wfn.org | World church bodies appeal for cessation of armed conflicts

[FRANK_IMHOFF.parti@ecunet.org (FRANK IMHOFF)]

"We pray this Easter for those whose lives are shattered by war"

GENEVA, 31 March 1999 (lwi)   International church bodies have called
for a cessation of armed conflicts around the world today, and
appealed to Christians during this Easter season to join their hearts
and spirits in a prayer "that the bombings may cease and that the
guns may fall silent."

In a joint Easter appeal which was also sent to their respective
constituencies, the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) General Secretary
Ishmael Noko, World Council of Churches (WCC) General Secretary
Konrad Raiser, Conference of European Churches (CEC) General
Secretary Keith Clements, Anglican Consultative Council (ACC)
Secretary General John L. Peterson,  Baptist World Alliance (BWA)
General Secretary Denton Lotz, World Alliance of Reformed Churches
(WARC) General Secretary Milan Opocensky, and World Methodist Council
(WMC) General Secretary Joe Hale, lament the failure of imagination,
collective will and human spirit made manifest in the incapacity to
address the causes of conflict such as the Kosovo one through
peaceful means.

The text of the joint Easter appeal follows:

     EASTER APPEAL FOR A CESSATION OF ARMED CONFLICTS

In this season of Easter, Christians around the world share the
profound pain of all those caught up in tragedies such as Kosovo. Our
hearts go out to all those who are suffering the terrible
consequences of the violence being inflicted on God's children in
this region and in many other parts of the world. We lament the
failure of imagination, collective will and human spirit made
manifest in the incapacity to address the causes of conflict through
peaceful means. As we remember again the sacrifice of Jesus Christ,
the one proclaimed by the prophets as the Messiah, the Prince of
Peace, our hearts are heavy for we recognize that we have not yet
been able to overcome our inclination to turn to the sword in moments
of doubt and fear.

Kosovo is but one of the many conflicts around the world today where
people take up arms against one another out of fear, hate, greed or
hopelessness. Many of these wars are largely hidden from the view of
the wider world, and some of them have claimed an even more terrible
toll than is now being inflicted in the Balkans. So we pray this
Easter for all of those in Yugoslavia and elsewhere whose lives are
shattered by war.

Leaders of Christian churches in both East and West, and leaders of
other religious faiths have appealed in recent days for a cessation
of such acts of violence and for the settlement of conflict by
negotiation. Regrettably, such voices have not yet been heard over
the clamour of charges and countercharges, and the roar of bombs,
land mines and guns.

One of these leaders, His All Holiness The Ecumenical Patriarch
Bartholomew, has summarized many of these sentiments in his appeal of
29 March 1999, saying,

    In the name of God who loves humankind, in the name of the human
  race, in the name of civilization, at this season of the religious
  feast of the Muslims, the Easter of Roman Catholics and
  Protestants, the Passover of the Jews and the Pascha of the
  Orthodox, on bended knees (I) fervently appeal from the tormented
  depths of my heart to all world government leaders, to military
  commanders and to those who bear arms throughout the world, that
  they cease fire immediately and permanently.  We beseech them to
  use mutual understanding and mutual concession to resolve
  peacefully their regional, international and worldwide disputes,
  in order that the God of peace and mercy might bless them and all
  people.

In this same spirit, we appeal to Christians around the world in
these high holy days to join their hearts and spirits in this prayer
that the bombings may cease and that the guns may fall silent. May
the Spirit descend among us and inspire in us the courage to
sacrifice our individual wills in order that the peace of the Risen
Christ may prevail.

Ishmael Noko
General Secretary
31 March 1999

This appeal is also signed by:

Konrad Raiser, General Secretary, World Council of Churches
Keith Clements, General Secretary, Conference of European Churches
John L. Peterson, Secretary General, Anglican Consultative Council
Denton Lotz, General Secretary, Baptist World Alliance
Milan Opocensky, General Secretary, World Alliance of Reformed
Churches
Joe Hale, General Secretary, World Methodist Council

and sent by the above organizations to their constituencies

*       *       *
Lutheran World Information
Assistant Editor, English: Pauline Mumia
E-mail: pmu@lutheranworld.org
http://www.lutheranworld.org/