It has been incredible being in South Africa as we host the soccer. Feel it, it is here! is the official slogan that we hear repeated on our TVs during every game. And it has been a great feeling!

The church has struggle credentials and so has the legitimacy and authority to hold political leaders accountable. This was said by William Gumede, Honorary Professor at University of the Witwatersrand, at Diakonia Council of Churches' Annual Meeting on 25 May.

How Christians living in a rich society deal with the concern for the poor was one of the subjects discussed by participants at a German church convention (Kirchentag) celebrated in Munich, from 12-16 May. Churches in Germany and Europe are “integrated into the society, and thus are also part of the international market system”, said Praeses Dr Nikolaus Schneider, chairperson of the Council of the Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD).

A Few weeks before the 2010 Football World Cup, the Catholic Bishops and Priests of Southern Africa will celebrate a special Holy Mass as “a counter-witness to the scourge of human trafficking”. This event will take place on Saturday, 8 May, 10 am at the Christian Brothers’ College (Pretoria East), and will be presided over by Cardinal Wilfrid Napier, Archbishop of Durban. All who can, and especially from the Gauteng region, are invited to join in this celebration “so that together we pray for an end to this scourge and for the protection of our children during the World Cup”.