THE Anglican and Lutheran Churches of the Porvoo Communion have “expressed their urgent and grave concern regarding the recent statements of the United States administration in relation to Greenland”, the World Council of Churches (WCC) reports.
“Our communion includes the Church of Greenland and we feel compelled by our bonds of shared faith, hope, and love to support our sisters and brothers, through our prayerful communion in Christ Jesus, in the power of the Spirit,” the statement said. “This is a question of human rights, dignity, and respecting international laws and treaties. We are a small people, but we are not invisible.”
The Porvoo Communion also affirmed the sovereign right of the people of Greenland through “the principles of the United Nations Charter which enshrine the equality of all members, the territorial integrity and political independence of states, the restraint of dominance, coercion and force, and the obligation to settle disputes through peaceful dialogue”.
Bishops of Lutheran Churches in the US and Canada also took part in an online WCC meeting on Greenland last month.
The WCC said that Bishop of Greenland, the Rt Revd Paneeraq Siegstad Munk, had come to its Geneva headquarters with a delegation for a “deep dialogue on unity, justice, peace and indigenous peoples”. It said that US threats to use “military force, if necessary”, had caused “outrage and anxiety”, but that Bishop Munk’s office in Nuuk had since been “flooded with messages expressing solidarity”.
The Presidency of the Commission of the Roman Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the European Union has similarly endorsed calls for the people of Greenland to have their rights respected and upheld.
“We express solidarity and spiritual closeness to the people of Greenland, who today face increasing geopolitical instability and uncertainty, alongside the profound consequences of climate change and persistent social challenges,” the Bishops said in a statement last week.
“The future of Greenland must be decided by the people of Greenland themselves, in full respect of their rights, dignity and aspirations. At the same time, we underline the importance of upholding international law and the principles of the United Nations Charter.”
The warning came as European leaders prepared to discuss Greenland with the US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, at the annual Munich Security Conference this weekend. France and Canada have opened consulates on the Arctic island in a show of support.
