World Council of Churches will help Christians in wars

A new World Council of Churches (WCC) initiative aimed at supporting Christians living in conflict situations around the world has begun, reports ReligionAndSpirituality.com. "When one part of the body suffers, the whole body suffers with it," Rev. Dr. Samuel Kobia, general secretary of the WCC said in a videotaped address to experts in international relations and ecumenical partners at a recent consultation held in Geneva, Dec. 8-10.

"We have new martyrs in Iraq," said Baghdad's Armenian Archbishop Avak Asadourian, the primate of the Armenian Apostolic Church in Iraq. He recalled that Christians used to enjoy a "good life" in an "innocent Iraq" where "amicable coexistence" with "Muslim brothers and sisters" was the norm, WCC News Service reported Thursday.

However, today, some extremist groups identify Christians with the West and make them "targets". Nonetheless church leaders continue to play an important role in sustaining the community and contributing to the reconciliation process together with Shi'a and Sunni religious leaders.

In addition to Iraq and Pakistan participants shared first hand information on conflict situations and stories of reconciliation from Sudan, South and South-East Asia and the Middle East. "It was not only a brain-storming, but a heart-storming session", said Rev. Dr Shanta Premawardhana, director of the WCC's program on Inter-religious dialogue and cooperation.

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[01/03/2008]

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