News

Cf. WCC Press Release PR-03-17, of 9 May 2003

Cf. WCC Press Updates UP-03-22 and UP-03-23, of 13 and 16 May 2003

The World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Dr Konrad Raiser invited people to propose possible themes for the Council's upcoming ninth assembly, to take place in Porto Alegre in February 2006.

Raiser issued the invitation towards the end of an 11-17 May visit to Brazil. "The theme of the assembly should be relevant for Latin America and for Brazilian churches," he said.

Suggested themes should be sent to the WCC general secretary in Geneva, Switzerland, by 10 August. Two weeks later, the WCC's central committee will take a final decision on this, and other...

Cf. WCC Press Release PR-03-17, of 9 May 2003

Cf. WCC Press Update UP-03-22, of 13 May 2003

The Brazilian Roman Catholic Church is not a member of the World Council of Churches (WCC). But it has pledged its full support for the WCC's upcoming ninth assembly, slated to take place in Porto Alegre in February 2006.

The pledge was made by Dom Sinésio Bohn, the Catholic bishop of the diocese of Santa Cruz do Sul, at a meeting with WCC general secretary Rev. Dr Konrad Raiser. Raiser is currently in Brazil visiting the city where the assembly will be held, and met with Bohn and representatives of WCC member churches.

Bohn was formerly responsible for ecumenism in the Brazilian Bishops'...

Cf. WCC Press Release PR-03-17, of 9 May 2003

The president of Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, has already been invited to the next assembly of the World Council of Churches (WCC), which will take place in February 2006 in Porto Alegre. The WCC general secretary, Rev. Dr Konrad Raiser, extended this invitation during a meeting in Brasilia on 12 May 2003.

"I should still be head of the government at that time; I hope I shall still be worthy of the invitation", said the Brazilian president, mindful of the fact that politics is a slippery area where critical support offered today may prove to be an embarrassment in the future.

For the time being, Lula seems certain to be a welcome guest...

The Ninth Assembly of the World Council of Churches (WCC) will be in Porto Alegre, Brazil, in 2006, the Central Committee decided Monday (2 September).

The delegates made their decision by paper ballot after a recommending committee split three ways on possible venues. Churches in Korea and Cyprus also invited the Council to hold its assembly in Seoul and Nicosia.

According to the Rev. Inamar Corrêa de Souza (Episcopal Anglican Church of Brazil), the churches of Porto Alegre have a strong ecumenical commitment and work closely with the Roman Catholic Church and Pentecostals.

The invitation to Porto Alegre came from the National Council of Churches in Brazil (CONIC) in Brasilia. ...