European churches urged to continue working for justice and peace
At its 14th Assembly, the Conference of European Churches (CEC) was praised by Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit, general secretary of the World Council of Churches (WCC) for its contributions to European church unity and its “prevailing vision for justice and peace” in the region and beyond.
Tveit addressed the CEC assembly, currently underway in Budapest, Hungary, under the theme “And Now What Are You Waiting For? CEC and Its Mission in a Changing Europe,” on 3 July.
“The churches together in Europe must continue to care for and affirm the Gospel values of human dignity and human rights given by God our creator,” said Tveit. He said these values are to be affirmed in “our daily ministry and life as churches and Christians in Europe” and “in our advocacy work in the centres of power.”
“The European churches must together seek and ask for new expressions of solidarity, fellowship and love in a Europe experiencing growing economic disparities, rapidly growing secularization, new challenges between peoples on the move, and a much-changed landscape of different faith communities,” he added.
Tveit mentioned other assemblies held this year by regional ecumenical organizations in the Pacific, Latin America and Africa. “These assemblies should strengthen us in our joint pilgrimage, which has unity, justice and peace as its goal, making us ready and able to go to the places and the people where we are most needed,” he said.
Tveit called contributions of the European churches significant for the theme of the WCC’s upcoming assembly, “God of life, lead us to justice and peace.” The WCC assembly will take place in Busan, Republic of Korea, 30 October to 8 November.