The pastor Walter Altmann, president of the Central Committee, said he "was sorry about the news". "We want said pastor Altmann to respect his decision and his private life. We would also like to express the great gratitude of the Ecumenical Council of the Church for the service rendered by Kobia within the Council since he became secretary general in 2004". Samuel Kobia has been the first African to be appointed secretary general of Wcc, after being secretary general of the National Council of the Churches in Kenya. On 25th January, he met Pope Benedict XVI at a private audience in Rome and attended the Vespers in the Church of San Paolo fuori le Mura for the end of the Week of Prayer for the Unity of Christians. "Looking for the visible unity of the Church he had written on those days for L’Osservatore Romano is like climbing a mountain. The closer one gets to the top, the tougher and harder the going gets".
