WCC NEWS: WCC acting general secretary: “We are a fellowship united by faith for action”

In his last report to the World Council of Churches (WCC) executive committee, WCC acting general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Ioan Sauca expressed gratitude to WCC leadership and staff—and shared his reflections on moving forward. WCC acting general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Ioan Sauca speaking at the thematic plenary on ’Christian Unity and the Churches’ Common Witness’ at the 11th Assembly of the World Council of Churches, held in Karlsruhe, Germany from 31 August to 8 September. Photo: Albin Hillert/WCC 07 November 2022 “I never expected to serve as acting general secretary, certainly not for nearly three years,” he said. “What we achieved, we achieved together.” Sauca also shared reflections from the WCC 11th Assembly. “Churches have asked us to remain the platform that brings Christians together even in very difficult times,” he noted. “Particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic, many of the requests that WCC has received from member churches have been for spiritual resources, biblical resources, or worship resources.” He also noted that the WCC has received numerous messages about the positive impact that the assembly had and continues to have. “Seeing the world from the perspective of others, showing compassion for one another, and building trust as a vital part of our ecumenical journey are all signs of Christlike love that move us to walk truthfully and wholeheartedly beside one another,” he said.  As he shared reflections from pilgrim visits and inter-religious bridge-building, he mentioned South Korea, Moscow, Bahrain, the Middle East, Lebanon, Syria, Palestine, Israel, and Ukraine. “As my last travel, I am preparing to lead a WCC delegation to the Holy Land from 21-24 November,” he said.  “The world, the churches and all people stand before a unique moment in history.” We are experiencing global crises related to climate change, health, food security and energy, Sauca said. “We are not alone in facing these challenges, but we have a particular role in responding,” he said. “I would like to share three lessons from my experience that I think will strengthen the WCC, not simply in facing these challenges, but in acting together to confront them.” He then outlined the convening role of the WCC; growing in fellowship; and strengthening the fellowship as three ways forward for a transformational future. “The relationships that nurture this one ecumenical movement have extended beyond the fellowship of member churches, to include churches that are not members of the WCC, and particularly Roman Catholic, Evangelical, and Pentecostal churches,” he said. “We have strengthened our relationships and cooperation with people of other faiths as companions on our pilgrimage of justice and peace, on the basis of our common values in responding to the pressing challenges of our times.” He also recognized a growth in cooperation with the International Jewish Committee on Interreligious Consultations and with the World Jewish Congress. “I also want to mention our cooperation with Al-Azhar and Human Fraternity, with Religions for Peace, and with Shia branches of Islam in Iran,” he said. “The pilgrimage is an opportunity to continue working with all people of good will, to ensure a better future for everyone and for our common home.” Report of the acting general secretary to the WCC executive committee WCC executive committee will focus on assembly follow up, plans for 2023 (WCC news release, 03 November 2022) The 11th Assembly of the World Council of Churches in Karlsruhe, Germany Message of the WCC 11th Assembly, “A Call to Act Together” See more

The World Council of Churches promotes Christian unity in faith, witness and service for a just and peaceful world. An ecumenical fellowship of churches founded in 1948, today the WCC brings together 352 Protestant, Orthodox, Anglican and other churches representing more than 580 million Christians in over 120 countries, and works cooperatively with the Roman Catholic Church. The WCC acting general secretary is Rev. Prof. Dr Ioan Sauca, from the Orthodox Church in Romania.  Media contact: +41 79 507 6363; www.oikoumene.org/press Our visiting address is: World Council of Churches 150 route de Ferney Geneve 2 1211 Switzerland

WCC NEWS: WCC acting general secretary to deliver lecture at Bahrain Dialogue Forum

World Council of Churches acting general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Ioan Sauca will deliver a lecture during the first edition of the “Bahrain Dialogue Forum: East and West for Human Coexistence” to be held 3-4 November. Photo: Albin Hillert/WCC 2 November 2022 Sauca’s lecture will take place during a forum session entitled “Experiences of Promoting Global Coexistence and Human Fraternity.” Other sessions will explore dialogue for peaceful coexistence, as well as the role of religious leaders in addressing climate change and the global food crisis. The invitation comes from the Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs in the Kingdom of Bahrain in cooperation with the Muslim Council of Elders. King of Bahrain Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa; His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I; Sheikh Ahmed Al-Tayyeb, grand imam of Egypt’s Al-Azhar Al-Sharif; and Pope Francis will be attending the forum. More than 200 religious figures from around the world are expected to participate.   WCC work on interreligious dialogue and cooperation   See more

The World Council of Churches promotes Christian unity in faith, witness and service for a just and peaceful world. An ecumenical fellowship of churches founded in 1948, today the WCC brings together 352 Protestant, Orthodox, Anglican and other churches representing more than 580 million Christians in over 120 countries, and works cooperatively with the Roman Catholic Church. The WCC acting general secretary is Rev. Prof. Dr Ioan Sauca, from the Orthodox Church in Romania.  Media contact: +41 79 507 6363; www.oikoumene.org/press Our visiting address is: World Council of Churches 150 route de Ferney Geneve 2 1211 Switzerland

WCC NEWS: Exclusive interview with WCC acting general secretary after the visit to Moscow

Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia and a WCC delegation led by the acting general secretary Fr Ioan Sauca met on 17 October in Moscow, discussing the current situation with the war in Russia and Ukraine and in light of the danger of nuclear war. His Holiness Patriarch Kirill and World Council of Churches (WCC) acting general secretary Fr Ioan Sauca met on 17 October 2022 in Moscow. Photo: Moscow Patriarchate 25 October 2022 Q: Why did you visit Moscow? The visit took place on request from the WCC central committee and is part of a series of visits that has already included the Middle East, Lebanon, Syria, Palestine, Israel, Ukraine, and now Russia, meant to build bridges of peace and reconciliation through encounters and dialogues and to avoid military conflicts, wars and violence. The programme also included a visit to the Moscow Church Centre for Assistance to Refugees, and discussions with representatives from the Moscow Theological Academy. We went there on the request of the central committee to try to start a dialogue on the theology of war. Other voices asked for an emergency visit in light of the danger of nuclear conflagration. (See text in the document  His Holiness Patriarch Kirill, WCC acting general secretary meet in Moscow, agreeing that war cannot be holy | World Council of Churches (oikoumene.org) Q: What was the first reaction of Patriarch Kirill? We met for several hours, and we had time for in-depth discussion. I had also a private audience with the Patriarch. I reported on the outcome of the WCC 11th Assembly in August-September, the statement on the war in Ukraine and the latest WCC central committee in June. Noting was avoided or hidden; we were clear with what we said in our statements and we were bold in our presentation. In the Russian delegation were present members of the WCC central committee who participated at the elaboration of the statement in June and those present at the WCC 11th Assembly who were members of the drafting committee which elaborated the statement on the war in Ukraine. Everything discussed in the meeting is not included in the report due to circumstances with local laws and the urgent need to continue the dialogue. We understand how to be sensitive to the situation in which the churches live and, while saying the full truth, we make sure we do not do more harm. Patriarch Kirill said that the war is not done by the churches but by the politicians. And the churches' role is to be peacemakers, as we have noted in the report. I went further with two questions which are not in our statements but voiced by some of our member churches: 1) What is his theological position on the war in Ukraine since there is a perception that he supports it as a "holy war?” 2) What is his explanation of using the term “metaphysical war” in relation to the war in Ukraine? We have received his response, as mentioned in the report. In conclusion: we did our job; we visited and spoke with Patriarch Kirill; we initiated a dialogue and saw the wish from the Russian side to continue the dialogue. In my opinion, we accomplished the mandate given by the central committee. Q: Why were there only men in the WCC delegation?  We went there with a small delegation, as this was not a normal church visit and there is war. We have different ways of handling the ecumenical and diplomatic protocol and this time it was a meeting between Patriarch Kirill and the acting general secretary, as you can read in the press release of  17 October.  WCC acting general secretary visits Moscow | World Council of Churches (oikoumene.org) I was joined by Rev. Dr Benjamin Simon, WCC programme executive for Church Relations and accompanied by Fr Mikhail Gundiaev, the Russian Orthodox Church’s representative to the WCC. They were present due to their functions, not gender.  I have always tried to  have a balanced leadership in delegations but due to the special circumstances with the war the functions were this time the main focus, and I tried to keep the group small to establish dialogue as requested from the central committee. I knew that some reactions would come. In the WCC’s highest staff leadership group, we are three women and three men. Our deputy general secretary Prof. Dr Isabel Apawo Phiri led the joint delegation with ACT Alliance to Russia in the end of May. WCC-ACT delegation visits Russia, sees church response to refugees from Ukraine | World Council of Churches (oikoumene.org) The Russian Orthodox Church decided upon the gender and people attending from its delegation. Also attending the meeting, which took place at the Patriarchal Residence in St Daniel’s Monastery, were Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk, chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations; Archimandrite Philaret (Bulekov), DECR vice-chairman; Fr Mikhail Gundyaev, representative of the Moscow Patriarchate to the WCC and international organisations in Geneva; Hieromonk Stefan (Igumnov), DECR secretary for inter-Christian relations. Q: What will happen after the visit? We will continue to monitor and pray about the situation and continue the dialogue. We are operating through four foci: church relations, peacebuilding, statements, and communication. The staff person responsible for Church Relations will continue the follow up on church dialogue and will prepare the visits in relation to the request on the Church in Ukraine to become a member of WCC. Rev. Dr Benjamin Simon, as a professor in Bossey, was also entrusted to make sure that recruitment of Russian students to study in Bossey will continue. Q: What do you say to those who say you did not speak up strongly enough against the war? Some people say that other global religious leaders have publicly used language more critical of the war than you have. Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine began, the WCC  began making statements in February 2022, then by the WCC central committee in June, and by the WCC 11th Assembly in September. We made clear the position of the WCC regarding the humanitarian tragedy unfolding because of this war, naming it clearly an invasion, and aggression. It was nothing new or hidden: personally, I wrote about it to Patriarch Kirill and to Russian president Putin. Our correspondence has been documented at the following links: Read full letter to Patriarch Kirill of Moscow (2 March 2022) WCC urges President Putin to stop war, restore peace to Ukraine (WCC press release of 25 February 2022) The WCC position is clear and that was not avoided but clearly stated when we met the Patriarch Kirill. In addition, the Russian members of the WCC central committee and those who were present at the WCC 11th Assembly were also present during the meeting with the patriarch. There was no reason to hide or dilute words or concepts when those were used in our statements and in our earlier correspondence with the patriarch. I can understand the use of the hermeneutic of suspicion by some critical voices, but here is not the case. We went there to have an open and truthful dialogue, and that is in fact what occurred. I hope and pray that the fellowship of churches continues to and work towards just peace and towards the end of the war in Ukraine and the end of wars elsewhere in the world. I also pray that the WCC continues to be that open table which gathers Christians together and gives courage and patience to listen to one another even if we disagree. May we remain eager and committed to look together to building bridges of justice, peace, reconciliation and unity.   *Marianne Ejdersten, WCC director of communication, based in Geneva, Switzerland His Holiness Patriarch Kirill, WCC acting general secretary meet in Moscow, agreeing that war cannot be holy, 19 October 2022 WCC Communique: His Holiness Patriarch Kirill meets with WCC acting general secretary Photo gallery: WCC acting general secretary visits Moscow Statement of the WCC 11th Assembly: War in Ukraine, Peace and Justice in the European Region WCC Central Committee Statement on the War in Ukraine (18 June 2022) See more

The World Council of Churches promotes Christian unity in faith, witness and service for a just and peaceful world. An ecumenical fellowship of churches founded in 1948, today the WCC brings together 352 Protestant, Orthodox, Anglican and other churches representing more than 580 million Christians in over 120 countries, and works cooperatively with the Roman Catholic Church. The WCC acting general secretary is Rev. Prof. Dr Ioan Sauca, from the Orthodox Church in Romania.  Media contact: +41 79 507 6363; www.oikoumene.org/press Our visiting address is: World Council of Churches 150 route de Ferney Geneve 2 1211 Switzerland

WCC NEWS: WCC acting general secretary: At a turning point in history, “WCC staying together with strong bonds of love and commitment”

World Council of Churches (WCC) acting general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Ioan Sauca, in his report to the WCC central committee, expressed his deep gratitude that the global ecumenical body was able to serve the world even amid unimaginable challenges. Rev. Prof. Dr Ioan Sauca, acting general secretary of the World Council of Churches. Photo: Peter Williams/WCC 15 June 2022 “We all remember March 2020,” said Sauca. “The world went into lockdown as the COVID-19 pandemic spread across the globe.” Yet the WCC remains a vibrant fellowship of churches, he said. “Wars and conflicts have erupted in different parts of the world, bringing loss of lives, destruction, famine, dislocations of populations, refugees,” he said. “At every step, it has been my prayer that the WCC can be a space for dialogue, for listening and caring for one another, and for just peace and reconciliation.” Yet, as followers of Christ, we were entrusted with the ministry of reconciliation, Sauca urged. "It would be very easy to use the language of the politicians, but we are called to use the language of faith, of our faith.” he add. “It is easy to exclude, excommunicate, and demonize, but we are called as WCC to use a free and safe platform of encounter and dialogue, to meet and listen to one another even if and when we disagree.” This has always been the way of the WCC, he said. “I believe in the power of dialogue in the process toward reconciliation,” he said. “Imposed peace is not peace; a lasting peace has to be a just peace.” War cannot be just or holy, he said. “In this time, until the end of my responsibility as acting general secretary that you have entrusted to me, I will not stop speaking against any aggression, invasion, or war, I will continue being prophetic, but I will do my best to keep the WCC what it was meant to be and to keep the table of dialogue open,” he said. Sauca also said that a visit to Syria is still pending but is a priority before the WCC 11th Assembly in Karlsruhe. “Together with the moderator, we did succeed in meeting with the representatives of the churches in Syria who came for a consultation at the Bossey Ecumenical Institute in April,” he said. “We agreed that the WCC Syria programme continues with the full participation of the churches in Syria, listening to their concerns and expectations, planning, and working together.” A visit to the Holy Land will also take place before the assembly, Sauca said. “Our restructured office in Jerusalem is working well, and we keep receiving many signs of hope as outcomes of the work and presence of our staff there,” he said. “Yet, there are still many challenges and hardships, and we have made great efforts to respond to them and increase our advocacy work.” Nearly 90% of the WCC member churches will be present at the WCC 11th Assembly, Sauca said. “It will be a great celebration of faith, a reunion of the churches, and a meaningful sign to the world,” he said. “On our way to Karlsruhe, we have experienced many challenges, and no doubt, there are more to come.” This is an assembly of resilience, Sauca reflected. “We continue planning and revising in response to all that is happening in the world and the life of the churches,” he said. “The assembly's focus on love, compassion, reconciliation, healing, and unity in the context of a global pandemic and war will mark this assembly, the assembly in Karlsruhe, in the history of the WCC. “ The WCC is at a turning point in history, Sauca concluded. “We need to stay together with strong bonds of love and commitment, our legacy for the period post-Karlsruhe being a strong and meaningful WCC.”   Report of the Acting General Secretary to the WCC Central Committee, June 2022 Photos from the WCC central committee meeting, June 2022 WCC Central committee meeting, June 2022 See more

The World Council of Churches promotes Christian unity in faith, witness and service for a just and peaceful world. An ecumenical fellowship of churches founded in 1948, today the WCC brings together 352 Protestant, Orthodox, Anglican and other churches representing more than 580 million Christians in over 120 countries, and works cooperatively with the Roman Catholic Church. The WCC acting general secretary is Rev. Prof. Dr Ioan Sauca, from the Orthodox Church in Romania.  Media contact: +41 79 507 6363; www.oikoumene.org/press Our visiting address is: World Council of Churches 150 route de Ferney Geneve 2 1211 Switzerland