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Christians in the Arab world “do not consider themselves as minorities, but rather want to understand themselves as full citizens of their nations, with all that this status entails in terms of duties, responsibilities and full rights.”

While condemning all use of chemical weapons in Syria, the WCC general secretary said that “we must do everything possible to starve the fire of war rather than feeding it with further deadly armaments.”

Young people of the Christian, Muslim and Jewish faiths have created a unique community during a summer course at the Ecumenical Institute in Bossey. Together they seek to break religious stereotypes, promote mutual respect and enhance their understanding of religions beyond the conflict paradigm.

The spectre of chemical weapons recently used in the conflict in Syria against civilians has raised international alarms, led to calls for an investigation and met with strong condemnation from the WCC general secretary, who called on the United Nations to fulfil its responsibility to protect the Syrian people from gross human rights violations.

The World Council of Churches (WCC) Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit has expressed support for the interfaith calls to action for peace and security in Egypt. He encouraged religious leaders to work together to call for protection and to promote the sanctity of human lives and religious places.

The WCC general secretary Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit has called for prayers for healing, justice and peace for all Egyptians.

Der Generalsekretär des Ökumenischen Rates der Kirchen (ÖRK), Pastor Dr. Olav Fykse Tveit, ermutigt zu friedlichem und integrativem Wandel in den politischen Systemen Ägyptens und verleiht seiner „großen Sorge“ über die Eskalation der Gewalt in dem Land Ausdruck.

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.

El secretario general del CMI, el Rev. Dr. Olav Fykse Tveit, alentó la transición pacífica y participativa en el sistema político en Egipto, expresando al mismo tiempo una "profunda preocupación" por el aumento de la violencia en el país.

Le pasteur Olav Fykse Tveit, secrétaire général du Conseil œcuménique des Églises (COE), a encouragé une transformation pacifique et participative du système politique égyptien. Il a en outre exprimé sa «profonde inquiétude» vis-à-vis de l'escalade de la violence dans le pays.

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

A WCC conference has issued a joint statement calling the churches and ecumenical actors to commit themselves to support one another in prayers and actions to support Christian presence and witness in the Middle East.

“We do not live in the mentality of the ghetto, nor in the mentality of a minority complex, nor do we live as dhimmi (dependent) people,” said Bishop Dr Munib A. Younan. “We have always been, as Arab Christians, building our societies, loyal to our countries and nationalities, bringing hope in hopeless situations.”

In an international conference on the situation of Christians in the Middle East, the WCC general secretary highlighted the significance of the cross as a symbol of hope for the global church in solidarity with Christians in the Arab world.

With rapidly changing political and social landscapes in the Middle East, church leaders have come together to strengthen pro-active Christian witness in the region.

Power, social injustice, the threat of extremism and Christian-Muslim relations will be among the main themes of a conference on the situation of Christians in the Middle East. The conference is set to take place next week in Lebanon.

For the first time in their history, the patriarch of the Antiochian Orthodox Church has asked the believers to adorn the traditional Palm Sunday processions with black ribbons tied on candles rather than the usual white ribbons expressing their sadness because of the two abducted church leaders from Aleppo, Syria.

Two Christian bishops from Aleppo, Syria, were supported in prayer at a special service in the chapel of the Ecumenical Centre, home of the World Council of Churches, in Geneva on Thursday, 25 April.

As the uncertainty of the whereabouts of two Syrian church leaders kidnapped in Syria on Monday continued Wednesday, the patriarchs of the Greek Orthodox and Syriac Orthodox churches have issued a joint communique calling on churches around the world to “stand fast in the face of what is going on and witness to their faith in the power of love in this world.”