World Council of Churches (WCC) acting general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Ioan Sauca expressed the revulsion of the global fellowship of churches at the murder of Deborah Yakubu, a second-year college student beaten to death and burnt by a group of her fellow students in Sokoto, northern Nigeria.
The Taize Community, churches of the Holy Land, and the Tantur Ecumenical Institute are hosting a “Pilgrimage of Trust to the Holy Land” from 8-15 under the theme “Journeying Together to Sources of Hope.”
Recent events in Palestine and Israel have, tragically, once again underscored the critical need for a just peace in the region, for both Palestinians and Israelis, said World Council of Churches acting general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Ioan Sauca.
Two World Council of Churches (WCC) HIV initiatives met to review and celebrate the critical and life-changing work of the initiatives and to continue planning for a strengthened WCC HIV response in the new WCC Commission of the Churches on Health and Healing.
The churches of Sudan – and especially the Sudan Council of Churches as their ecumenical forum – have suffered from a serious lack of attention and support by international ecumenical partners since the separation of South Sudan in 2011.
To accompany the churches and people of Sudan in the midst of significant changes and challenges in the country, a delegation of World Council of Churches (WCC) along with its ecumenical partners is undertaking an ecumenical solidarity visit to Sudan.
As Orthodox institutions and individuals called for unimpeded access to the Holy Sepulcher for Holy Fire Saturday and Easter, the Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem rejected restrictions announced by Israeli police.
Easter for Christians, Passover for Jews, and Ramadan for Muslims coincided on the weekend of 15-17 April this year. Still, violence in the holy city of Jerusalem shared by the three faiths was a reminder of the fragility of their relationships.
Following an 11 April statement of the Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem expressing grave concerns over announced police restrictions on Holy Fire Saturday, the World Council of Churches (WCC) strongly condemned such measures restricting access to places of worship as violations of religious freedom in the Holy Land.
While Christians around the globe prepare to celebrate Easter, high holidays for Muslims and Jews—Ramadan and Pessach—are also being celebrated at the same time period in 2022. At this confluence of sacred celebration, the very sacredness of Jerusalem is especially evident for locals and visitors alike. But the sacredness of the Holy City and its inhabitants is increasingly threatened by consequences of the ongoing occupation, such as discrimination and violence.
His Excellency Rev. Dr Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera, president of the Republic of Malawi, and First Lady Monica Chakwera and a delegation visited the Ecumenical Centre on 21 February, meeting with World Council of Churches (WCC) acting general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Ioan Sauca, the WCC staff leadership group and programme executives.
World Council of Churches (WCC) acting general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Ioan Sauca expressed deep concern about the worsening security situation in Nigeria, and the impact on the people and churches of the country.
The World Council of Churches (WCC) central committee, in commemorating the lives lost in the past year, had a moment of silence for Eritrean Patriarch Abune Antonios, and expressed condolences to the church and Orthodox faithful of Eritrea.
More than 400 people participated in an olive tree planting and solidarity event in the West Bank village of Burin. The gathering, organized by Rabbis for Human Rights, occurred in the wake of an extremist attack two weeks ago on people planting olive trees.
World Council of Churches (WCC) acting general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Ioan Sauca called on the Palestinian Authority to investigate recent attacks on Christians in the West Bank, and to ensure justice and dignity for all citizens. “The WCC call follows two attacks last week against Christians in the Nablus and Bethlehem areas,” said Sauca.
The World Association for Christian Communication (WACC) and the Christian Broadcasting Service of the Presbyterian Church in Cameroon have partnered to help promote a more positive attitude and counter hate narratives toward migrants in Douala, Cameroon’s economic capital.
The Church of Norway and Norwegian Church Aid will hold a memorial service for Archbishop Desmond Tutu on 9 January in Oslo Cathedral. Public broadcaster NRK1 will carry the service on live TV.
Archbishop Thabo Makgoba, one of the people who followed in the footsteps of Desmond Tutu as archbishop of Cape Town and Metropolitan of the Anglican Church of Southern Africa announced the death of “the Arch” as he was affectionately known on 26 December, fittingly celebrated in South Africa as the “Day of Goodwill.”
As flooding in South Sudan reached extreme levels, the country’s church leaders are urging the international community to aid their country in battling the catastrophe which experts linked to climate change.
