WCC NEWS: WCC denounces attack on parish of the 8th Community of Pentecostal Churches of Congo

World Council of Churches general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay denounced a bomb attack that killed 17 members of the parish of the 8th Community of Pentecostal Churches of Congo on 15 January. Thirty-nine people were wounded. Women pray in a United Methodist church in Kananga, DR Congo. Photo: Paul Jeffrey/Life on Earth 17 January 2023 “The ability to worship freely and without fear is at the very core of the fundamental human right to religious freedom,” said Pillay. “This right was brutally violated in Kasindi in North Kivu province of the Democratic Republic of Congo on Sunday 15 January 2023 when a group linked to the so-called ‘Islamic State’ detonated a bomb during a church service.” “We pray for the bereaved families and community, and for the wounded,” said Pillay. “We denounce this despicable attack, the perpetrators of which must be apprehended and prosecuted to the full extent of the law.” Pillay also called on the authorities of the Democratic Republic of Congo to make every possible effort in this regard, and to ensure the protection of all people in the nation from such attacks and that all may live and worship in peace and security. Statement of the WCC general secretary on bomb attack of the Pentecostal parish in Congo 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 352 Protestant, Orthodox, Anglican and other churches representing more than 580 million Christians in over 120 countries, and works cooperatively with the Roman Catholic Church. The WCC general secretary is Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay from the Uniting Presbyterian Church in Southern Africa. 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