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The July 2013 instalment of the quarterly journal The Ecumenical Review contemplates the future, and particularly the future of the WCC beyond its 10th Assembly. The assembly is to take place from 30 October to 8 November.

The WCC general secretary has expressed sorrow and solidarity with the Buddhist community over the recent bomb blasts at the Mahabodhi temple complex in Bodh Gaya, in the north Indian state of Bihar.

At the close of the 14th Assembly of the Conference of European Churches (CEC) in Budapest, Dame Mary Tanner hailed the emergence of a new constitution for the organization of 120 Anglican, Old Catholic, Orthodox and Protestant churches. She expressed the hope that this pattern of governance may provide “structures of grace” for churches and the world.

The WCC general secretary Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit expressed deep admiration for the Anglican Church of Canada and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada for holding their first-ever joint assembly in Ottawa, Canada.

The WCC general secretary has expressed “great sadness” over the death of Rev. Dr Prakai Nontawasee, former member of the WCC Central Committee and the Commission on Faith and Order in the 1970s and 1980s.

The WCC general secretary encouraged peaceful and inclusive transformation in political systems in Egypt, while expressing “deep concern” over the escalation of violence in the country.

Church leaders and government officials in Cuba have said that religious reforms introduced during the past two decades have improved religious policies in Cuba over earlier restrictive practices in place since 1959.

At its 14th Assembly, the Conference of European Churches was praised by the WCC general secretary for its contributions to European church unity and its “prevailing vision for justice and peace” in the region and beyond.

At the Human Rights Defenders Forum, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter called the abuse of women the “most pervasive and unaddressed human rights violation in the whole world.” This abuse, he stressed, is contrary to the basic premise of every religion, including Christianity.

The WCC general secretary called diakonia an expression of faith that “embodies the signs of God’s reign and makes it visible in all experiences of hope amidst turmoil, in actions that heal and nurture people and relationships.”

Faith can be a powerful ally in addressing issues of social justice, said Bartholomew I, Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople. He called faith a bearer of unique perspectives on eradicating poverty, balancing amidst globalization, combating fundamentalism, racism, and developing religious tolerance during conflicts.

The WCC general secretary has issued a statement on recent violence in Syria targeting religious communities.

Pastors from Germany and Argentina reflect on what peace and justice means while a local church in Germany encourages others to do the same through a new resource.

Churches and ecumenical groups urge European Union to raise questions with Pakistan government concerning religious intolerance and persecution of religious minorities there.

While the WCC 10th Assembly is several months away, a foretaste of what young people will bring to the assembly and experience is already developing a rhythm.

Archbishop Desmond Tutu has been honoured with the 2013 Templeton Prize in recognition of his lifetime achievements in advancing spiritual principles of hope, reconciliation and forgiveness, especially in helping to end the apartheid era in South Africa.

The World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit has expressed “great sadness” on the passing away of Rev. Dr I. Jesudasan, the former moderator and bishop of the Church of South India and member of the WCC Central Committee from 1983 to 1991.

In a recent meeting in the Netherlands, theologians and ecumenists came together to give renewed consideration to an interim statement titled A Church of All and for All, first produced in 2003 by the Ecumenical Disability Advocates Network and the WCC’s Commission on Faith and Order.

Botshelo Moilwa, a young African woman from Gaborone, Botswana, called on churches to affirm the dignity of women amidst the realities of HIV and AIDS and sexual violence, if they are to realize the Christian vision of justice and peace.

A new WCC document on mission and evangelism was presented and discussed at a recent European ecumenical study course in Josefstal, Germany.