World Council of Churches to livestream prayer service for World Week for Peace in Palestine and Israel

The World Council of Churches is holding a special online prayer service as the annual World Week for Peace in Palestine and Israel kicks off.

The week, which started Sunday and runs until 21st September – the International Day of Prayer for Peace, is being run this year under the theme of ‘Creative Solidarity in Common Fragility’.

The WCC said theme “lifts up creative solidarity as a sign of hope that, through the power of prayer and common action, people across the world can make the restoration of peace and justice in the Holy Land both possible and a lived reality or all people of the region”

In a statement in July, Rev Prof Dr Ioan Sauca, interim general secretary of the World Council of Churches, urged people to “pray together for a lasting peace built on justice and dignity for all”.

“All those in the Holy Land deserve the freedom to lead full lives, now more than ever, in these turbulent times…” he said. “May God continue to bless and strengthen our efforts for the mutual flourishing of all through the transformative power of the Gospel.”

The live-streamed prayer service will be held on 14th September between 8.30am-9am (CET), and features contributions by various church representatives from the Middle East including Bishop Hossam Naoum of the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem, the Very Rev Emmanual Awwad, of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem, and Rev Dr Munther Isaac, pastor of the Evangelical Lutheran Christmas Church, Bethlehem.