewhere, including WCC acting general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Ioan Sauca; WCC deputy general secretary Prof. Dr Isabel Apawo Phiri; interim deputy general secretary and Faith and Order director Rev. Dr  Odair Pedroso Mateus; Rev. Dr Risto Jukko, director of the WCC Commission on World Mission and Evangelism; Diana Chabloz, assistant to the general secretary; and Marc Enzo Bellingoi, project assistant for the Assembly Office.

Gathering for a World AIDS Day prayer, the World Council of Churches (WCC) reflected on the latest UNAIDS report, and prayed that churches will renew their commitment to become agents of life for those suffering from HIV and AIDS.

During a webinar in the “Love Matters” series, young people explored mental health and trauma management in the context of HIV, sexual and gender-based violence, and COVID-19.

As a crowd of more than 300 gathered, the St Paul’s University School of Theology officially launched Thursdays in Black, pledging to build an Africa without violence and to join together on a pilgrimage of justice, peace, and reconciliation.

On 1 December, World AIDS Day will mark more than 40 years since the first outbreak of the epidemic; however, in 2021, every two minutes, an adolescent girl or young woman (15-24 years old) acquired HIV.

In commemoration of World AIDS Day,this online meeting will provide an update of the HIV response in the World Council of Churches (WCC) and its ecumenical partners around the globe, looking at the strategies implemented and the way forward.

“COP27 is a critical occasion for governments to together re-envision, develop, commit to and implement a roadmap towards a fossil fuel-free, post-growth, equitable and sustainable tomorrow,” said Bishop Arnold Temple of the Methodist Church in Sierra Leone, representing the interfaith liaison group, to the High-Level Ministerial Segment of the 27^th Session of Conference of the Parties (COP27).

During an ecumenical prayer, people of many faiths gathered during COP27 to confess, lament, and express hope for the future.