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His Holiness, Moran Mor Baselios Marthoma Paulose II, Catholicos of the East and primate of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church, passed away in the early hours of 12 July.  His Holiness was the 91st Catholicos of the East, and at 74 years of age, had been undergoing treatment for cancer over the past two years.

Amid the suffering caused by COVID-19 in India, a theological seminary in Nagaland, in northeast India, recorded “Words of Encouragement to Pastors and Church Leaders.”

The hopes for better times to come in the aftermath of the pandemic were evident when World Council of Churches (WCC) central committee members from the Asia region gathered online 24 June to share recent experiences and prepare for a productive WCC assembly next year.

As the Church of South India Synod released its new website, www.csi1947.com, on 31 May, the World Council of Churches (WCC) extended congratulations and prayers for meaningful storytelling, images and expressions of hope.

Archbishop Rev. Dr Soritua Albert Ernest Nababan, a global ecumenical leader, passed away on 8 May in Jakarta, Indonesia, at the age of 88. He was the World Council of Churches (WCC) president from 2006-2013 and served as the former Ephorus (Archbishop) of the Huria Kristen Batak Protestan, the largest Protestant church in Indonesia and the largest Lutheran church in Asia with a membership of 4 million people.

Rev. Dr Santanu Kumar Patro, registrar of the Senate of Serampore College (University), passed away on 5 May in Calcutta. The news of his death was met with outpourings of grief and gratefulness from students, faculty and friends of seminaries and institutions responsible for theological education in South Asia and beyond.

The World Council of Churches (WCC) will express its solidarity in lament, hope and courage with churches of India during a Day of Praying and Fasting for the healing of India on 7 May as COVID-19 continues to surge across South Asian countries.

In a pastoral letter, the World Council of Churches (WCC) and Christian Conference of Asia expressed their concern, grief, and prayerful solidarity with the churches in India as COVID-19 surges in South Asian countries. 

As human rights violations worsen in the Philippines, religious leaders there are urging global solidarity for their increasingly urgent quest for justice.

World Council of Churches acting general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Ioan Sauca condemned a bomb attack outside a Catholic church on Palm Sunday in the Indonesian city of Makassar that left at least 14 people wounded. Police believe two suicide bombers perished in the attack.

As a report on human rights abuses in the Philippines was delivered to the UN by the global group Investigate PH, churches and human rights groups reiterated their concerns over propagation of a culture that allows the abuse to happen.

World Council of Churches interim general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Ioan Sauca sent joyful greetings to the Gereja Masehi Injili di Halmahera 4th Annual Assembly in Indonesia, being held 18 February.

In a message of solidarity to the United Church of Christ in the Philippines (UCCP), World Council of Churches (WCC) interim general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Ioan Sauca expressed concern that the human rights situation in the Philippines continues to deteriorate.