WCC NEWS: Arabic edition of “Toward a Common Date for Easter” now available

An Arabic edition of the World Council of Churches Faith and Order Paper No. 241, “Toward a Common Date for Easter,” is newly available from the Middle East Council of Churches.  Photo: Albin Hillert/WCC 16 January 2026 The paper was published as an encouragement to churches and Christians to work with one another in their own contexts for a common celebration of Easter. The publication contains four contributions from different church traditions on the search for a way to celebrate Easter on a common date every year. Link to the publication 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: Middle East Council of Churches sets annual day to pray and educate about abducted people

The Middle East Council of Churches announced that the 22 April each year—the day of the kidnapping of the two Archbishops of Aleppo, Metropolitan Boulos Yaziji and Metropolitan Gregorios Youhanna Ibrahim— will be named “The Ecumenical Day for the Abducted and the Forcibly Absented.” Photo: Paul Jeffrey/Life on Earth pictures 25 April 2023 The day will become part of the Middle East Council of Church’s work calendar, and the theme will carry through its projects in the field of awareness and advocacy, and within the programs for the Rehabilitation of Social Capital and Human Dignity. Middle East Council of Churches teams will start related specialized programs at various levels, partnering with ecclesiastical, civil, and international organizations. The Middle East Council of Churches will also hold a specialized symposium on the issue of Abduction and Forced Absence every year on the same date. In addition, the Middle East Council of Churches will launch research projects on the theme, in coordination with universities and specialized research centers in the Middle East, leading to awareness programs and public conferences on the phenomenon of abduction and forced absence. 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