The World Council of Churches (WCC) executive committee released a statement lifting up in prayer the people and churches of Ethiopia. “The WCC condemns the numerous brutally violent attacks against churches and communities especially affecting the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, on the members of any community defined by religion or ethnicity, on churches and holy places, and on civilians by armed groups,” reads the statement. “We mourn the deaths of so many people in recent attacks.” The WCC also expressed concern for the many people displaced by violence. “We pray that they may be assured of their security and religious freedom, so that they may return to their homes,” the statement reads. “We denounce those who seek to foster tensions, division, antagonism and bloodshed among the people of Ethiopia for their own political purposes.” The WCC urged all parties to remember the extremity of suffering inflicted on the people of Ethiopia by conflict and division in the past. “We appeal for a retreat from the precipice of a new catastrophe, and a return to dialogue rather than conflict, to cooperation rather than division,” reads the text. Read the full statement WCC moderator reflects on role of churches during “profound economic and societal crisis" (WCC press release of 9 November 2020) WCC executive committee to convene online 9-13 November (WCC press release of 9 November 2020) | 
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