WCC news: WCC: “people of Greenland have an inalienable right to self-determination”

World Council of Churches general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay has stated that the US government’s stated determination to own and control Greenland is in diametric opposition to the wishes of the people of Greenland and to their political trajectory towards independence.  Photo: Claus Grue/WCC 14 January 2026 “It is tantamount to neocolonialism,” said Pillay.  “The World Council of Churches joins with Bishop Paneeraq Siegstad Munk, head of Greenland’s Evangelical Lutheran Church, in appealing to all Americans who believe in freedom, dignity, and the right of people to choose their own path, to call upon their elected representatives and their government to stand by the Greenlanders in their right to determine their own future.” Pillay further noted that the people of Greenland have an inalienable right to self-determination and are on a clear pathway to independence, confirmed both by their own representatives and by the Danish government.  “Their rights and views must be seriously considered and respected,” said Pillay. Read the full statement Website of the National Church of Greenland Praying for peace in a tense situation (WCC interview, 12 January 2026) 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 356 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 Chemin du Pommier 42 Kyoto Building Le Grand-Saconnex CH-1218 Switzerland