WCC Central Committee Meets
Diocesan Press Service. September 14, 1967 [57-3]
The Central Committee of the World Council of Churches, which met in Heraklion, Crete, during August commended the growing cooperation between the WCC and the Roman Catholic Church.
Areas of cooperation specifically mentioned were religious liberty, an annual prayer for Christian Unity, plans for joint efforts toward international social justice and economic development.
Plan for three important WCC consultations involving Roman Catholic participation were approved: Theological Issues in Church and Society; Problem of humanization in Society - a dialogue of Christians and Marxists; and International Economic Development - a dialogue with businessmen.
After hearing a review of international tension areas today, the Central Committee called for guarantees to assure free access to holy places in the Middle East, stated that no nation should be allowed to keep or annex the territory of another by force and asked that the period during which refugees may apply to return to their homes on the west bank of the Jordan be extended.
The Central Committee also called for an end to the United States' bombing of North Vietnam, and asked that both North and South Vietnam show a readiness to negotiate.
Also of grave concern to the Central Committee was the continuing injustice under which racial and ethnic groups suffer and the increasing organized or spontaneous violence. It requested each member church to examine its own life and its contribution to bringing about an end to injustice; to re-examine their priorities of program and budget and to bring to the attention of government the need for increased programs to eliminate discrimination and poverty.
In a resolution on Nigeria, the Central Committee called for mediation to halt the "deterioration" of the present situation and for an end to the current arms race.
Also considered were plans for the Fourth Assembly of the WCC to be held in Uppsala, Sweden next July.
Eleven applications for membership in the WCC were approved.