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Bishop Johan Tyrberg and a delegation from the Church of Sweden in Lund visited the World Council of Churches on 22-23 September, participating in a morning prayer for Christian unity, receiving a guided tour and discussing the theme of the World Council of Churches (WCC) 11th Assembly, “Christ’s love moves the world to reconciliation and unity.”

In times of involuntary isolation due to lockdowns caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, online ecumenical retreats have emerged as an alternative place for spiritual dialogue. In Sweden, a series of four so-called “Quiet Days” retreats, where participants join online in a digital room to share a moment of stillness and reflection, were launched on the Eve of Pentecost. Initiated already last year under the headline “A spiritual dwelling for God,” by Lutheran Bishop Karin Johannesson from the Diocese of Uppsala, Sweden and co-hosted by Cardinal Anders Arborelius from the Roman Catholic Church in Sweden, the retreats have been expanded this year with English subtitles to also attract international audiences.  

Later this year, the Church of Sweden will make an official public apology for its historical role in the “legitimized repression” of Sweden’s indigenous Sámi people, according to a church statement. The church has declared eight commitments toward ongoing reconciliation with the Sámi people.

As the Church of Sweden’s highest decision-making body – its Church Assembly – opened in late September, WCC president for Europe Archbishop emeritus Anders Wejryd spoke on the legacy and present-day importance of ecumenical efforts.

As part of a “Coronaspection” project in which world religious leaders share wisdom in times of crisis, Church of Sweden Archbishop Dr Antje Jackelén was featured in a lively conversation with Rabbi Alon Goshen-Gottstein, director of The Elijah Faith Institute. Through Coronaspection, The Elijah Faith Institute is bringing together world religious leaders for their insights on faith during the time of the coronavirus, with a sense of solidarity and interconnectedness of humanity.

Bishops from the Church of Sweden have issue a new missive on the climate emergency that combines scientific knowledge with pastoral care, theology and specific appeals.

Church leaders from Sweden, Finland, Norway and Denmark signed a statement demanding that we take “human responsibility” for refugees on the border between Turkey and Greece.

An interreligious conference exploring religion and migration was hosted from 27-30 January in Sweden by Religions for Peace co-president and Church of Sweden Archbishop Dr Antje Jackelén.

Our series of interviews with Thursdays in Black ambassadors highlights those who are playing a vital role in increasing the impact of our collective call for a world without rape and violence. Anders Göranzon is the general secretary of the Swedish Bible Society.

Religions for Peace is the world's largest and most representative multi-religious coalition, and as in other multi-faith groups, the World Council of Churches (WCC) and its ecumenical family figure strongly in its leadership bodies.

As Sweden prepares for a visit from His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, the Ecumenical Patriarch and Antje Jackelén, archbishop of the Church of Sweden, signed a joint editorial for Swedish media.

“The church is a global network,” reads the joint editorial. “It has a presence around the world that is almost unsurpassed by any other organisation or movement.”

Swedish Archbishop emeritus Anders Wejryd, president of the World Council of Churches (WCC) for Europe, recently attended a ceremony during which Rodrigo Mundaca, who has fought for free access to water in Chile, received the Nuremberg International Human Rights Award. Wejryd shared with WCC Communication some of his thoughts on water justice.

The Episcopal Church, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, and Church of Sweden have signed a joint pledge related to climate justice.

The message urges action on the unprecedented negative effects of climate change. “As we observe the Season of Creation, we renew the call for our churches to work together for the sake of Earth and to build collaborations wherever possible, both with other communities of faith and with diverse agents in our civil society,” the text reads. “Now is the time for science, politics, business, culture and religion - everything that is an expression of human dignity - to address together this critical issue for our time.”

As of mid-September, the 2019-2020 academic year is officially underway at the WCC Ecumenical Institute at Château de Bossey.

In late August, the World Council of Churches (WCC) Ecumenical Water Network participated, for the fourth consecutive year, in World Water Week, held in Stockholm, Sweden. Together with partners, the WCC co-hosted a showcase during which a number of sustainability issues were discussed.

At a well-attended showcase in Stockholm, Sweden, yesterday afternoon, the Ecumenical Water Network took a step further towards achieving United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 6 by bringing together faith actors with key people from the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene sector.

On Thursday afternoon, 29 August, the World Council of Churches (WCC) will co-host a Water and Faith showcase during World Water Week in Stockholm, Sweden. The aim is to further explore scalable faith-based development models in water, sanitation and hygiene; develop a roadmap on effective engagement with faith actors; and to mobilize them to achieve United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 6.