World News

The World Council of Churches (WCC) condemns the vicious attack on innocent worshippers in the Saints Church in Alexandria, Egypt when a bomb was detonated at the conclusion of the celebration of a New Year’s midnight mass. As a result, at least 21 people have been killed and more than 80 injured. The WCC general secretary, Rev. Dr Olav Fykse ...

DESPITE POLITICAL conflict involving Israelis and Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza, Bethlehem remains the centre of Christian spirituality, especially at Christmas, says the Palestinian minister of tourism Khouloud Deibes. "Christmas is a source of joy and pride for us Palestinians because here it happened," Deibes, a Christian resident of Bethlehem, said during a press briefing on 14 December. She ...

THE SWISS church-backed group Bread for All says numerous human rights violations are being committed in certain Zimbabwe’s diamond mines by State security forces and the minerals should be labelled "blood diamonds". Bread for All (Switzerland) is calling on the government of Switzerland, as a member of the Kimberley Process, to demand the exclusion of certain Zimbabwean diamonds tainted by links ...

THE HEAD of the Seoul-based National Council of Churches in Korea has urged global prayers during Advent for peace on the peninsula following a North Korean military attack on a South Korean island. The council’s newly-elected general secretary, the Rev. Kim Young-Ju, said he wanted the "prayer and solidarity of the worldwide churches" to help nurture peace. Advent marks the period ...

THE GENERAL secretary of the World Council of Churches, the Rev. Olav Fykse Tveit, says he hopes his upcoming audience in Rome with Pope Benedict XVI will advance Christian unity. "It is important that we speak honestly in this meeting about the challenges we have," Tveit said of the 4 December meeting at the Vatican. It will be Tveit’s first ...

CHRISTIAN AND Muslim leaders in Britain have joined in support of Christian communities in Iraq following the latest attack by extremists in the name of Islam, which resulted in the death of almost 60 worshippers at Our Lady of Salvation cathedral in Bagdad. A statement issued on 15 November by Britain’s Christian Muslim Forum, following a meeting two days earlier ...

A POLISH bishop has invited fellow Roman Catholics at home and abroad to attend an unveiling on 21 November of the world’s largest statue of Christ. The statue stands in a town on the plains near the German border. On its mound, it rises to 65 metres (213 feet), and is visible for at least 16 kilometres (10 miles) in ...

The National Council of Churches in Australia (NCCA) shares the grief of Iraqi Christians following deadly attacks whilst people attended church in Baghdad. “With broken hearts we mourn the tragic and violent deaths of our brothers and sisters at Mass on 31 October” said the Reverend Tara Curlewis, NCCA General Secretary. In recent weeks the situation has become dire with ...

Rev. Kuntadi Sumadikarya (Moderator of the Indonesian Christian Church and GKI Humanitarian) has requested the support of the Uniting Church in Australia as the church seeks to provide much needed medical assistance as a result of the recent Mount Merapi eruption and the earthquake off Mentawai, West Sumatra. As a result UnitingWorld has launched the Mentawai and Merapi Disaster Appeal. ...

ON SUNDAY 10 October 2010 (10.10.10) millions of Christians across the globe united for a day of global prayer and action. From India to the UK, Zambia to Ecuador and every state and territory around Australia, Christians paused to remember the poor in our world, and to worship God for his heart of justice. More than seventy countries took part in the ...