14 febrero 2007

A festive ecumenical celebration presided by the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I will take place at Geneva's St. Pierre Cathedral on Sunday, 17 February, at 16:00, to mark the 60th anniversary of the World Council of Churches (WCC).

Bartholomew I, who heads the Patriarchate of Constantinople, is also widely recognized as spiritual leader of the world's 300 million Orthodox. The celebration takes place in the context of the 13-20 February meeting of the WCC central committee in Geneva, whose 150 members will be in attendance. Other church representatives are also expected to participate.

Members of the media are welcome to cover the celebration and to submit interview requests; please contact the WCC media relations staff in advance.

Since its foundation in Amsterdam in 1948, the World Council of Churches has been the churches' primary instrument to promote the search for Christian unity and to foster common witness and service. Today it has a worldwide fellowship of 349 member churches.

The central committee is the WCC's highest governing body in the interval between assemblies, and meets every 18 months. It is responsible for executing Assembly resolutions, reviewing WCC programmes, monitoring their implementation, and approving WCC budget plans.

More information about the WCC central committee meeting is available at: http://www.oikoumene.org/en/events-sections/cc2008.html.

More information about the WCC's 60th anniversary is available at: http://www.oikoumene.org/?id=4246.

World Council of Churches