Most Christian Churches and communities throughout the world are currently in the midst of a five-week period called the “Season of Creation” – officially, at least. Unfortunately, most of their members around the globe – including the overwhelming majority of those belonging to the Catholic Church – seem to be completely unaware of this. That’s Read more
The World Council of Churches has written to Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to change his mind about turning the Hagia Sophia museum back into a mosque. The Council, which represents 350 Churches and over 500 million Christians, says the move would sow division. The Hagia Sophia has been a museum since 1934. The president Read more
Sr Mary Emerentiana, SMSM, died in Auckland on March 7. She was 92 years old. She served in many positions in the Missionary Sisters of the Society of Mary. She represented the Vatican at the World Council of Churches in Geneva in the 1990s. Read more in NZ Catholic
The Vatican has confirmed Pope Francis will join the World Council of Churches 70th anniversary celebrations in June. The gathering will take place in Geneva. The World Council of Churches (WCC) includes 348 member churches across 110 nations. It is the largest umbrella group of Christian denominations in the world. Members include most Eastern Orthodox Read more
Children with HIV and AIDS need better treatment like easier to swallow drugs say the World Council of Churches and many of Kenya’s faith leaders. They are challenging pharmaceutical companies to step up and help. The situation for very sick children in Kenya is bad, the church and faith leaders say. They estimate 26,000 children Read more
The general secretary of the World Council of Churches (WCC), Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit, opened his ecumenical and interfaith tour of New Zealand and Australia on 6 October. The first stop was Auckland with a powhiri at Te Karaiti Te Pou Herenga Waka Maori Anglican church in Mangere. Tveit will visit the region between Read more
A joint forum of Papuan church leaders and the Indonesian Communion of Churches [PGI] have urged Indonesia’s President Joko Widodo to set up a commission of inquiry to investigate alleged rights abuses in the Paniai shooting in Papua province. Five protestors were killed and at least 17 injured in the December incident in which security forces allegedly Read more
A church leader with responsibilities in Australia and New Zealand has been identified as a KGB agent. According to newly released Russian intelligence archives, the late Archbishop Aghan Baliozian, former Primate of the Diocese of the Armenian Church of Australia and New Zealand, was listed as a KGB agent. He was codenamed “Zorik” in the Read more
The World Council of Churches has decided to withdraw its investments in fossil fuel companies. The move has been hailed by climate campaigners as a major victory. The WCC represents half a billion Christians in 345 member churches, including the Church of England, but not the Catholic Church. It is not clear divestment in fossil Read more
A petition has been circulated at the World Council of Churches (WCC) 10th Assembly calling for West Papua to be included on the United Nations list of territories to be decolonised. Pacific church leaders from 12 countries have signed the petition which also calls on the WCC to send a fact-finding mission to the Indonesian-controlled Read more