WCC NEWS: WCC prayer mourns those lost to traffic accidents

A day after World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims, and a day before World Toilet Day, the World Council of Churches (WCC) morning prayer on 18 November mourned those lost to traffic accidents, and also called for addressing the global sanitation crisis. Photo: Ivars Kupcis/WCC 19 November 2024 With the Ecumenical Prayer Cycle, the WCC also prayed for the people and churches of East Timor (Timor Leste), Indonesia, and the Philippines. World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims is commemorated on the third Sunday of November each year. More than 1.19 million people die each year as a result of road traffic crashes, and road traffic injuries are the leading cause of death for children and young adults ages 5–29 years. In a reflection, Rev. Sally N S Neparassi, from the Protestant Church in Western Indonesia (Gereja Protestan di Indonesia bagian Barat), observed that suffering and death—including from traffic accidents are unfortunately social norms. “These days, suffering and death are to be experienced by many people in many places—including as a result of traffic accidents,” she said. “Traffic accidents worldwide are caused by complex factors.” The suffering is also endured by families, colleagues, and even communities who lose their loved ones, and are left with no choice but to mourn the tragic death forever, she said. “On October 26, 2024, three weeks ago, my church lost a faithful and diligent servant,” she said. “This lovely soul was just ordained in March this year and ministered at a local church in a small village.” She was the victim of a traffic accident.  “Whether we like it or not, whether we are ready or not, suffering and death are inevitable parts of human life. yet we have the power to prevent premature and early death due to carelessness and systems failure,” said Neparassi “For example, by encouraging local governments to enforce traffic safety regulations and to build good, safe roads for comfortable and safe driving,” she said. "We are motivated to have courage in responding.” World Toilet Day will be observed 19 November under the theme “Toilets – A Place for Peace.” More than 3.5 billion people still live without safely managed sanitation, including 419 million who practise open defecation. Unsafe water, sanitation and hygiene are responsible for the deaths of around 1,000 children under five every day. Conflict, climate change, disasters, and neglect contribute to this unacceptable situation.  The WCC prayed: “Hasten us, Lord, to ensure faster action to improve and protect people's access to sanitation, which is critical to building a fairer, more peaceful world. We commit to ensuring that toilets are accessible to all people as an essential place for peace, protection, progress and wellbeing.” 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