WCC News: On second anniversary of 7 October 2023, WCC extends prayerful remembrance

On the second anniversary of the 7 October 2023 attacks, World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay expressed deep sorrow and joined in prayerful remembrance for all those who have suffered the consequences of that day and of the devastating war that has followed. 24 August 2025, Uppsala, Sweden: Candles lit ahead of an ecumenical prayer service in Uppsala Cathedral under the theme ’Time for God’s Peace’ – drawing together church leaders and congregants from around the globe in fellowship and prayer – celebrated on the 100th anniversary of the Universal Christian Conference on Life and Work. Photo: Albin Hillert/WCC/CCS 07 October 2025 “The WCC unequivocally condemns the attacks against civilians and communities carried out by Hamas and other armed groups on 7 October 2023, which constitute crimes against humanity and violations of fundamental morality,” he said. “We continue to pray for the victims, the survivors, and those who remain in captivity.” Two years on, Pillay said, the world witnesses a human catastrophe in Gaza of unprecedented scale.  “Tens of thousands of civilians—most of them women and children—have been killed, and almost the entire population has been displaced amid famine, disease, and destruction,” he said. “The WCC condemns the collective punishment by Israel of a civilian population, in violation of international law and moral conscience.” Pillay affirmed that the tragic cycle of violence will not be broken without addressing its underlying causes. “Decades of occupation, blockade, and systemic inequality have perpetuated insecurity and eroded hope for a just peace,” he said. “A sustainable future for both Palestinians and Israelis depends on upholding international law, ensuring equal rights and dignity for all, and advancing a genuine political process grounded in justice and mutual recognition.” Pillay noted the recently presented peace plan for Gaza under the auspices of the United States and Israel. “We welcome elements that aim at ending hostilities, enabling humanitarian relief and reconstruction, affirming the right of the people of Gaza to remain on their land, and the release of hostages and prisoners,” he said. “Yet for this plan to offer true hope, it must ensure the meaningful participation of Palestinians in determining their own future, guarantee the protection of civilians, and open a genuine political horizon towards a in which Palestinians and Israelis can live in peace, dignity and mutual security.” WCC Statement on the Second Anniversary of 7 October 2023 and the Urgent Search for a Just Peace in Palestine and Israel 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: With prayer vigil, churches in Geneva stand in solidarity with the Holy Land

Leaders of English-speaking churches in Geneva held a prayer vigil on 27 May at Emmanuel Episcopal Church, with money donated going towards supporting the work of Al-Ahli Hospital in Gaza. Cross pictured at the Emmanuel Episcopal Church, Geneva. Photo: Albin Hillert/WCC 28 May 2025 In a letter. the church leaders expressed their continued dismay at the horrors unfolding in Gaza, the West Bank, and other territories in the Holy Land. “The credible reports of starvation are deeply concerning,” the letter reads. “The UN estimates that well over 50 percent of the dead are non-combatant women and children.”  The church leaders reaffirmed that all people are created in the image of God.  “As has been widely reported, the Israeli Defense Forces have twice bombed Al-Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza, and in 2024 forcibly closed the hospital during intense bombardment, depriving Palestinians of a critical source of medical care in the midst of war,” the letter reads. “Al-Ahli Hospital is a ministry of the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem, a sister Anglican church to us.” The letter expresses support for the international organisations based in Geneva, many employees of which worship in Geneva’s churches. “We recognise that the United Nations institutions do their best to alleviate the suffering of the people in Gaza,” reads the letter. “We welcome the fact that some aid is finally getting in but we call for aid to be provided in full under the aegis of the UN.” A vigil was held at Emmanuel Episcopal Church in Geneva on 27 May. Photo: courtesy of Emmanuel Episcopal Church Al Ahli Arab Hospital (Ahli) is the only Christian-operated hospital left in Gaza. As of April 2025, it was still receiving some 20,000 patients each month in what’s left of the hospital building as well as outposts set up in buildings nearby.  The hospital works through 110 staff plus volunteers. In a separate statement released on 22 May by the Protestant Church of Geneva on the situation in Gaza, churches noted that the Holy Land holds their spiritual roots.  “To the bombardments causing tens of thousands of civilian casualties, the destruction of homes and vital infrastructure, the detention of prisoners and hostages, the murders and other crimes, we now add the blocking of humanitarian aid and the threat of the deportation of the population of Gaza,” reads the message, which calls for every effort to be made to ensure that humanitarian aid is allowed into Gaza unconditionally, and that the civilian population is protected. 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