National Council of Churches in Australia

Eastern Orthodox Christians prepare to celebrate Easter

Monday, 29 April 2013 15:01

from the National Council of Churches in Australia

Today over 200 million Eastern Orthodox Christians worldwide commence Holy Week as they prepare to celebrate the greatest feast of the Christian calendar - Easter.

Many Orthodox Christians continue to observe the Julian calendar and this year Easter Sunday will be celebrated on May 5. Western Christians observe the newer Gregorian calendar where Easter was celebrated on March 30.

This year in Jerusalem, even though the two dates for Easter are separated by 5 weeks both the Eastern and Western churches will celebrate according to the Orthodox calendar. The Jerusalem Heads of Church agreed last year to celebrate together.

Read more: Eastern Orthodox Christians prepare to celebrate Easter

Churches horrified at the abduction of two archbishops in Syria

Friday, 26 April 2013 13:57

from the National Council of Churches in Australia

The National Council of Churches in Australia (NCCA) and the whole ecumenical community is horrified at the news that two archbishops from Aleppo, Syria were abducted and their driver killed earlier this week.

“Churches around the world are concerned for the safety of Archbishop Mar Gregorius Yohanna Ibrahim, Syriac Orthodox Church and Archbishop Boulos Yazigi, Greek Orthodox Church of Antioch and all the East, who were intercepted by armed men as they travelled from Turkish border areas where they were undertaking humanitarian work.” said Reverend Tara Curlewis, NCCA general secretary.

Read more: Churches horrified at the abduction of two archbishops in Syria

Job’s not done yet in Burma:

Thursday, 18 April 2013 16:58

From Act for Peace, the international aid agency of the National Council of Churches in Australia

Job’s not done yet in Burma: pioneering aid worker Jack Dunford MBE

to send message to Australians on upcoming visit 

Humanitarian and refugee advocate Jack Dunford, who has helped hundreds of thousands of Burmese refugees over the past 30 years, will be in Australia on April 22 and 23 and is available for interview.

Mr Dunford stepped down this year as head of The Border Consortium, which continues to provide food, shelter and other assistance to 130,000 Burmese refugees in Thailand and leads assistance to and research on many thousands displaced people in eastern Burma/Myanmar.

Read more: Job’s not done yet in Burma:

Tensions reach new climax in Egypt

Tuesday, 09 April 2013 09:22

from the National Council of Churches in Australia

Tensions are reaching a new climax in Egypt as Christians are attacked at the St Marks Cathedral in Cairo whilst burying their dead.

Religious tensions in Egypt regularly appear in the news. In recent years attacks have taken place with churches bombed as worshippers attend Christmas services or welcome in the New Year. Coptic clergy are regularly reported missing or arrested and now violent attacks during funeral services.

“The safety of Coptic Christians is of increasing concern” said the Reverend Tara Curlewis, general secretary of the National Council of Churches in Australia (NCCA). “These latest attacks have taken place inside the St Marks Cathedral Complex which also contains the Papal residence of Pope Tawadros II. These attacks strike people when they are most vulnerable and at the place where they should feel safest. Attacking the Cathedral complex is actually attacking the Church and all it stands for.”

Read more: Tensions reach new climax in Egypt