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A press conference will take place today
at 7.00pm at the Notre Dame Hotel with representatives from the World
Council of Churches (WCC) who have been in Jerusalem on a two day
pastoral visit.
The WCC in Jerusalem have been hosting a three-member ecumenical
delegation composed of representatives of the Conference of European
Churches (CEC), the Catholic Bishops' Conference of France, and the
World Council of Churches (WCC).
The delegation spent two days in Beirut, before arriving in Jerusalem
early Sunday. During their visit, they have met with:
• Heads of Local Churches in Jerusalem
• Chief Rabbi (Ashkenazi), Rabbi Yona Metzger
• Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas
• Chief of Judges Sheikh Tamimi
• Representatives of Israeli and Palestinian civil society groups
While in Beirut, the delegates met with
religious and political leaders, including Prime Minister Mr. Fuad El-Sanioura,
visited areas affected by the bombings and worshipped with Lebanese
Christians.
The delegation has been sent by the World Council of Churches in Geneva
with the aim of listening to a range of perspectives concerning the
current crisis, looking at ways forward and expressing solidarity with
all peoples across the region affected by the conflict.
The members of the delegation are: CEC President Rev. Jean-Arnold de
Clermont, the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Tours (France) Mgr. Bernard
Aubertin, and WCC programme executive on racism, Ms Marilia
Alves-Schüller.
ENDS
Background information:
On 3 August, WCC general secretary, Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia, addressed an
appeal to the international community to "do whatever is possible to
stop the bombings, negotiate a cease-fire and a comprehensive peace
settlement" in Lebanon to "the leaders of the international community,
especially to those from the United States, Israel and the United
Kingdom".
The full text of all WCC statements on the Middle East can be found at:
http://wcc-coe.org/wcc/press_corner/index-e.html
The Conference of European Churches (CEC) is a fellowship of 126
Orthodox, Protestant, and Old Catholic Churches along with 43 associated
organisations from all countries on the European continent. CEC was
founded in 1959 and has offices in Geneva, Brussels and Strasbourg.
Together, the churches work to promote the unity of the church and to
present a common Christian witness to the people and institutions of
Europe. For information, go to: www.cec-kek.org
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