WCC News: WCC condemns drone attack in Ethiopia

World Council of Churches general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay expressed deep concern and sorrow over the tragic loss of civilian lives resulting from a recent drone strike in the town of Gedeb, Amhara region, Ethiopia.  Micha town in Oromia, Ethiopia. Dust and smoke fills the air, as night fires are dying out, lit by people who sleep on the streets. Photo: Albin Hillert/LWF 25 April 2025 On 23 April, more than 100 civilians, including women and children, are reported to have been killed while gathered at a primary school for community activities. “This atrocity adds to a growing list of similar incidents in recent months, including another devastating drone strike in 2024 that targeted civilians,” said Pillay. “The World Council of Churches condemns in the strongest possible terms such attacks on civilian-populated areas.”  Pillay also expressed concern over the increasing use of autonomous or semi-autonomous armed drones in conflict settings, without strict adherence to international humanitarian law and safeguards to protect non-combatants. “The situation raises deep moral and ethical questions,” he said. “We call on all parties to the ongoing conflicts in Ethiopia to respect international humanitarian law, to refrain from attacks on civilians and civilian communities, and to commit to an immediate and unconditional ceasefire.” Pillay also urged national and international stakeholders to pursue inclusive dialogue and peaceful resolution as the only sustainable path to justice and peace. “We call on the churches and religious communities in Ethiopia to commit to be voices for justice, reconciliation, peace, and unity,” he said. “The World Council of Churches stands in solidarity with the victims and their families, and extends heartfelt condolences to all who are grieving.” World Council of Churches statement on drone attack in Gedeb, Ethiopia 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 Chemin du Pommier 42 Kyoto Building Le Grand-Saconnex CH-1218 Switzerland

WCC NEWS: WCC participates in 58th Session of United Nations Commission on Population and Development

The World Council of Churches participated in the 58th session of the United Nations Commission on Population and Development. 58th Session of United Nations Commission on Population and Development 24 April 2025 The theme focused on health and wellbeing for all ages within the framework of the International Conference on Population and Development. The five-day session included discussions on maternal and child health, sexual and reproductive health and rights, demographic transitions, and universal health coverage. The commission highlighted the interconnection between population dynamics, sustainable development, and human rights, drawing on the principles established by the International Conference on Population and Development Programme of Action adopted in 1994. A number of WCC member churches engaged, including through a virtual panel, hosted by the United Church of Christ, that focused on "Our Whole Lives" (OWL), a comprehensive sexuality education curriculum. The panel featured speakers from various regions discussing how religious communities can provide age-appropriate, values-based sexuality education while respecting cultural contexts. Panel participants, including representatives from the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Tanzania, shared about proven methods for adapting educational materials to local settings while maintaining core faith values like dignity and responsibility.  In another session, Pascale Allotey, World Health Organization director for Sexual and Reproductive Health, spoke about how fragmented healthcare service delivery erodes public trust, citing the need to integrate psychological care into postnatal healthcare planning as an example. She concluded, “When people must navigate multiple systems to access care that should be wholistic, they are more likely to disengage altogether.”  Despite constructive dialogue throughout the session, delegates were unable to reach consensus on a final resolution, with disagreements arising over references to sexual and reproductive health rights and challenges to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. 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 Chemin du Pommier 42 Kyoto Building Le Grand-Saconnex CH-1218 Switzerland

WCC NEWS: Training programme to help churches address impact of climate change on health

A training program to be held in N'Djamena, Chad, from 28-29 April, and in Manila, Philippines, from 29-30 April, as well as online, will help churches address impact of climate change on health. Photo: Marcelo Schneider/WCC 24 April 2025 The training is being co-organised by World Council of Churches, along with Association évangélique pour la santé au Tchad, African Christian Health Associations Platform, All Africa Conference of Churches, Christian Conference of Asia, Ecumenical Pharmaceutical Network, and the National Council of Churches in the Philippines The training, which includes tips on climate litigation, will lift the experiences and expertise of Chad and the Philippines. The programme also aims to educate church leaders and members on the intersection of climate change and public health, and empower churches to advocate for and implement climate-resilient health initiatives. The exercise will foster community partnerships to build resilience against climate-related health challenges. The training will also have a two-hour online training session connecting the two countries with international participants. Participants will learn how to foster community partnerships to build resilience against climate-related health challenges.  Climate change presents a fundamental risk to human health. It directly contributes to humanitarian emergencies from heatwaves, wildfires, floods, tropical storms, and hurricanes, increasing in scale, frequency and intensity.  Between 2030 and 2050, climate change is expected to cause approximately 250,000 additional deaths per year from undernutrition, malaria, diarrhoea, and heat stress alone.  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 Chemin du Pommier 42 Kyoto Building Le Grand-Saconnex CH-1218 Switzerland

Living into Right Relations: April 2025

Reconciliation and Indigenous Justice News from The United Church of Canada Take Action for Missing and Murdered Indigenous People   This May, continue to raise your voices and speak out against colonization, racism, and the injustice of Murdered and Missing Women, Girls, and Two-Spirit People (MMIWG2S).   Monday, May 5 is Red Dress Day, the National Day of Awareness for MMIWG2S.  Thursday, May 15 is Moosehide Campaign Day – a time to take action.   What can you do? Take time in worship to pray for action to end this epidemic of violence Hang a red dress outside your church and home as an act of public witness Participate in Red Dress activities in your community Wear a moosehide pin, and participate in this year’s activities, which include a livestream, walks to end violence, and a fast Support the Healing Fund [Image credit: The United Church of Canada/Canva] Indigenous and Racialized Youth Retreat, August 2025 We’re looking for eight Indigenous and eight Racialized youth between the ages of 16 and 25 to join us for an unforgettable retreat where we’ll build a community of faith through engaging in conversations, a multitude of activities and new experiences. This is a space for Indigenous and Racialized youth to connect, learn, and strengthen both cultural identities and spiritual lives with each other. It’s also a contribution to the United Church’s commitment to becoming an anti-racist church.   All costs of travel, food, and accommodations are covered by The United Church of Canada. You just need to pack your bags and bring your enthusiasm to participate in community building.   Check out the United Church website for a full description and application form! [Image credit: Artwork created by Eli, a youth participant at the Indigenous and Racialized Youth Retreat 2024] Facebook Website Email Instagram YouTube Donate to The United Church of Canada and help fund life changing work around the world!

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EarthBeat Weekly: Mourning the pope of the planet and the poor

Mourning the pope of the planet and the poor Your weekly newsletter about faith and climate change April 25, 2025   Pope Francis in a video message released Aug. 30, 2024. (CNS screengrab/Pope's Worldwide Prayer Network) This is not the newsletter I had planned for Earth Week (April 21–27). I had hoped to remind you about Catholic stories of the first Earth Day (April 22, 1970) and provide an example of meaningful efforts for creation care today in one particular U.S. Catholic diocese. That will have to wait, as our attention has been drawn this week to mourning the pope of the planet and the poor. I was awakened early Monday morning to several text messages from my colleagues alerting me that Pope Francis had died. By the time I got to my computer, some of them had already been online for hours publishing breaking news stories, commentaries and an obituary, sending our content to readers via newsletters, various social media platforms and app notifications, and appearing on media spots for television and radio stations. NCR's newsroom has been buzzing day and night since. Whenever I take a moment to pause from my work, the immense loss we're all experiencing hits hard. Francis' papacy was one of many historic firsts, but for me personally, it was the first papacy of my adulthood, the first conclave I watched (from my grad school apartment in Chicago), and the first global church leader I have followed throughout a decade of work in Catholic media (including when Francis visited the United States in 2015 — what a wonderful, whirlwind week).  Francis affirmed the importance of my academic research in ecofeminist theology and influenced the trajectory of my career — from coordinating a diocesan-wide ecological justice conference at St. Michael's College in Vermont in 2017 to my role as NCR's environment editor today. Indeed, if it were not for Pope Francis and his focus on care for creation and integral ecology, I doubt that EarthBeat would even exist. What he said of his namesake St. Francis of Assisi became true of Francis' own papal legacy: "He is the [pope] of poverty, the [pope] of peace, the [pope] who loves and protects creation." I am grateful for the spotlight Pope Francis placed on the triple planetary crises of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution. I am grateful for his courage in speaking truth to power, especially leaders of the fossil fuel industry and nations powered by oil money. And I am grateful for how seamlessly he wove the needs of the planet into conversations about our responsibility to care for the poor and most vulnerable, recognize the dignity of all life and protect every single thing God created and called "good." Francis' legacy is manifold, but it is undeniable that a significant part of his story is shaped by how he viewed the world as an interconnected web of life, with all parts mutually dependent upon each other.  Thank you, Pope Francis, for cultivating a church both grounded in tradition and growing in love. Read more: Pope Francis leaves legacy as environmental conscience for the world     What else is new on EarthBeat: Pope Francis had the moral courage to stand up for the Earth and its people by Christiana Figueres We need the moral courage that Francis exemplified — a willingness to speak truth to power and to call for radical transformation when it is needed.   On climate, Pope Francis was hard-hitting and hopeful by Dan Misleh When a pope had the audacity to name himself after St. Francis — a man of peace, simplicity and creation — I began to dream then of an environmental encyclical.   Pope Francis' magisterial teachings, like his reverence for the gift of creation, will live on by Michael Sean Winters Pope Francis was a pastor, first and foremost, and a good pastor teaches. Any pope's most enduring legacy is the body of magisterial teaching they left behind.   In Latin America, Francis' supporters share gratitude, resolve to continue his work by Rhina Guidos Latin Americans observed that Pope Francis, the first pope from the new world, brought to the Vatican a new way of talking about God, lifting up causes and convictions that they shared.   Monday Starter: 4 communities join Land Justice Futures effort by Chris Herlinger, Dan Stockman, UCA News Plus, cloistered Illinois sisters adopt solar energy; an Indian court denies bail for a nun facing arrest after she was accused of conversion; services held for slain Haitian sisters.   What's happening in other climate news: A silent majority of the world's people wants stronger climate action. It's time to wake up —Mark Hertsgaard and Kyle Pope for The Guardian Interior Department to fast-track oil, gas and mining projects —Lisa Friedman for The New York Times A forthcoming Supreme Court decision could limit agencies' duty to consider environmental harms —Akielly Hu for Grist The world's biggest companies have caused $28 trillion in climate damage, a new study estimates —Seth Borenstein for the Associated Press How to encourage more people to talk about climate change —Jeffrey Kluger for TIME The vegan vs. carnivore narrative distracts from climate action —Jessica Scott-Reid for Sentient   Final Beat: In the final section of Laudato Si', Pope Francis wrote: "At the end, we will find ourselves face to face with the infinite beauty of God (cf. 1 Cor 13:12), and be able to read with admiration and happiness the mystery of the universe, which with us will share in unending plenitude. Even now we are journeying towards the sabbath of eternity, the new Jerusalem, towards our common home in heaven. Jesus says: 'I make all things new' (Rev 21:5). Eternal life will be a shared experience of awe, in which each creature, resplendently transfigured, will take its rightful place and have something to give those poor men and women who will have been liberated once and for all." More than 61,000 people have visited St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City to pay their respects to Pope Francis. Rome's poor will give him his final send-off, reported NCR Vatican correspondent Christopher White.  The pontiff's simple wooden coffin will be sealed on Friday evening (April 25) ahead of his funeral Mass on Saturday (April 26) at 10 a.m. local time. You can find all of NCR's coverage in this feature series: The Legacy of Pope Francis Thanks for reading EarthBeat. Stephanie Clary Environment Editor National Catholic Reporter sclary@ncronline.org     Featured Advertisers   Explore spirituality and social justice at Xavier University. Graduate theology degrees and certificates. Online options. Tuition discounts available.   Advertisement