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Los cristianos del mundo entero que se preparan para celebrar la Pascua encerrados en sus hogares seguirán encontrando la alegría de este día y se sentirán más cerca de los demás gracias al pensamiento creativo de los dirigentes de las iglesias.

In the aftermath of armed attacks by both the US and Iran, WCC reiterates its call for restraint and de-escalation of the confrontation.
“Further escalation and conflict between the United States and Iran can only serve short-term political interests, while threatening the permanent destruction of many lives, communities and precious cultural and environmental heritage,” said World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit. “I appeal to political leaders on all sides of this confrontation to put the interests of the people of the region ahead of their own interests, and to seek peace through dialogue and negotiation rather than confrontation.”

As 25 experts in geopolitics and theology gathered in Lebanon from 6-8 December, Dr Souraya Bechealany, secretary general of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), highlighted the vital importance of the process they were undertaking.

Bishop Emeritus Munib Younan from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land received the Pacem in Terris Peace and Freedom Award on 24 September from the Roman Catholic Church for his interreligious peace-building efforts.

Born in Nazareth, Galilee, Rev. Dr Saïd Ailabouni moved to the US at the age of 19 to become a physician. But he was so angry at God that he went to study theology instead, becoming a Lutheran pastor. Now he is leading the Middle East & Europe desk of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Since leaving his hometown 50 years ago, he visits his Palestinian family regularly. As the World Week for Peace in Palestine and Israel approaches, Ailabouni agreed to share some of his lifetime observations with the Word Council of Churches.

Nacido en Nazaret (Galilea), el Rev. Dr. Saïd Ailabouni se mudó a los Estados Unidos a la edad de 19 años para estudiar medicina, pero estaba tan enojado con Dios que acabó estudiando teología y convirtiéndose en un pastor luterano. Actualmente, dirige el departamento para Oriente Medio y Europa de la Iglesia Evangélica Luterana en Estados Unidos. Desde que dejó su ciudad natal hace 50 años, visita a su familia palestina regularmente. Al acercarse la Semana Mundial por la Paz en Palestina e Israel, el Rev. Dr. Ailabouni aceptó compartir algunas de las reflexiones que ha realizado durante su vida con el Consejo Mundial de Iglesias.

On 5 August, the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem released a statement in relation to the properties of Jaffa Gate. “The Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem views the attempts of the radical organization, Ateret Cohanim, to seize church properties located in Jerusalem’s Jaffa Gate and al-Mu'athamiyah, as a strike to the indigenous Christian presence in the Holy City,” the statement reads.

The World Council of Churches (WCC) and the International Jewish Committee for Interreligious Consultations (IJCIC) met formally on 25-27 June in Paris, under the theme “The normalization of hatred: challenges for Jews and Christians today”. This meeting took place at a time of significant challenges in public and religious life for many communities around the world. At the meeting Peter Prove, director of the WCC Commission of the Churches on International Affairs, presented the WCC policies on antisemitism and the WCC’s work for human rights for all. The WCC News met with him after the meeting.

El Consejo Mundial de Iglesias (CMI) y el Comité Judío Internacional para Consultas Interreligiosas (IJCIC) se reunieron formalmente del 25 al 27 de junio, en París, en torno al tema “La normalización del odio: desafíos para judíos y cristianos de hoy”. Esta reunión tuvo lugar en un momento en que la vida pública y religiosa de muchas comunidades de todo el mundo deben hacer frente a importantes desafíos. En la reunión, Peter Prove, director de la Comisión de las Iglesias para Asuntos Internacionales (CIAI), presentó las políticas del CMI en materia de antisemitismo y la labor del CMI en favor de los derechos humanos de todas las personas. El servicio de Noticias del CMI lo entrevistó después de la reunión.

Salpy Eskidjian Weiderud, leader of the Religious Track of the Cyprus Peace Process, has received an International Religious Freedom Award from the US Department of State. The awards “honor extraordinary advocates of religious freedom from around the world” and will be presented on 17 July in Washington, D.C.

Salpy Eskidjian Weiderud, responsable du Religious Track of the Cyprus Peace Process (RTCYPP, Suivi religieux du processus de paix à Chypre), a reçu le Prix international de la liberté de la presse du Département d’État américain. Le prix «honore les défenseurs et défenseuses extraordinaires de la liberté religieuse dans le monde entier» et sera remis le 17 juillet à Washington, D.C.

Faith leaders across the USA released on 9 July a jointly signed statement entitled “Back from the Brink: Faith leaders call for diplomacy, not war, with Iran.”

The World Council of Churches (WCC) Executive Committee, in a statement, reiterated its call for a just peace in Israel and Palestine. “That commitment is part of the fabric of our faith, and of the heritage of the ecumenical movement,” reads the statement. "We seek to express it by accompanying the churches, interfaith partners and communities of these lands in their witness and work for justice and for peace.”

En una declaración, el Comité Ejecutivo del Consejo Mundial de Iglesias (CMI) reiteró su llamado a una paz justa en Israel y Palestina. “Este compromiso forma parte del entramado de nuestra fe, y de la herencia del movimiento ecuménico”, dice la declaración. “Tratamos de expresarlo acompañando a las iglesias, los asociados interreligiosos y las comunidades de estas tierras en su testimonio y en su labor por la justicia y la paz”.

Restoring human dignity where people suffer most is the ultimate calling for churches in the Middle East and their partners worldwide, stated an annual partners meeting of the Middle East Council of Churches held in Ain el Qassis, Lebanon this week.

Restaurar la dignidad humana allí donde las personas padecen un mayor sufrimiento es la vocación fundamental de las iglesias de Oriente Medio y de sus asociados en todo el mundo, afirmó la reunión mundial de asociados del Consejo de Iglesias de Oriente Medio (MECC, por sus siglas en inglés), celebrada en Ain el Qassis (Líbano) esta semana.

From 23-25 March, 1,600 young people from 43 countries came together in Beirut, Lebanon with the brothers of the ecumenical, monastic community of Taizé (France). Middle Eastern and Western Christians discovered how fruitful and stimulating an ecumenical exchange can be.

On 15 March, a group of Ecumenical accompaniers from the WCC were invited to share Shabbat dinner with the Kol HaNeshama congregation in Jerusalem.

El 15 de marzo, un grupo de acompañantes ecuménicos del Consejo Mundial de Iglesias (CMI) fueron invitados a compartir la cena de Sabbat con la congregación de Kol HaNeshama, en Jerusalén.

The Churches of Lebanon, Middle East Council of Churches, and the Taizé community are holding an International Ecumenical Youth Meeting in Beirut from 22-26 March.