” “The ecumenical movement is growing, as well as friendship and relations among the churches. These are the findings of a survey by the World Church Council (WCC), which was published today and which is contained in “Handbook of Churches and Councils: Profiles of Ecumenical Relationships”. The text, that shows “differences in the ecumenical movement as well as the growth in relationships among the churches”, is the fruit of long consultations with the churches of all regions and also covers data about the main churches and traditions existing within Christianity. The text also includes a presentation of over 150 bodies and councils of Christian Churches and a description of the 348 WCC members. It also includes the lists of representatives of the churches and communions of the Christian world on a regional, national and sub-regional scale. The published data speak of 520 thousand parishes in 150 countries, headed by 490 thousand ministers with a congregation of over 590 million. According to Hubert van Beek, a WCC ecumenism expert, “the survey offers firm grounds for reflecting about the state and the future of the ecumenical movement of the XXI century”. “The Handbook of Churches and Councils: Profiles of Ecumenical Relationships” is published in English and can be bought online from the WCC website, (http://wcc-coe.org/wcc/news/pubs/index-e.html).
