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WCC News spoke to Rev. Henrik Grape, moderator of the World Council of Churches (WCC) Working Group on Climate Justice. He was on his way home after attending an ecumenical gathering in Assisi.

The First Ecumenical Prayer for Creation will take place 31 August and 1 September in Assisi, Italy, the city of Francis. The two-day event is the latest sign of momentum for environmental protection growing among leaders of Christian denominations.

In the wake of a tragic collapse of a motorway bridge in Genoa, Italy, World Council of Churches (WCC) acting general secretary Prof. Dr Isabel Apawo Phiri offered condolences and prayers on behalf of the WCC global fellowship.

Whether as individual believers or as a community, it is our collective task to advocate for Christian unity, says Melanio L. Aoanan from the Philippines. A clear vision for religious and ecumenical theological education is needed that is relevant in the 21st century.

Dr Erlinda N. Senturias, from the Philippines, gives thanks that WCC has created safe spaces for the churches to talk about HIV and AIDS. She asks that the ecumenical movement continue to be a beacon of support for this ongoing journey of health and healing.

The World Council of Churches (WCC) joined the Council of Bishops of the United Methodist Church (UMC) as well as United Methodist bishops in the Philippines in appealing to the government of the Philippines for assistance and cooperation in extracting three United Methodist mission personnel from the country.

Noting “the worsening human rights situation and increasing violence and impunity” in the Philippines, WCC’s central committee has expressed its alarm and outrage, pointing particularly to the role of the government there.

It’s taken a while, but a Protestant congregation in Italy has learned to live together despite wide cultural diversity. The process has been guided by the pastor’s conviction that intercultural work is an expression of Christian unity.

At the third meeting of the Bologna Interreligious Round Table on Religion and Violence against Women, held 2 May, participants worked with the theme: “Do the churches move? Do men move?”

The Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue (PCID) of the Vatican and the Office of Interreligious Dialogue and Cooperation of the WCC met in Geneva from 16-18 April. Staff from the two offices united in prayer, fellowship and joint work on a document titled “Education for Peace in a Multi-Religious World”.

On 27 March, a hug between a 7-year-old girl, Majida, and her grandmother reflected the bright light of possibility that the ecumenical Humanitarian Corridors project continues to bring to refugees arriving in Italy. The child was waiting with other family members at the Fiumicino Airport in Rome as her grandmother arrived, safely and legally, in Italy from Lebanon.

The World Council of Churches (WCC) is mourning the death and remembering the life of Daniela Di Mauro. Her sudden death is a shock and tragic loss for her family, colleagues and friends.

An international ecumenical study meeting on xenophobia and populism took place in Rome from 13-15 December. The gathering was jointly hosted by the World Council of Churches (WCC) and the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development in collaboration with the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity. Among its goals was the planning of a world conference on these issues, to be held from 22 to 23 May next year.

An “Interfaith Symposium on Statelessness” held 7-8 December in Rome focused, for the first time in history, on joint actions from Hindu, Buddhist, Muslim, Christian and Jewish groups to address statelessness.

While meeting in Amman, Jordan, from 17-23 November, the World Council of Churches (WCC) executive committee issued a statement on the detention of Bishop Carlos Morales and the situation in Mindanao, Philippines.

A consultation with the theme “Ecumenical Perspective on the Role of Women in the Churches” brought together 28 women and men to the Monastero di Bose in northern Italy from 3-7 October.

Borders – physical, political, attitudinal – which deny people their human rights, dignity and life are counter to the gospel which calls us to protect and welcome migrants and refugees. This was the recurring theme of an international conference on migration and reception, “Living and Witnessing the Border”, held 30 September – 2 October in Palermo.

The Christian Conference of Asia (CCA), on 11-12 July, held an international consultation on “Towards Revitalising the Ecumenical Movement in Asia.” The gathering of 60 church and ecumenical leaders was organised by the CCA at its headquarters in Chiang Mai, Thailand as a prelude to its Diamond Jubilee celebration.

The Philippines has long been noticed for crimes committed against its people, but now human rights violations of the government of President Roderigo Duterte are coming under scrutiny at the Human Rights Council after submissions made by church-backed civil society groups.

Not nearly enough is being done to save the lives of the 20 million people who face famine in Yemen, Somalia, South Sudan and Nigeria. Among them are 1.4 million children, who are at imminent risk of death unless aid reaches them immediately.