Catholic Church participates in WCC Central Committee Meeting in Johannesburg

The Central Committee of the World Council of Churches (WCC) held its second meeting since the 11th Assembly (2022) in Johannesburg, South Africa, from 18 to 24 June 2025. The gathering brought together over 150 committee members, along with more than 100 advisors, observers, and guests from across the global ecumenical movement.

Monsignor Andrzej Choromanski, a staff member of the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity (DPCU) responsible for multilateral relations, represented the Catholic Church in the capacity of adviser. The meeting was also attended by Bishop Sithembele Sipuka, Bishop of Mthatha and the first Catholic president of the South African Council of Churches (SACC).

The WCC Central Committee, which functions as the Council’s highest governing body between assemblies, meets every two years to implement assembly mandates, oversee programs, and manage the WCC’s budget.

The meeting also marked the formal reception of four new member churches, bringing the WCC’s membership to 355 churches across more than 120 countries, representing over 500 million Christians from Orthodox, Anglican, Protestant, and other Christian traditions.

This year’s meeting held special significance as it took place during the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea (325–2025). The occasion provided an opportunity to affirm the Nicene Creed as a foundational expression of the Apostolic faith and a symbol of Christian unity.

Although the Catholic Church is not a full member of the WCC, it has maintained a close relationship since the Second Vatican Council—particularly through the Joint Working Group established in 1965, active participation in various WCC commissions, programs, and events, and the regular participation of Catholic representatives at Central Committee meetings, the most recent of which was held in June 2023 in Geneva, Switzerland.

_{Photo: WCC}