WCC NEWS: WCC stands in solidarity with victims of major flood in Brazil

“In the midst of death and trauma caused by this terrible event, let us bring our intercessions together, praying that the God of Life will comfort the ones who lost their loved ones and give strength to those involved in the actions of solidarity with the victims,” said Rev. Prof. Dr Ioan Sauca, acting general secretary of the World Council of Churches, as a torrential rainfall took the lives of over 100 people in Petrópolis, Brazil. Search and rescue teams are combing the mud for survivors. Houses in hillside neighbourhoods were destroyed and cars swept away as floodwaters raced through the city's streets. Photo: Tania Rego/Agencia Brasil 17 February 2022 “We convey our prayers to the victims and their families, as well as to the churches in Brazil mobilizing their networks to help their sisters and brothers,” added Sauca. According to officials, more than 100 people have died by flash flooding and landslides. Search and rescue teams are combing the mud for survivors. Houses in hillside neighbourhoods were destroyed and cars swept away as floodwaters raced through the city's streets. Residents are holding out hope that their loved ones can be found and trying to organise themselves to work on the rescue effort along with firefighters.  “In the face of so much pain and suffering, as Christian people, we are called and called to pray that God will give strength and hope to those in need, to face and overcome tragedy,” wrote Rev. Silvia Genz, president of the Evangelical Church of the Lutheran Confession in Brazil.  “Let us reach out and help in what we can, just as Jesus taught us and just as he also did,” added Genz, as the church launched a national campaign to gather financial donations and announced that their congregation in Petrópolis is urgently collecting food, blankets, drinking water, personal hygiene items and clothing. The Central Methodist Church of Petrópolis, together with the 7th Ecclesiastical Region of the Methodist Church in Brazil, has already started an important social action to help the hundreds of victims. “As a church, we intercede and call for public policies that prioritize decent and safe housing for all people, just as we call for an urgent change in behavior in the face of climate change,” read a message of the Brazilian Methodist the Episcopal College. In a public statement, the presidency of the Roman Catholic National Bishops Conference expressed that the tragedy causes a consternation that “touches our Christian faith, impelling us to act in solidarity.” The text called on everyone to witness to the faith, offering help to the victims.  With around 300,000 inhabitants, Petrópolis was hit by a month's worth of rain on the city in just three hours. Around 300 people are being housed in schools and shelters. WCC member churches in Brazil 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 349 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