GENEVA, JUNE 19 2015(CISA)-The World Council of Churches (WCC) has welcomed Pope Francis’ encyclical “Laudato Si”, released on June 18.
In a statement sent to CISA, Rev Dr Olav Fykse Tveit, General Secretary of WCC said that churches would support those who are ready to make the required changes to care for nature.
“This is the time to focus on our shared responsibility as human beings, and the way we as churches should support those who are ready to make the required changes,” said Rev Tveit.
“This encyclical proves to all that these are matters at the heart of our Christian faith, and that we as Christians should address them as churches together all people who care for our common future as issues of justice and peace,” he added.
Rev Tveit also stressed the positive recognition to “other churches and Christian communities (that) have had a deep concern and a precious reflection” (paragraph 7), especially the references to H.H. Patriarch Bartholomew.
The WCC executive leader echoed the Pope’s affirmation on the need for dialogue between politics and economy (189-198) and religion and science (199-201) which constitute a sine qua non condition for responding effectively to the ecological crisis.
