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A historic ecumenical Easter message broadcast on French national television encouraged people to adopt “an ethic of solidarity, charity and unity” as they work to stop the spread of coronavirus.

In a letter of solidarity to church leaders in the Solomon Islands, Fiji, Vanuatu and Tonga and the Pacific, World Council of Churches (WCC) acting general secretary Fr Ioan Sauca expressed sadness and concern over the recent devastation caused by Tropical Cyclone Harold.

In a pastoral message, the South Sudan Council of Churches, to the people of South Sudan, affirmed the victory of Christ over death.

The leadership of the WCC Central Committee shared an Easter message with the WCC global fellowship and friends that affirms the resurrection of Jesus from the dead and its powerful liberating message. “This year, we observe Easter in a challenging context amid painful situations,” reads the message. "The COVID-19 pandemic, which has affected the whole world, is also affecting the way Easter is to be celebrated.”

A "2020 Joint Easter Prayer of North-South Korea" has been published with a call for Christians and all people of good will around the world to pray for peace on the Korean Peninsula.

As Christians across the world prepare to celebrate Easter shuttered in their homes, they will still find the joy of the day and feel closer to each other, thanks to creative thinking by church leaders.

From including photos of church members within webcast worship services, to placing written greetings at doorways, Easter celebrations can still safely connect people who want to celebrate the resurrection of their common Lord.

Prof. Christoph Stückelberger is president and founder of globethics.net. This interview was first published and produced in German by Reformiert.info

As churches around the world are adapting to new ways of expressing their faith during the COVID-19 pandemic, more than a dozen musicians from various traditions have come together in sharing an ecumenical Easter song.

Archbishop Anastasios of Tirana, Durrës and All Albania and former President of the WCC shares his perspective in this E-interview about the way churches are adapting, both in Albania and worldwide, to the COVID-19 pandemic. As we pray for the researchers trying to find a treatment, churches can also emphasize our duty to stay at home while, at the same time, freeing ourselves from fear and anxiety. We must find ways to assist the sick directly or indirectly, as we prepare for Easter, and open our hearts to the light of hope.

As the world grapples with the spread of the new coronavirus, churches are finding ways to continue their traditions, but now by virtual means. On the coming Sabbath, churches around the world will engage in prayer, not publicly – as the church moves out of big public buildings – but inside the private spaces of homes.

What biblical passage sets your heart on fire? Perhaps it is the story of Jesus curing the leper, or the Deuteronomist’s injunction to “Choose life,” or Moses’ epiphany at the burning bush, or perhaps the gospel account of the birth of Jesus in a stable far from home or the Psalmist’s desperate cries for help.

Born in Nazareth, Galilee, Rev. Dr Saïd Ailabouni moved to the US at the age of 19 to become a physician. But he was so angry at God that he went to study theology instead, becoming a Lutheran pastor. Now he is leading the Middle East & Europe desk of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Since leaving his hometown 50 years ago, he visits his Palestinian family regularly. As the World Week for Peace in Palestine and Israel approaches, Ailabouni agreed to share some of his lifetime observations with the Word Council of Churches.