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“All groups should be allowed to come and worship”

This year at Easter, the WCC is highlighting current realities and challenges related to religious holidays in the Holy Land, joining with local communities in action and prayer; to ensure that freedom of worship is protected in a land so worthy of justice, peace, and dignity. The reflections and voices presented here are meant to welcome the reader into the details of everyday lives—lives met with challenges that often turn into obstacles impeding everything from simple family celebrations to livelihoods, to freedom of religion and movement. Together, these voices also raise the hope for a less divided and conflict-ridden Jerusalem, and a Holy Land in which people of all faiths enjoy an equal measure of freedom of movement and religion.

True fasting as actions towards justice

Is not this the fast that I choose:

to loose the bonds of injustice,

to undo the thongs of the yoke,

to let the oppressed go free,

and to break every yoke?

Is it not to share your bread with the hungry,

and bring the homeless poor into your house;

when you see the naked, to cover them,

and not to hide yourself from your own kin? - Isaiah 58:6-7

To understand Isaiahs message about true and false fasting, lets take a minute to remind ourselves of the role and intention of fasting in the context of our Christian faith. This is vital, as fasting is one of the spiritual disciplines in the Christian faith that is no longer practised universally.

WCC acting general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Ioan Sauca speech at the Global Tolerance Alliance Summit and Round Table, Abu Dhabi,16-17 November 2022

“Compassion beyond boundaries—and the bridges that get us there”

Building bridges of justice, reconciliation, and peace is a call for all people of faith, and caring with compassion for those who suffer and are in need is part of our very vocation as children of one Creator and brothers and sisters in one humanity.

General Secretary

Bossey reunion at the 11th assembly

It was one of the first days of the 11th assembly when I met an old Bossey friend. We had not seen each other for 24 years, although it felt we met yesterday. We shared memories of our Graduate School of Ecumenical Studies in Bossey in 1998 and remembered the names of our friends. We spoke about Bossey as a life-changing experience for both of us.

Ukraine: Responding to humanitarian need

When the Russian full-scale invasion of Ukraine began on February 24, 2022, churches had already been responding to humanitarian need in the country for eight years, since the annexation of Crimea in 2014.  The work being undertaken by churches in meeting the needs of those displaced by the war is not new, but the scale is staggering as 14 million people have been displaced in the six months since the invasion began.

Baptists reflect on how to strengthen their voices and be in closer fellowship for the ecumenical vision

“As Baptists, we are concerned to strengthen our voices closer together and be in closer fellowship for the ecumenical vision. We see our presence in the Baptist World Alliance gathering coming up as a possible forum to do this,” said Rev. Dr Angelique Walker-Smith of the National Baptist Convention USA, Inc. and Bread for the World in Washington, DC, during the Baptist confessional meeting that took place at the recent World Council of Churches (WCC) central committee meeting.