WCC NEWS: WCC urges United States government to recognize Armenian Genocide

“Recognition of the Armenian Genocide is a matter of fundamental principle, an essential step towards healing, reconciliation and reparation, and – most importantly – a vital measure for the prevention of genocide today and in the future,” wrote Rev. Prof. Dr Ioan Sauca, acting general secretary of the World Council of Churches (WCC) in a letter to United States President Joe Biden on 21 April. Members of the WCC executive committee gathered at the Tsitsernakaberd, the Armenian Genocide memorial complex, in Yerevan, on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, in 2015. Photo: Marianne Ejdersten/WCC 21 April 2021 2021 marks the 106th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, carried out by the Ottoman Empire from 1915 to 1923, resulting in the deaths of 1.5 million Armenians. Sauca’s letter to Biden stresses that this tragedy has still not been officially recognized by many world authorities, including the United States. The WCC is requesting official recognition by Biden of the Armenian Genocide “as a sign of your commitment and your leadership for human rights, justice and peace in the world,” reads the letter. Read the full letter 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 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. 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