WCC NEWS: WCC prayer for nuclear disarmament focuses on hope, unity, and peace

A World Council of Churches (WCC) prayer on 5 August focused on nuclear disarmament as well as on Cameroon, the Central African Republic, and Equatorial Guinea as part of the Ecumenical Prayer Cycle. 8 March 2024, Geneva, Switzerland: People pictured at an event at the Ecumenical Centre in Geneva entitled Nuclear Resilience for Peace & Prosperity, hosted by the World Council of Churches and the Permanent Mission of the Marshall Islands in Geneva. The event saw an exhibition on display as part of the ongoing commemoration for National Cay of Remembrance, 1 March, a national holiday in the Marshall Islands that honors victims and survivors of nuclear testing done in the area in the 1950s. Photo: Albin Hillert/WCC 06 August 2024 Bedi Racule, an ecumenical enabler for climate justice with the Pacific Conference of Churches, and a self-described “daughter of the Pacific” offered a brief reflection on the importance of shedding light on nuclear disarmament. She not only prayed for nations affected by nuclear attacks and testing, including her own home country of the Marshall Islands, but for all those nations caught in the midst of military violence and bombings of all kinds. “I see bombings of schools and hospitals and I ask myself: when will it be enough?” she said. “In times like this, in uniting like this, I have come to learn that we have all been impacted by nuclear weapons in one way or another—and we will all continue to be impacted if they continue to exist.” She noted the the gospel of Jesus Christ is one of hope, unity, and peace. The WCC prayer was part of the lead-up to the third annual Nuclear Prayer Day being held 6 August. Together, people online from across the world will take a moment to remember the horrific loss of life in the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and renew their spiritual commitment to see an end to the nuclear threat hanging over us and all life on the planet. Together, they will pray for a world free of nuclear weapons. A live-streamed event, “Spiritual Power: Hope in Action for Nuclear Weapons Abolition,” is also being co-sponsored by 30 organizations involved in nuclear weapons abolition. The audience will hear from people who have been directly affected, longtime leaders for nuclear weapons abolition, and young inspiring activists—and have an opportunity talk with each other. WCC invites all to observe Nuclear Prayer Day - WCC news release, 31 July 2024 Learn more about the Nuclear Prayer Day and ways to participate Join the event “Spiritual Power: Hope in Action for Nuclear Weapons Abolition”, 6 August, live-streamed globally at 12 PM Eastern Daylight Time 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