Taking care of Creation has always been the focus of attention for the Churches, so much that such topic has taken centre stage in all three European ecumenical assemblies, in Basel, Graz and Sibiu. The Joint Statement, named “The Time of Creation: a time of prayer for the world and the environment”, signed by the three European organisations Kek, Ccee and Ecen, points out that the Ecumenical Patriarch Demetrios has been the first to invite the Churches to celebrate the Time of Creation back in 1989, and Martin Luther (the 500^th anniversary of the Reformation is celebrated this year) already stated that “God is in all creatures, even in the smallest flowers”. “Nowadays, we still would like to point out – the Churches write, quoting the Pope Francis’ encyclical letter Laudato si’ – that environmental ecology is not unrelated to human ecology. The Christian care for Creation is always related to the care of each one of us as human beings, made in the image of God”.

“In this spirit – the Statement ends –, as we have done in the previous years, we warmly call all European Christians, the member Churches of Kek and the Bishops Conferences of Ccee, the parishes, the ecclesial communities and any man of good will to join us in the Time of Creation. We will celebrate the Time of Creation together, as part of your liturgical traditions and to support our common Christian faith in God the Creator. So, we call you, in your own circles, to offer prayers for the gift of Creation”. The Joint Statement has been signed by father Heikki Huttunen and by mgr. Duarte da Cunha, general secretaries of Kek and Ccee, respectively, and by rev. Peter Pavlovic of Ecen.