The World Council of Churches (WCC) cosponsored with Laudato Si Research Institute and the World Communion of Reformed Churches, Lutheran World Federation, Anglican Communion, and World Methodist Council an international seminar on “The Feast of Creation and the Mystery of Creation: Ecumenism, Theology, Liturgy, and Signs of the Times in Dialogue,” from 14-16 March at Laudato Si’ Center of Assisi and Pro Civitate Christiana, in Italy.
The World Council of Churches (WCC), with the Laudato Si’ Movement and other partners, will cohost a seminar in Assisi, Italy, on 15-16 March. Entitled "The Feast of Creation and the Mystery of Creation: Ecumenism, Theology, Liturgy, and Signs of the Times in Dialogue,” the event aims to deepen the collective understanding and appreciation of the Feast of Creation, observed on 1 September.
In an annual audience during the ongoing Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, Bishop Bo-Göran Åstrand of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland gifted a pair of gloves to Pope Francis, described as “a modest gift, to warm the Pope’s hands in an otherwise cold world.”
The World Council of Churches (WCC) congratulated Danish Bishop Henrik Stubkjær, who was newly elected as the next Lutheran World Federation president.
World Council of Churches (WCC) progamme director for Public Witness and Diakonia Rev. Dr Kenneth Mtata spoke at the European Christian Environmental Network Assembly, currently convening in Roskilde, Denmark.
During a solidarity visit to Türkiye in early April, a delegation from the World Council of Churches and ACT Alliance saw firsthand the devastation of the February earthquake, the needs of the affected population, and how churches are responding to that need.
In a visit to Rome, a World Council of Churches (WCC) delegation met with organizations that, as WCC general secretary Jerry Pillay said, “keep the fire of ecumenism burning.”
During a visit with Pope Francis in Rome on 23 March, a World Council of Churches (WCC) delegation and the Roman Catholic Church committed to walking, praying. and working together for justice, reconciliation, and unity.
The Dicastery for Promoting Interreligious Dialogue is hosting a conference in Rome on the importance of women building a culture of interreligious encounter.
An international meeting in Rome, “The Cry for Peace,” organized by the Community of Sant’Egidio and held 23-25 October, drew religions and cultures in dialogue to send a message of hope and trust in the future.
Simone de Giuseppe, a pastor with the Evangelical Baptist Union of Italy, recalled how his time at the Bossey Ecumenical Institute became a formative experience in his life.
In an interview taped during the World Council of Churches 11th Assembly, Prof. Riccardo Burigana, director of the Centre for Ecumenical Studies in Italy, shares how excited he is to offer a new Bibliography on Ecumenism for free online as a tool for students, scholars, and researchers around the world.
On 20 May 2022, a group of us, 14 pilgrims from different parts of the world (Kenya, Brussels, Germany, Hong Kong, Philippines, Poland, Rome, Korea, Canada, Fiji, Australia, London, Scotland, and Geneva—a very diverse group) gathered in Palermo, Italy for a Pilgrim Team Visit on the theme of migration.
Three World Council of Churches (WCC) Pilgrim Team Visits, one to Italy, a second to Armenia and a third to Norway, are continuing the WCC’s accompaniment for communities in their quest for justice and peace under the theme of “Christ’s love moves the world to reconciliation and unity,” through the lenses of post-war trauma healing, gender justice, and migration.
The Central Mediterranean route is the overseas crossing from North Africa to Italy. Those migrating on this route generally aim to reach Italian shores but leave from a variety of North African countries bordering the Mediterranean. Though in past years most migrants have departed from Libya, which is a destination for migrants as well as a transit country, there is also a proportionally small but growing number of departures from Tunisia, Egypt, and Algeria.
Rich examples of the work promoted by member churches of the World Council of Churches (WCC) in Italy in assisting refugees and migrants, have been the highlight of the first days of WCC delegation visit to the region this week.
The majority of the initiatives visited are led by women.
Leaders from Nordic churches—including the Church of Sweden and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Denmark—met with World Council of Churches (WCC) leadership and staff on 28 April, discussing preparations for the WCC 11th Assembly as well as directions for the next decade.
After a delegation from the World Council of Churches (WCC) and ACT Alliance visited Hungary, Romania and Ukraine last week, the group came away with reflections on how churches are making a difference in the lives of thousands upon thousands of people fleeing the war.
During a 22 March press briefing, a delegation from the World Council of Churches (WCC) and ACT Alliance shared their observations from a recent trip to Hungary, Romania and Ukraine, where they witnessed firsthand both urgent humanitarian needs and a robust church response.