WCC News: From Manila to Harare: Youth transform climate fear into church resilience with prayers and actions

On the Feast of St Francis of Assisi, 4 October, young Christians across three continents shared a message at the Season of Creation closing online prayer ceremony: turn climate anxiety into action. Youth from Manila to Harare offered prayers in multiple languages and described their experiences with floods, droughts, and displacement. This year's theme, "Peace with Creation," came from Isaiah 32's prophecy that peace follows justice. Speakers described how the crisis threatens daily survival while communities build practical responses. 07 October 2025 Patricia Mari Mungcal, assistant programme director with the National Council of Churches in the Philippines and member of the ACT Alliance Climate Justice Reference Group, joined from a café in Metro Manila as heavy rains disrupted electricity across the capital. Speaking as a humanitarian responder in one of the world's most disaster-prone countries, she described eco-anxiety as "the chronic fear and psychological distress about the climate crisis, the ecological degradation. It is manifested as worry, sadness, anger, fear, or helplessness." Mungcal acknowledged that "it is very valid and reasonable for us to feel that way. It is not a sign of weakness, but a sign that we care and we feel for the creation around us." She continued: "And the important thing about this is to acknowledge that this is not what God intended for the creation. This is brought about by sin, and this is brought about by greed, by the pursuit of profit. Therefore, the hope there is that it can be reversed by doing human actions toward justice and peace." The ceremony featured stories of resilience from three continents. Ngoni Muchenje from Zimbabwe described how communities in Okea South and Buera are introducing climate-smart agriculture, solar-powered boreholes, and youth-led permaculture gardens. "We do not want to be remembered as a generation that watched the earth bleed. Let us be a generation that noted that prayed, planted, protested, and rose," Muchenje declared. Jacob Bush from the United Kingdom described switching to banks that do not invest in fossil fuels. "I know that in reality, something has changed and that my money is no longer being invested in fossil fuels without my permission and instead it's being invested in positive local action," he said. Alphonce Muia Munyao, environmental scientist with the Catholic Youth Network for Environmental Sustainability in Africa, called mitigation and adaptation moral imperatives, noting that Pope Francis positioned the church at the centre of climate response through Laudato Si. "Young people across Africa are leading change through grassroots innovations despite battling anxiety and job insecurity," he said. The ceremony concluded with prayers in multiple languages. Father Savio Silveira prayed: "The poor and the earth are crying out. Oh Lord, seize us with your power and light. Help us to protect all life, to prepare for a better future, for the coming of your kingdom of justice, peace, love and beauty." Dr Louk Andrianos, WCC consultant on creation care, sustainability, and climate justice and member of the Season of Creation steering committee, joined the closing prayer and commented later on the 2025 campaign: "The promotion of the Season of Creation ecumenical movement is part of the WCC Living Planet programme activities. It will play a greater role in the implementation of the Decade of Climate Justice and Action (2025-2035) that was launched this year to increase church resilience and engagement in the decade of eco-conversion or metanoia for reconciliation with creation." WCC presents creation theology webinar during Season of Creation (News Release, 25 September 2025) When Christ meets ECO: a reflection from Ivory Coast's struggles (Blog, 23 September 2025) "Time is running out": WCC climate leader calls for church action during Season of Creation prayer (Feature Story, 10 September 2025) A call for ecological metanoia: prayer, action, and a new way of life (Blog, 04 September 2025) Season of Creation opens with call for “peaceful habitation” amid climate crisis (News Release, 02 September 2025) WCC joins Ecumenical Patriarch in launching Season of Creation with call for "ecological repentance" (News Release, 01 September 2025) Over 100 African faith leaders gather online to strengthen Season of Creation (News Release, 21 August 2025) Faith leaders invite all to celebrate Season of Creation (News Release, 11 August 2025) Online Youth Closing Service for St Francis Day 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

Tomorrow night: From Earth Grief to Earth Courage

You are invited to join me for our October climate grief circle, From Earth Grief to Earth Courage, a 75-minute session where we honor the difficult emotions that arise with the climate crisis and then explore new ways of living and being on this earth. We'll meet on Zoom tomorrow (Wednesday) at 5pm PT / 6pm MT / 7pm CT / 8pm ET. Register now. I know that it can feel like a lot to take time for earth grief, especially with so much happening in the world. But because we are in a slow-moving crisis, we are called to get really present with our reality -- and that takes time. It's a practice, a practice that is better held in community than alone. So I hope you'll join me and others around the country in that practice tomorrow night. RSVP here. In grief and hope, Rev. Chelsea MacMillan Building a Worldwide, Multi-faith Climate and Environmental Movement.    1216 Broadway Floor 2 PMB 1005 New York, NY 10001 +1-917-997-8783 Copyright © 2022 GreenFaith - All rights reserved.

WCC News: WCC condemns attack on synagogue in Manchester

World Council of Churches general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay condemned an attack on a synagogue, Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation, in Manchester, in northwestern England on 2 October where two people were killed outside the synagogue in a vehicle ramming and stabbing attack on Yom Kippur.  Photo: Albin Hillert/Life on Earth 03 October 2025 The attack occurred in an area of Manchester that is home to many Orthodox Jews. About 30,000 Jewish people live in Manchester, the largest number in the United Kingdom outside of London.  "The assault is an egregious and unacceptable act of terror against innocent people gathered for a holy day,” said Pillay. “We extend condolences and prayers for all those who lost loved ones and who were traumatized by this senseless act.” Pillay added that “The international community must continue to support peacebuilding and reconciliation across the world. We must reject extremism in all its forms and join in prayer and action for justice, healing, and lasting peace.” 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

WCC NEWS: WCC explores partnership with Philippines climate campaign challenging fossil fuel finance

The World Council of Churches (WCC) met with Philippines climate advocate Angelica Dacanay on 26 September in Geneva, Switzerland, to explore partnership on climate litigation and frontline campaigns. Dacanay, from the Center for Energy, Ecology, and Development, presented a three-year campaign to protect the Verde Island Passage—called the "Amazon of the ocean"—from fossil gas expansion financed by major banks. Photo: Gloria Charles/WCC 02 October 2025 Frederique Seidel, WCC senior programme lead for Children and Climate, shared  how WCC supports churches on legal action about financial institutions harming communities and ecosystems. The Verde Island Passage spans five provinces in the Philippines. It draws 2.6 million overnight tourists annually and supports fishing communities across the region. "Sixty percent of the known shark and fish species are in the Verde Island Passage," Dacanay said. The area was recently designated a Hope Spot for its marine biodiversity. Six fossil gas power plants and two liquefied natural gas terminals now operate there, with additional projects proposed. Fisherfolk report sharp declines since the plants began operating. "Before they said they were getting 15 to 20 kilos of fish in one catch," Dacanay said. "Now on a lucky day, they could get like a maximum of five kilos." Communities describe "a very strong plastic smell every time the gas power plant is operating" and "very loud noise from the gas power plant that causes them sleepless nights." Angelica Dacanay from the Center for Energy, Ecology, and Development (CEED). Photo: Gloria Charles/WCC The campaign sheds light on the harms caused by banks directly through shareholder meetings and formal complaints. Community leaders have spoken at UBS and BNP Paribas shareholder meetings. Campaigners filed a complaint with the Japan Bank for International Cooperation, which financed one of the liquefied natural gas terminals. The campaign also conducts independent air and water quality monitoring to counter industry data and is building a regional network across Southeast Asia to challenge similar fossil gas expansion in Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, and Thailand. The campaign has already had some tangible success. One proposed liquefied natural gas terminal was cancelled.The Philippine Department of Environment and Natural Resources must now establish water quality guidelines and designate "non-attainment areas" where polluting projects would be barred. Photo: Gloria Charles/WCC Seidel described WCC's expanding work on financial accountability and climate justice. "We help churches to save children’s lives through climate litigation, with a focus on financial actors," she said, supporting churches in filing a soft law complaint and "developing  two to three hard law cases by churches about financial institutions." The programme aims to "sensitize on this blind spot for many people who have not imagined that they're harming children through their bank accounts." WCC and the Center for Energy, Ecology, and Development discussed how to connect member churches with campaigners across Southeast Asia, where similar fossil gas expansion threatens coastal communities. They also talked about documenting harms to children and vulnerable populations for advocacy campaigns and legal challenges. Churches’ Commitments to Children Save Children's Lives Hope for Children Through Climate Justice  Sustainability and Economy of Life 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

Truth and Action Roundup 9.26.25

View this email in your browser Welcome to the Truth and Action Roundup, your reliable weekly source of information, inspiration, and opportunities for action during the second Trump administration.  Did a friend forward you this email? Sign up here to continue receiving it. This Tuesday, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, who insists on being called the “Secretary of War,” and President Donald Trump gathered military leadership for an unprecedented speech. During this address, armed forces leaders were informed that protections for service members, such as anonymous reporting and strict adherence to a code of ethics, were no longer priorities for the current Secretary of Defense. Following this, the Commander in Chief announced that the military would be a key part in targeting the “enemy within” and cited Chicago specifically as a “training ground” as an example of the “dangerous cities” where they’ll play a “big part.” The response to this speech has been chillingly muted among civic leaders. Congress’s failure to avert a government shutdown, and the ongoing fallout from recent high-profile political violence continues to dominate headlines. These are essential issues that are critical to the care and safety of our neighbors. We must, however, stay clear-eyed in connecting the neglect of our neighbors, seen in the removal of public resources, and the violence tearing apart our communities from mass shootings, with a political leadership now calling on the military to prepare to “apply force” against people in the United States. What these issues highlight is a fundamental rejection of the Christian commandment to love our neighbor as ourselves. Since the buildup to the call for the military to use cities in the United States as “training grounds” has also included weeks of the military carrying out strikes in the Caribbean on civilian vessels culminating in Trump unilaterally declaring the country is in “armed conflict” with civilians in the Caribbean, we must now understand why we are required to stand up for our neighbors as we would for ourselves. We now see the true purpose of asking us to turn away from the hungry and sick when we’re being told our neighbors are an “enemy from within.” We also witness the tragic results of people accepting such messages, as shown by the repeated displays of violence that seem to follow one another. As Christians, we understand that this is not the inevitable future for our society. We recognize that we must oppose any politics that calls us to abandon the core principle of our faith, which is to see and honor the divine in every person. By demanding resources and care for every person, we can build a vision that makes space for us all. We must stand firm in our faith and spread love by protecting and caring for our communities. It is through this work that we create a vision of society that truly reflects our faith. - Rev. Moya Harris and Chad Stanton, Sojourners In the News 1. The Trump administration continued its authoritarian overreach while facing some signs of pushback: • A new national security memorandum from Trump will likely double the size of the FBI’s domestic terrorism watchlist from 5,000 to 10,000 by expanding domestic terrorism indicators such as “anti-capitalist,” “anti-Christian,” and “anti-American.” • The Supreme Court allowed Federal Reserve governor Lisa Cook to remain in office while the case deciding whether Donald Trump can fire her continues, with a ruling expected sometime before next June after oral arguments in January 2026. • Pete Hegseth’s enforcement of stricter shaving rules and “male-based test standards” for fitness is likely to disproportionately penalize Black and female troops. Pseudofolliculitis barbae (PSB), colloquially known as razor bumps, is a painful skin condition that affects at least 60 percent of Black men and can lead to permanent scarring. The military has had exemptions to daily shaving for people who suffer from PSB in place for decades prior to Hegseth’s order. 2. The Trump administration continues to pursue its cruel deportation regime: • We continue to see cases of ICE detentions that separate family members from each other. Advocates allege that these family separations are by design and implemented as a retaliatory measure to coerce migrant people into leaving the country. • Pope Leo criticized the administration’s “inhumane treatment of immigrants in the United States,” suggesting that supporting the administration’s cruel immigration policy while opposing abortion is not a consistent pro-life stance. 3. The federal government partially shut down this week after Republicans and Democrats failed to pass a temporary funding bill: • Trump warned that he can use the shutdown to make “irreversible” cuts to social safety net programs and has also repeatedly threatened to use the shutdown as a pretext for mass layoffs of federal workers. • Democrats have pushed to include an extension of tax credits in the funding bill that would keep health insurance premiums more affordable for the 24 million Americans who get their coverage through the Affordable Care Act’s marketplaces. Without the extension of these tax credits, premiums are expected to rise an average of 114% next year for this group. 4. There were troubling developments in several conflict areas around the world: • The Trump administration’s proposal to end the war in Gaza faces uncertain prospects, with Hamas’ leader in Gaza reportedly opposed to its provisions requiring Hamas to disarm and play no role in Gaza’s future governance, as well as the potential for Israel’s continued military presence in parts of the strip. • The Israeli military intercepted vessels in the flotilla attempting to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza, detaining hundreds of activists, including Greta Thunberg. • The civil war in Sudan continues to create widespread suffering and death, with the city of el-Fasher under a particularly horrific siege. • A drone strike in Haiti killed at least eight children last month, while the alleged target of the strike escaped unharmed. The Haitian government task force that conducts the drone strikes is reportedly being advised by Vectus Global, a private security firm owned by Blackwater founder Erik Prince. Take Action • We’re calling for a boycott of Chevron for its partnership with Israel as the genocide against the people of Gaza continues. We also demand that Congress make the District of Columbia the 51st state in the country. • On October 18th, there will be another nationwide No Kings Day protest. SojoAction is supporting as an organizational sponsor. What We’re Reading “Chicago Faith Communities Say ‘Joy’ Is Key to Resisting the Feds” | And as I was praying for them, they started shooting at me, and they pelted me with exploding balls of chemical munitions, hitting me, aiming for and hitting me on the head, in the face.  (By Tate Young) “Looking at Life Through the Eyes of Gaza” | If we are all speaking out about Palestine, they can’t put us all in jail. (By Josiah R. Daniels) “We Aren’t The First Christians to Face a Kairos Moment” | If we follow the example of our South African siblings, we in the U.S. need to articulate a prophetic theology that refuses to be neutral or apolitical, and is committed to explicitly naming and condemning the powers that prohibit justice. (By Adam Russell Taylor) Deep Breaths  When Justice Feels Delayed The onslaught continues. It is easy in this moment to feel hopeless or to be overwhelmed with anger. Our senses are under an assault that is not normal. We are at the beginning of another government shutdown. We’ve been here before, but this one feels different. The sinister undertones cannot be ignored. Politicians are playing chess with people’s livelihoods, chasing after the best soundbite. It is downright depressing. In times like these, I turn to the prophets. Habakkuk once cried out: “O LORD, how long shall I cry for help, and you will not listen? Or cry to you, ‘Violence!’ and you will not save? Destruction and violence are before me; strife and contention arise. So the law becomes slack, and justice never prevails. The wicked surround the righteous; therefore judgment comes forth perverted.” -Habakkuk 1:1-4 Aren’t we asking the same questions? Aren’t our senses taking in the same grief? What then shall we do? Like many, I have felt helpless and discouraged. But Habakkuk shows another way. Though destruction was before his eyes, he declared: “I will stand at my watchpost and station myself on the rampart; I will keep watch to see what he will say to me and what he will answer concerning my complaint.” Habakkuk 2:1 That is our call too. Stay alert. Keep listening for God’s voice in the chaos. Each of us has an assignment—yours may look different from mine, but each matters. And then God’s charge to Habakkuk: “Write the vision; make it plain on tablets, so that a runner may read it. For there is still a vision for the appointed time… If it seems to tarry, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay.” Habakkuk 2:2b-3 Writing itself can be an act of discernment. Whether one word or many pages, putting pen to paper clears the fog and steadies the spirit. Sometimes the words make sense, sometimes they don’t. But something happens when we write. Words carry power. Words can shift worlds. And sometimes, God might speak through the pen. This week, write one word—or a whole vision—and watch how God meets you in it. Rev. Moya Harris, Senior Director of Programs, Sojourners The Truth and Action Roundup is compiled by Sojourners staff: President: Rev. Adam Russell Taylor Senior Research Associate: J.K. Granberg-Michaelson Digital Content and Community Specialist: Kassandra Tapia Chief Program and Impact Officer: Bryan Epps Political Director: Chad V. Stanton Senior Program Director: Rev. Moya Harris Digital Education and Outreach Specialist: Cortnie Brooks Policy and Action Assistant: Trinity Williams Senior Director of Marketing: Sandra Sims Donate Subscribe Copyright © 2025 Sojourners. All rights reserved. Email: sojourners@sojo.net | Tel.: 202.328.8842