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As the World Council of Churches (WCC) executive committee met in Abuja, Nigeria, on 8-14 November, the governing body published a statement that included deep appreciation of Nigeria’s “astonishing diversity of cultures, languages, and religions”—as well as appeals to the Nigerian government to address economic injustice and other grave challenges facing the nation.

A World Free From Nuclear Weapons is Possible: remarks by Peter Prove, Director of the WCC's Commission of the Churches on International Affairs at the International Meeting for Peace: Religions and Cultures in Dialogue "The Audacity of Peace", Berlin, 10-12 September 2023.

Keynote address of Rev. Dr Kenneth Mtata, WCC programme director for Public Witness and Diakonia at the "International Conference for Reconciliation in Colombia", Bogota, Colombia, 9 August 2023

Dear Muslim sisters and brothers,

It is a joy to extend cordial greetings to Muslims around the world on behalf of the World Council Churches (WCC) as you have been observing the month of Ramadan and as you will celebrate Eid al-Fitr by the end of this week. May this be a blessed season for you.

The annual meeting of the staff members of the World Council of Churches (WCC) and the Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue (DID), Vatican, took place at the Ecumenical Institute at Bossey on 26-27 April 2023.

In this divided and troubled world, WCC (World Council of Churches) and CID (Centre for Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue) were able to meet for the 10^th Dialogue at The Ecumenical Institute Bossey, Switzerland.

The Lord loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of his unfailing love (Psalm 33:5)

New technologies are transforming our world and the multiple spaces in which we live, work and witness. These technologies offer us new ways to create, to heal, to communicate, and to navigate the world. However, many such technologies, while undoubtedly offering actual or potential advances in human wellbeing, have also raised concerns regarding their social and environmental impacts and ethical implications, especially in light of the rapidity of their development and application.

I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly. (John 10:10)

When approaching the issue of health and wellbeing, we as Christians and churches affirm that the giver and sustainer of life is our Lord Jesus Christ, the healer of our bodies and souls, the one who heals our diseases, who redeems our life from the pit and crowns us with love and compassion (Ps. 103:3-4).

World Council of Churches (WCC) acting general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Ioan Sauca extended greetings to Hindu friends on the occasion of Diwali.

Applications are open for a Young Adults Training for Religious Amity program (YATRA) to be held in October.

Organized by the World Council of Churches in partnership with the Christian Conference of Asia, Church of Christ in Thailand, and ACT Alliance, the interreligious training programme is named “YATRA”—a common term for pilgrimage in many contexts and languages.

The theme for 2022 is “Youth Interreligious Engagement, Advocating Human Dignity.”

Opening an online international seminar commemorating the life of  Dr Paulose Mar Gregorios, World Council of Churches (WCC) deputy general secretary Prof. Dr Isabel Apawo Phiri shared thoughts on his ecumenical contributions.

The conflict in Ukraine continues to cause a terrible toll of death, destruction, displacement and misery for the Ukrainian people, with thousands of civilians reported to have been killed, and more than 14 million people – well over a quarter of the entire population – forced to flee from their homes. In addition, the impacts of this war are being felt far beyond the borders of Ukraine or the European region, producing a downward spiral effect on a global economy already battered by COVID-19 and the climate crisis. Prices of food, fertiliser and energy have risen rapidly in many parts of the world, given the important roles played by Russia and Ukraine in these markets.

The executive committee of the World Council of Churches, meeting online on 30 May-2 June 2022, welcomes the ecumenical solidarity visit to Sudan on 20-25 April 2022 undertaken jointly by the WCC, the All Africa Conference of Churches (AACC) and the Fellowship of Christian Councils and Churches in the Great Lakes and the Horn of Africa (FECCLAHA). Though this visit was planned already in early 2020 in light of the political upheavals and transitions of 2019, it was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In the meantime, in October 2021, a military coup displaced again the civilian governmental leadership, in a development which this executive committee described as a betrayal of the revolution of 2019 and of the country's own Constitutional Document and other foundational documents of the transition.

It is with humble gratitude that I want to express my deep appreciation to the leadership of the central committee for their daily accompaniment and direction. Their leadership during challenging times makes a difference.

Background

Genesis of the document

Recognising that we all live in multi-religious societies, African church leaders gathered in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, during the 2016 World Council of Churches (WCC) Commission of the Churches on International Affairs (CCIA) regional workshop on “Birth Registration and Gender Discriminatory Nationality Laws in Africa”, stressed the need to develop inter-faith strategies and affirmations in our advocacy work for the human rights of stateless people.

By Abraham Wilar Silo, WCC Interreligious Dialogue and Cooperation

2 May 2022

Your eminence Cardinal Ayuso, Msgr. Kodithuwakku, colleagues, interlocutors, and friends,

I wish first to thank Msgr. Indunil and all the contributors to this new volume on the import of the Christian Witness document.

The annual meeting of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue (PCID) and the Office of Interreligious Dialogue and Cooperation (IRDC) of the World Council of Churches (WCC) took place at the PCID Office on 24-25 March 2022.

The GETI 2022 theme, “Christ’s Love (Re)moves Borders,” echoes the WCC 11th Assembly theme, “Christ’s Love Moves the World to Reconciliation and Unity.” The study process will guide participants to delve deeply and creatively into the theological and practical implications of the claim that Christ (re)moves borders.