World Council of Churches - News Release
Contact: + 41 22 791 6153 +41 79 507 6363 media@wcc-coe.org

For immediate release: 7 July 2005


After bombing WCC sends message to UK churches and people


Expressing solidarity with the victims of today's bomb blasts in London, and total rejection of violent actions, World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia sent the following message to the churches and the people of the United Kingdom:

"The news, images and stories of the terrorist attacks against civilians in London this morning filled my heart with sadness and concern.

I convey my condolences to the relatives and friends of those who were killed and express solidarity with the victims of these attacks. We pray to the Lord for peace and hope for all of them and for the inhabitants of London and the United Kingdom, who feel their lives to be in danger after these terrible events.

As Christians, we re-affirm our opposition to any form of violence. This radical rejection of violence has led the ecumenical movement to promote the "Decade to overcome violence: Churches seeking reconciliation and peace (2001 - 2010)". Peace is the only way to achieve justice for all. When, as it seems on this occasion, violence is deliberately targeting civilians and willing to create terror in the population, it could be described as a crime against humanity. There is nothing that can justify the killing of innocent people anywhere.

This kind of event is a call to all of us, churches, other religious organizations and the whole of humanity to strengthen our commitment to building a just and peaceful world where all human beings may feel secure and safe in their homes, in their cities and communities.

May "the God of all consolation, who consoles us in all our affliction" (2 Cor 1:4) be with all those who suffer at this moment."

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

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 349 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..