Youth delegates prepare for WCC assembly; Today’s Press Coverage – More comment and reports on Pakistan Church Bombing; violence against Christians in Egypt; Pope Benedict XVI denies cover-up
Youth delegates prepare for WCC assembly
As part of the preparations for the upcoming World Council of Churches (WCC) assembly in Korea, young delegates to the event recently got together in Geneva to strategize on making youth contributions to the assembly and to the WCC youth programme more meaningful – envisioning a “youth pilgrimage for justice and peace”.
These young delegates to the WCC assembly met in Geneva, Switzerland, from 18 to 20 September. They will be representing their churches at the 10th Assembly of the WCC, set to take place from 30 October to 8 November in Busan, Republic of Korea. The theme of the assembly is “God of life, lead us to justice and peace.”
“We as a fellowship of young Christians are empowered by God to advocate, build bridges and participate in decision-making within the ecumenical movement,” affirmed the young delegates.
At the meeting, participants discussed trends impacting the lives of young people in churches and communities world-wide. They shared their perspectives and views about the role of the WCC’s youth programme in engaging young adults in work for justice and peace, a focus of the WCC assembly.
Participants reflected on how young people can extend their engagement on issues such as reconciliation, eco-justice and migration. These issues, they observed, will be the focus of various activities such as thematic webinars and online discussions leading up to the assembly.
At the meeting preparations for the Youth Pre-Assembly were finalized. The Youth Pre-Assembly will take place from 28 to 29 October in Busan, providing a vision for post-assembly youth work at the WCC.
Today’s Press Coverage
More comment and reports on Pakistan Church Bombing
Times – “ Why no Anger at the massacre of Christians ? We picture ourselves at Kenya’s shopping mall but greater outrages fail to move us”
http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/opinion/article3878274.ece
Independent – Pakistan’s Christian community protests to demand protection from the government in the wake of an attack on a church in Peshawar that left 85 people dead.
Spectator – Comment on the violence against Christians in Egypt and the extinction of Christianity and other minority faiths in the Middle East
Former Pope Benedict XVI has written to the atheist editor or newspaper La Republica, to deny covering up abuse by priests while he was head of the congregation for the Doctrine of the faith, and to defend the Catholic Church, and describes Richard Dawkins’ work as “science fiction.”