WCC NEWS: WCC conveys deep sympathy to churches and people of China in wake of Typhoon Doksuri

In a letter to the China Christian Council, World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Plllay expressed deep sympathy and concern for churches and people in China in the wake of Typhoon Doksuri. The day after Typhoon Bopha in 2012 raged through the southern Philippines island of Mindanao, two Filipinos view where a bridge once spanned the Cagayan River at Uguiaban. The floodwaters washed away the bridge, a vital part of a main highway through the region. A small footbridge remains. Photo: Paul Jeffrey/Life on Earth 03 August 2023 We can only guess at the magnitude of suffering and displacement caused by this storm, and we worry about others on the way,” wrote Pillay. “With its ferocious winds, torrential rains, extensive flooding, and loss of life and property, Doksuri has brought catastrophe and fear to the lives and fortunes of tens of millions of Chinese, especially in the north, including Beijing.” The storm brought unrelenting rain and wind that tore away homes and other buildings.  “Especially concerning are the extent, duration, and intensity of this weather system, a fresh and disastrous assault by climate-related conditions,” Pillay wrote. “Indeed, this season of calamity has gripped the globe and delivered unprecedented extremes to many regions and massive misery to people everywhere.” He noted that extreme heat has continued to hover over Europe and North America, while Africa, Asia, and Australia struggle to cope with its effects on crops, water supply, endangered species, and human health. “Alarming loss of ice cover at both poles promises rising sea levels and temperatures, endangering ocean life and threatening coastal communities,” he wrote. “These disasters stiffen our resolve to work relentlessly for the prevention and mitigation of climate change in China and elsewhere.” The WCC has identified addressing climate change, its causes and consequences, as an urgent and ongoing priority. “As Christians, we know that the earth is the Lord’s, the sacred dwelling place of God with humans,” Pillay concluded. “Caring for creation is a hope-filled vision yet an awesome responsibility, especially now." Read the pastoral letter here 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