WCC News: WCC prays for abducted archbishops of Aleppo

The World Council of Churches morning prayer on 22 April was focused on Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia, solemnly marking the 11th anniversary of the abduction of archbishops of Aleppo. The abducted archbishops of Aleppo, bishop Boulod Yaziji and H.E. Mor Gregorious Youhanna Ibrahim. 23 April 2024 The archbishops H.E. Mor Gregorious Youhanna Ibrahim and Bishop Boulod Yaziji were abducted on their way back from the Turkish border to their city of Aleppo. For more than a decade, there have been ongoing calls for their release.  The WCC prayer asked for comfort to them and their churches.  “We pray too for the liberation of all clergy and people of faith, who are held captive all over the world, that they are freed for the glory of your name,” the people prayed. “Grant rest where the righteous repose to the souls of all who have died as martyrs of the faith.” As part of the Ecumenical Prayer Cycle, the WCC and people across the globe prayed with and for the people and churches of Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia. Nino Sadzaglishvili,  a student at the Ecumenical Institute at Bossey from the Georgian Orthodox Church, offered a reflection.  She explored how biblical shepherds, when caring for their flocks, were not practicing a passive form of love—but an active one. “The laying down of the soul, the crucifixion, and the resurrection are voluntary, redemptive works of the Lord, just as the creation of the whole world is a work of love!” she said. “Active love—this is what the modern world needs.” Learn more about the Ecumenical Prayer Cycle 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