“In the face of this brutality, the human family, all people of faith and of good will, must stand together to recommit to respecting and caring for one another, to protecting one another, and to preventing such violence”. The Secretary General of the World Council of Churches (WCC), Olav F. Tveit, encouraged the people of Jolo and the Philippines in a message issued to condemn the brutal attack on the Catholic Cathedral of Our Lady of Mount Carmel on the island of Jolo, which killed 27 people and injured over 80 on Sunday, 27 January. The WCC appealed to President Rodrigo Duterte, religious leaders and authorities across the region to “act swiftly and boldly to safeguard the fundamental religious rights of worshippers of all faiths, to ensure security in the face of violence and to guarantee justice for all people”. “In these difficult and challenging times”, Tveit added, “the WCC calls particularly on religious and national leaders to support the people in Philippines as they affirm life and engage in countering negative trends through peaceful means, such as proactive engagement in dialogue and partnership between Christians and Muslims in Philippines and throughout the world”.