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In a pastoral letter to the churches and people in Serbia, World Council of Churches general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay expressed his deep sadness and shock at the tragedy that occurred at the Vladislav Ribnikar primary school in Belgrade on 3 May.

The National Christian Council of Sri Lanka, in a statement, expressed its strong opposition to a proposed Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) which aims to replace the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA).

World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay visits Sri Lanka on 24-25 April, meeting with the National Christian Council of Sri Lanka, heads of churches, theologians, and government officials to discuss their deep contribution to the ecumenical movement.

The World Council of Churches (WCC) has appointed Dr Andrej Jeftić as the new director of the Commission on Faith and Order.

World Council of Churches acting general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Ioan Sauca received with joy the election of His Holiness Porfirije as Patriarch of the Serbian Orthodox Church.

In a letter of condolence to the Holy Synod of the Serbian Orthodox Church, World Council of Churches interim general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Ioan Sauca expressed sadness at the passing of His Holiness Patriarch Irinej, head of Orthodox Church of Serbia.

In a 29 April message, the Rt Rev. Dhiloraj Canagasabey, Anglican Bishop of Colombo in Sri Lanka and a member of the World Council of Churches Central Committee, reflected on the Easter Sunday violence in Christian churches in Colombo, Negombo and Batticaloa and also in some hotels.

In the wake of the Easter Sunday terrorist attacks in Sri Lanka, the Omnia Institute for Contextual Leadership, based in Chicago, lifted up points of hope that peace will win in the end. In a 25 April message, Shanta Premawardhana, president of the institute, wrote that every person of every faith of every nation deserves to wake up in peace. “Every child deserves to feel safe, welcomed, and alive to the promise that each day brings,” Premawardhana wrote. “I'm sure you know that this is why we build Interfaith Peacemaker Teams in Sri Lanka.”

With deep shock and sorrow on this Easter Sunday the World Council of Churches (WCC) expresses its solidarity with the churches and people of Sri Lanka following the news of the bombings of churches and hotels which have claimed a reported 200 lives and injured many more.

The Civil Society Partnership for Development Effectiveness, Civicus, Action for Sustainable Development, Civic Initiatives and the Balkan Civil Society Development Network held a gathering in Belgrade, Serbia to discuss deteriorating conditions for civil society and attacks on human rights defenders around the world.

Church leaders in Europe stand together for an approach on refugees and migrants “based on dignity, respect, and where possible compassion”. This is the conclusion of a festive ceremony in which the leaders of the Churches Commission for Migrants in Europe (CCME) and the Conference of European Churches (CEC) handed over on 4th December a European Church leaders Christmas statement to the European Parliament’s 1st Vice President Mairead McGuinness.

“The seeds of peace come from the ground.” That is the vision that Rev. Dr Shanta Premawardhana, former director of Interreligious Dialogue and Cooperation at the World Council of Churches and now president of OMNIA Institute for Contextual Leadership, tries to follow with his organization.

“Congratulations for being a student at Bossey!” Fr Prof. Dr Ioan Sauca, director of the Ecumenical Institute in Bossey and deputy general secretary, welcomed the students for the new academic year 2018-2019. Thirty-one students from diverse countries and traditions will start their classes at the ecumenical institute on Tuesday.

As students gathered at the WCC Ecumenical Institute at Bossey for an interreligious summer school, they reflected on what brought them to the institute, and what knowledge and insights they will take home.

As the Conference of European Churches (CEC) convened in Novi Sad, Serbia for its 15th general assembly, World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit conveyed a greeting on behalf of the WCC.

The Churches’ Commission for Migrants in Europe and the WCC have published a revised and updated edition of their joint study, Mapping Migration: Mapping Churches’ Responses in Europe. The 2016 text explores challenges and changes in the European church landscape in light of international migration.

In the wake of recent crisis with the refugees in Europe, it is “absolutely and critically necessary that all European states take their proper responsibility in terms of reception and support for people seeking refuge, safety and a better future for themselves and their families. This cannot be left only to the states where they enter first,” says the WCC general secretary.