World Council of Churches -
News Release
Contact: + 41 22 791 6153 +41 79 507 6363
media@wcc-coe.org
For immediate release:
22 January 2010
WCC congratulates newly elected Serbian Orthodox Patriarch Irinej
In a congratulatory letter to Bishop Irinej (Gavrilovic) of Nis, who was elected patriarch by the
holy assembly of bishops
of the Serbian Orthodox Church on Friday, 22 January, the general secretary of the World Council of Churches (WCC) Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit expressed "
extraordinary joy" at the news of the election.
"On behalf of the entire fellowship of the WCC member churches, in their deep commitment to make our unity in Christ visible, please accept, Your Eminence, our warmest congratulations and assurance of prayer that God will continue to bless the Serbian Orthodox Church through your leadership," Tveit wrote.
Full text of the letter:
http://www.oikoumene.org/?id=7515
More information on the Serbian Orthodox Church:
http://www.oikoumene.org/?id=4858
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 Olav Fykse Tveit, from the [Lutheran] Church of Norway. Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland.
