World Christian Leaders Seek Peace in Orissa

(September 3, 2008) International Christian leaders have intervened to ask Indian government to take steps to end violence in the Orissa, where tension continues after a two-week long anti-Christian violence. The World Council of Churches (WCC) and the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) have jointly called on the Prime Minister of India requesting his intervention to end the violence in the state of Orissa. The WCC also invited its member churches to join a call from Christians in India to hold a Day of Prayer and Fasting for peace and goodwill on Sunday, 7 September. In a joint letter issued today, the WCC and LWF general secretaries, Samuel Kobia and Ishmael Noko, called on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to intervene and "ensure an immediate cessation of violence, the restoration of law and justice, and sanctuary for the displaced" in Orissa.The Eastern Indian state has seen "indiscriminate killing, burning of church buildings and destruction of institutions" over the last ten days. "We are aware that it is the most vulnerable sections of the population who are worst affected by the violence," the ecumenical leaders say.Pope Benedict XVI and Vatican officials were the first to urge the world leaders and Indian government to work to end violence soon after it began on Aug.24. Reverend Kobia in a separate pastoral letter expressed the solidarity of the Global Ecumenical Community to the Christians and Churches in the district of Orissa affected by the anti-Christian violence.