RAMALLAH, Thursday, President Mahmoud Abbas today formally received World Council of Churches (WCC) acting General Secretary Ioan Sauca along with the accompanying delegation at the presidential headquarters in the occupied West Bank city of Ramallah.

During their meeting, President Abbas briefed WCC’s acting General Secretary Sauca on the latest political developments on the Palestinian arena and the difficult conditions in which the Palestinian people lived under Israeli occupation.

He expressed appreciation of WCC’s positions in support of bringing a just and lasting peace based on international law and ongoing support for the Palestinian people, particularly Christian presence, while pointing that Christian presence is an integral part of the Palestinian society, which cherishes the values of coexistence, love and fraternity among followers of all faiths.

He conveyed his best wishes to Palestinian Christians of all denominations for the upcoming Christmas season, hoping that peace would ultimately prevail through ending the Israeli occupation of the territories of the State of Palestine and the establishment of an independent Palestinian State, with East Jerusalem as its capital.

Sauca, underscoring the President’s reflections, said that the role of churches is to give witness to the world and work for justice and peace. He described the WCC’s peace and reconciliation initiatives in the Middle East and beyond.

Sauca noted: “We believe peace can be achieved only together with the other. We are called as a fellowship of churches to support the process of just peace.”

He added: “We believe and see that the local churches can and do play a role in promoting peace and justice on both sides of the conflict. It is important to strengthen the church and the Christian presence in the area, so that it can be a strong witness of peace,” he added.

Sauca thanked President Abbas on his efforts to bring about peace and stability in the region and worldwide and reiterated WCC’s position on bringing peace for all and helping the Palestinian people realize their freedom and independence within the framework of international law.

Source: Palestine News & Info Agency