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Churches throughout the world are preparing for next year's Week of prayer for Christian unity which will mark the 100th anniversary of the event. Worship resources in four languages have already been put at their disposal on the website of the World Council of Churches (WCC).

Expressing "great sorrow" at the news of the death of His Beatitude Patriarch Teoctist, head of the Romanian Orthodox Church, who passed away on Monday, 30 July 2007, at the age of 92, the World Council of Churches' (WCC) general secretary Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia paid the following tribute to "a beloved father of his people, a prominent Christian leader of our times and a committed friend of the ecumenical movement".

The Faith and Order standing commission has called for a meeting of the plenary commission to take place in October 2009. The plenary commission - noted as the most diverse church-based theological forum in the world - will bring a wealth of confessional and regional perspectives to Faith and Order's work for the unity of the church. The call for a full commission meeting was voiced as the standing commission met at the Villa Notre Dame, Crans-Montana, Switzerland, from 12 - 18 June 2007 under the leadership of its moderator, Metropolitan Vassilios of Constantia.

"Each church is the Church catholic and not simply a part of it. Each church is the Church catholic, but not the whole of it. Each church fulfils its catholicity when it is in communion with the other churches."

A free high resolution photo is available, see below

Free high resolution photo available, see below

Perseverance, a cardinal virtue that enabled them to survive decades of Soviet domination, is "no longer enough" for Estonian churches confronting "a newly materialistic and in many ways a 'post-Christian' culture". This view of the current context and challenges to the country's churches was shared by World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia with Estonian church leaders in the country's capital, Tallin, on Friday 1 June.

"When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly from Heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they where sitting. Divided tongues, as a fire, appeared among them. And a tongue rested on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability" (Acts 2:1-4 NRSV).

By Marian McClure (*)

Writing to Walter Cardinal Kasper, president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity (PCPU) on 14 May, World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia expresses "deep sadness" at the passing away of Bishop Pierre Duprey. Kasper succeeded Duprey as PCPU secretary when the latter retired in 1999 at the age of 75.

"Together for Europe 2007", an ecumenical gathering to be held 10-12 May in Stuttgart, Germany, has been hailed with "great joy" by Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia, general secretary of the World Council of Churches (WCC). In a message to participants, Kobia expressed his hope that their experience will enable Christians "to continue growing together in a spirituality of unity and love".