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GENEVE, Aug. 18, 2017 /
Christian Newswire/ -- After a van plowed through a crowd in a popular tourist area of Barcelona, Spain, on 17 August, World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit called for an end to attacks on innocent people and a unified voice of justice and peace across the world.
At least 13 people are dead and 100 more injured in Barcelona, according to government reports.
"We must stand together in the face of terror attacks that we can’t understand or predict," Tveit said. "We know we live in a dangerous time. What we can be sure of, is that the God of life wants us all to enjoy the fullness of life equally."
Tveit expressed condolences to those who lost loved ones, those struggling with injuries, and responders who are still treating people at the traumatic scene.
"We extend our prayers to all who are coping with feelings of grief and fear," continued Tveit. "In these very painful times, we all must be neighbors to each other, neighbors whose sense of hope can grow stronger together."
WCC member churches in SpainThe World Council of Churches promotes Christian unity in faith, witness and service for a just and peaceful world. An ecumenical fellowship of churches founded in 1948, today the WCC brings together 348 Protestant, Orthodox, Anglican and other churches representing more than 550 million Christians in over 120 countries, and works cooperatively with the Roman Catholic Church. The WCC general secretary is the Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit, from the [Lutheran] Church of Norway.
