wfn.org | LWF's Noko, Palestinian Bishop to Participate in Assisi Prayer for

["Frank Imhoff" <FRANKI@elca.org>]

Peace
LWF General Secretary, Palestinian Bishop to Participate in Assisi
Prayer for Peace
Plea for End to Hostilities Worldwide

GENEVA, 17 January 2002 (LWI) - The General Secretary of the
Lutheran World Federation (LWF), Rev. Dr. Ishmael Noko accompanied
by Bishop Munib A. Younan of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in
Jordan (ELCJ) will represent the Federation at the Day of Prayer
for Peace in the World called by Pope John Paul II in Assisi,
Italy, January 24.

Noko and Younan will be among representatives of Christian
churches, Buddhism, Hinduism, Judaism, traditional African
religions and the Muslim world invited by the Roman Catholic
pontiff to pray for an end to hostilities, and the advancement of
true peace, taking into account the prevailing tension after the
September 11 terrorist attacks on the United States of America.
The ELCJ, an LWF member church since 1974, has congregations in
Jerusalem, Jordan and Palestine.

This is the second time that the current Roman Catholic pontiff
will host representatives of faith communities in a day of prayer
for peace worldwide. On 27 October 1986, some 150 leaders of the
world's religions, including then LWF General Secretary Gunnar
Staalsett and vice-president, Ms. Susannah Telewoda from Liberia,
prayed, marched and fasted, for nine hours, for global peace in
Assisi. In addition, more than 20 governments and guerrilla groups
in 12 countries pledged to honor the pope's request for a one-day
truce.

This year's celebrations will be held one day before the
conclusion of the annual Week of Prayer for Christian Unity
scheduled for January 18-25. The one-day event will have three
phases: witness to peace, a presentation of brief speeches of
witness to the cause of peace by invited religious leaders; prayer
in designated places including gathering together for an agape
(feast) and the proclamation of a shared commitment to peace.

(The LWF is a global communion of Christian churches in the
Lutheran tradition. Founded in 1947 in Lund (Sweden), the LWF now
has 133 member churches in 73 countries representing over 60.5
million of the 64.3 million Lutherans worldwide. The LWF acts on
behalf of its member churches in areas of common interest such as
ecumenical relations, theology, humanitarian assistance, human
rights, communication, and the various aspects of mission and
development work. Its secretariat is located in Geneva,
Switzerland.)

[Lutheran World Information (LWI) is the information service of
the Lutheran World Federation (LWF). Unless specifically noted,
material presented does not represent positions or opinions of the
LWF or of its various units. Where the dateline of an article
contains the notation (LWI), the material may be freely reproduced
with acknowledgment.]

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