Worldwide Faith News (press release), NY –

WCC NEWS: WCC executive committee to meet in Armenia

>From "WCC Media" <Media@wcc-coe.org>
Date Fri, 21 Sep 2007 16:41:45 +0200

World Council of Churches – News Release

Contact: +41 22 791 6153 +41 79 507 6363
media@wcc-coe.org For immediate release – 21/09/2007
12:46:37 PM

WCC EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE TO MEET IN ARMENIA

An exposure visit hosted by the Armenian Apostolic Church (Holy See of
Etchmiadzin), which includes a commemoration at the Armenian Genocide
Memorial Complex near the capital city of Yerevan, will precede the
25-28 September meeting of the World Council of Churches (WCC)
executive committee taking place in Etchmiadzin, Armenia. The WCC
general secretary Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia will visit the Etchmiadzin see
of the Armenian Apostolic Church from 21-24 September. He will meet
the Catholicos of All Armenians, Supreme Patriarch Karekin II, and
representatives of partner ecumenical organizations in the
country. Visits to St. Gregory the Illuminator Cathedral in Yerevan,
where he will attend the divine liturgy (worship service), as well as
to other churches and monasteries, a seminary and a youth centre are
also on the schedule.

The WCC central committee moderator, Rev. Dr Walter Altmann will join
the visit on Saturday, 22 September.More members of the WCC executive
committee will be joining on Sunday, 23 September. On Tuesday, 25
September the WCC representatives will visit the Tsisernakaberd
Genocide Memorial to express solidarity with the victims, churches and
people of Armenia. The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams –
also currently visiting Armenia – has announced his participation at
this event, too.

During its meeting, the WCC executive committee will consider public
statements regarding the 10th anniversary of the Kyoto protocol, the
situation in Iraq as well as the relationships between Iran and the
US. The agenda of the upcoming meeting of the WCC central committee –
which is to take place in Geneva from 13-20 February 2008 – will be
discussed, as well as issues of membership, finances, programmes and
an evaluation of the Council’s governing bodies work. A report on the
ongoing discussions regarding an "expanded assembly" will also be on
the committee’s agenda, as well as a report on the participation of
churches in development and advocacy work.

The WCC has in many opportunities advocated for public recognition of
the tragic massacre of one-and-a-half million Armenians in Turkey and
the deportation of another million from their homeland between 1915
and 1917. The most recent occasion was in February 2005, when the WCC
central committee recommended to the Council member churches to
commemorate the 90th anniversary of the Armenian genocide in April
that year.

In its recommendation, the WCC governing body stressed "the need for
public recognition of the Armenian genocide and the necessity of
Turkey to deal with this dark part of its history". From a Christian
perspective, "the path towards justice and reconciliation requires the
recognition of the crime committed as a sine qua noncondition for the
healing of memories and the possibility of forgiveness", the committee
stated.

Media contact in Armenia:

Father Hovakim +374-91-21-4942 inter@etchmiadzin.am

Armenian Apostolic Church (Holy See of Etchmiadzin):

Arme nian Genocide Museum and Institute:

Additional information:Juan Michel,+41 22 791 6153 +41
79 507 6363media@wcc-coe.org

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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
347 Protestant, Orthodox, Anglican and other churches representing
more than 560 million Christians in over 110 countries, and works
cooperatively with the Roman Catholic Church. The WCC general
secretary is Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia, from the Methodist Church in Kenya.
Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland.