CHURCHES CONDEMN SRI LANKA ATTACKS

Churches around the world reacted with shock and sorrow to the Easter Day bombings in Sri Lanka.

The attacks, targeting churches and hotels, killed more than 350 people and injured many more.

The Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, the Rt Rev Susan Brown, said: “That these attacks have been perpetrated on Easter Sunday, the highlight of the Christian year, is devastating to all the churches in Sri Lanka and to Christians around the world.

“For many years we have supported the interfaith peacebuilding and reconciliation work done by the National Christian Council of Sri Lanka. It was a privilege to have the then General Secretary the Rev Ebe Joseph participate in events in Scotland on interfaith dialogue just a few months ago.

“Let us all pray with and for St Andrew’s, Colombo and all those caught up in the bombings, for those injured and for the families of those tragically killed, and for the leaders of Sri Lanka to offer wisdom in their reactions to these terrible events.”

The St Andrew’s congregation was gathering for worship in the centre of Colombo when they heard the bomb go of in the neighbouring hotel. Session Clerk Chandan de Silva, described the mood in the congregation as distraught but steadfast.

“We were close to one of the blasts – Cinnamon Grand – and felt it, although we didn’t know what it was at the time.

“Bill (Locum minister the Rev Bill Davnie, of the Presbyterian Church (USA)) made a very good call by saying that people were free to stay or leave after the service.

“And for those who decided to stay for the Easter brunch we would stand in solidarity with all those who had lost their lives and were injured.”

The general secretary of the World Council of Churches, the Rev Dr Olav Fykse Tveit, said: “As a global fellowship of churches, we stand in special solidarity with the Christians of Sri Lanka who have been attacked in this vicious way while celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ, the pivotal moment in the faith journey for all Christians.

“The targeting of churches in this manner is an attack on religious peace and harmony and on the social and cultural fabric of the nation, which has long struggled to uphold principles of religious harmony and diversity.”

Organisations supporting persecuted Christians said the bombings highlighted the pressure Christianity is under worldwide.

Calling on churches to pray for Sri Lanka, Henrietta Blyth, CEO of Open Doors UK and Ireland, said: “Enough is enough – it is time the world woke up to the fact that persecution is happening every day. Everyone, no matter what their faith, should be free to worship without fear.”

SADNESS AFTER NOTRE DAME FIRE

After a large i re broke out on April 15 at the Notre Dame cathedral, World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary the Rev Dr Olav Fykse Tveit expressed shock over the damage to one the most famous landmarks in Paris, and the seat of the archbishop of Paris.

“We grieve over the incalculable loss as the Notre Dame cathedral burns”, said Tveit, “and we pray for all for whom Notre Dame is and represents a spiritual home, particularly during Holy Week.”

Tveit said he especially remembers a December 4 2015 ecumenical service in which hundreds of people from many nations and confessions, among them pastors, priests, laity, nuns, bishops, archbishops and cardinals, joined in a service for God’s Creation at Notre Dame cathedral in Paris during the United Nations climate conference being held then in the city.

“As we prayed for our common home, the beautiful setting of the cathedral served to draw us even closer together”, recalled Tveit. “As decisions are made about repairing the structure, we will pray for the fire fighters who preserved what they could, for those craftspeople who will be doing the repairs, and for those millions of people for whom the cathedral holds so much meaning.” (WCC)

COURT CASE TRIGGERS PERSECUTION

Turkey’s high-profile criminal case against Protestant pastor Andrew Brunson has triggered a significant increase in public hate speech against the nation’s small Protestant community, creating what its church leaders have called a ‘climate of insecurity’ for its congregations and individual members.

The report said that the Protestants’ 150 congregations watched the US pastor’s case closely ‘with great sadness and concern’, disturbed by the media’s repeated practice of linking churches and individual Christians with terror organisations, without providing any substantiating evidence. (World Watch Monitor)

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