Churches grieve Germanwings tragedy

24 March, 2015

Press Release No: 15/11
24 March 2015
Brussels

The Conference of European Churches receives with grief the news of a serious plane accident in the French Alps. Earlier today, Germanwings flight 4U 9525 crashed in mountainous southern France while en route to Düsseldorf from Barcelona. Officials fear that all 144 passengers and six crew have been lost.

On this tragic day for the friends and family of those aboard flight 4U 9525, CEC expresses its deepest sympathies. “We pray for the presence of God’s comforting peace in the coming days and months for all those who have been touched by this unforeseen tragedy,” remarked CEC General Secretary Guy Liagre.

On this same day, members of the Conference of European Churches Governing Board meet in Brussels to focus on upcoming programmatic work. “Here we gather from all corners of Europe, from across church traditions and cultures. We are drawn closer together in our common sorrow for this loss of life in France today,” Liagre reflected. The board will remember the victims in their evening prayers.

The World Council of Churches joins the Conference of European Churches Governing Board’s word of sympathy and mourning, said the general secretary Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit. He added “We call for prayer for all the victims and their families in this tragedy. Let us also remember the team working with the victims and support their families these days.”

For more information or an interview, please contact:

Erin Green
Communication Coordinator
Conference of European Churches

Rue Joseph II, 174 B-1000 Bruxelles
Tel. +32 2 234 68 42
Fax +32 2 231 14 13
E-mail: eeg@cec-kek.be
Website: www.ceceurope.org
Facebook: www.facebook.com/ceceurope
Twitter: @ceceurope

The Conference of European Churches (CEC) is a fellowship of some 114 Orthodox, Protestant, Anglican and Old Catholic Churches from all countries of Europe, plus 40 national council of churches and organisations in partnership. CEC was founded in 1959. It has offices in Brussels and Strasbourg.

The 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, by the end of 2013 the WCC had 345 member churches representing more than 500 million Christians from Protestant, Orthodox, Anglican and other traditions in over 140 countries. The WCC works cooperatively with the Roman Catholic Church. The WCC general secretary is the Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit, from the [Lutheran] Church of Norway.
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