Metropolitan Gabriel of Nea Ionia, Philadelphia, Heraklion and Chalcedon attended the proceedings of the Central Committee of the World Council of Churches (WCC), held at the World Council Center in the city of Geneva from 21 to 28 June 2023.
The meeting of the Central Committee, which coincided with the celebration of the 75th anniversary of both the signing of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the founding of the World Council of Churches, was the first full session of the members of the World Council of Churches, following the 11th Assembly held in Karlsruhe, Germany in May 2022 and attended by a total of 150 members-representatives from both the local autocephalous Orthodox Churches and Christian denominations from around the world.
Metropolitan Gabriel was elected chairman of the Public Issues Committee, an election of great honor for our Church, which dealt with various matters and made important decisions on complex and extremely serious issues concerning the global community, such as the war in Ukraine, artificial intelligence, climate change, justice and peace in the Middle East, the genocide of Syrian-Armenians, etc.
An important event was the honorary presence of Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew at the opening of the Conference, who gave a speech, referring both to the multifaceted role and the much-needed work of the WCC today, as well as to the critical and unprecedented challenges facing humanity today.
Photos: Metropolis of Nea Ionia
