Once considered the shining example of diverse Middle Eastern peoples and religious groups living in harmony, Lebanon’s decades-long civil struggle has spiralled into economic collapse and governmental paralysis.Expressing its “great concern and apprehension” over the worsening situation, the World Council of Churches’ executive committee this week called for “urgent structural reforms needed to ensure Lebanon’s stability, unity and sovereignty.”
Although governmental action is needed to address the escalating crisis and avert complete collapse, the statement noted that “Religious leaders of all communities have a particularly important role to play in guiding their people through these difficult times towards wisdom, justice, reconciliation and unity.”
Evoking the larger international stakes, the statement said, “The Lebanese people on all levels – politicians, religious leaders, civilians, young people – have a responsibility to insulate the country from the wider regional political and social forces driving the region to division and destruction,” said their statement.
The WCC’s executive committee is convening online this week, 20-24 July, to monitor and guide the WCC’s programmes and budget and support the fellowship in this time of pandemic.
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 350 Protestant, Orthodox, Anglican and other churches representing more than 550 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.
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