On the first anniversary of the launch of the

Ecumenical Day for the Abducted and Forcibly Absented

Organized by the Middle East Council of Churches

And the 11th anniversary of the abduction of the two Archbishops of Aleppo

Being abducted by another human being or a group, and being removed from your daily life, family, and loved ones, to be confined to a place haunted by terror and suspicion, is a return to primitive life. By what right, heavenly, or earthly, does one creature seize another, equal in dignity and the right to life and freedom, remove him from society and throw him into the jungle of abduction?

This “right” that the kidnapper grants to himself cannot be only explained by his sense of belonging to the forest and not to society. It is the logic of the jungle that still occupies a large place in our modern societal life, which still harbors a lot of primitiveness.

On the occasion of the feast of Saint John the Beloved apostle, the Evangelist Theologian, patron saint of His Beatitude Patriarch John X, Patriarch of Antioch and All the East for the Greek Orthodox, the thirteenth of the Holy Pure Apostles, and the President of the Middle East Council of Churches for the Orthodox family, the MECC family, in the name of its Secretary General Dr. Michel Abs, extends heartfelt congratulations to His Beatitude, wishing him continued health, well-being, goodness, blessing, and holiness, through the intercession of Saint John the Beloved Evangelist and the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ.

“Family Empowerment - The Social Foundation of Human Civilization”

The MECC Secretary General Dr. Michel Abs Calls for Organizing an Islamic-Christian Conference to Defend the Family, Empower it and Enhance Its Role in the Crisis-ridden Society

The Faculty of Religions and Human Sciences and the Research Center for Humanities and Religious Sciences at Al Maaref University - Lebanon held the fourth international conference under the title “Empowering the Family - The Social Foundation of Human Civilization,” on Thursday 25 and Friday 26 April 2024, in the conference hall on the university campus - Beirut.

Participants were specialized researchers from Lebanon, Egypt, Iraq, Iran, Algeria, Tunisia, Uganda and Germany. As well as attendees were religious, social and political figures, as well as diplomatic, judicial and cultural personalities.

The conference included five panels, spread over two days, which revolved around many topics: first, the impact of intellectual and social transformations on the disintegration of the Western family, second, the disintegration of the family in the service of the capitalist economy, third, the paths and agreements for dismantling the family, fourth, the family is the basis of human society, and fifth, empowering the family is a human civilizational project.

On the occasion of the "The Ecumenical Day for the Abducted and the Forcibly Absented"

MECC holds a Webinar About “Wars, Abduction, Absence, and Ways to Reduce Harm”

The Secretary General Dr. Michel Abs: abduction is still rampant in many places in the world and there is no one to deter the perpetrators, because their actions are only part of the crime that humanity has not succeeded, and may not succeed, to curb

On the commemoration of the kidnapping of the two Archbishops of Aleppo, Metropolitan Boulos Yaziji and Metropolitan Gregorios Youhanna Ibrahim, and on the commemoration of the "The Ecumenical Day for the Abducted and the Forcibly Absented", which the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) had launched and designated on 22 April of each year, MECC held its monthly webinar, entitled “Wars, Abduction, Absence, and Ways to Reduce Harm”, on Thursday 25 April 2024. The webinar took place with the participation of expert speakers from various fields and the presence of a group of specialists, university students, and interested attendees in the topic at hand.

The webinar, which was broadcast live on the MECC Facebook page, included two interventions, moderated by Dr. Laure Abi Khalil, who spoke in her opening speech about the cases of violence in the region amidst the difficult circumstances it is going through, denouncing this bitter reality and stressing the role of states and governments in the context of this issue.

In this Easter we lift our Hope stemming from the Resurrection of Jesus, so may we join together in humility and ecumenical spirit and preach the transforming Love of the Incarnated Son of God to the world. Christ Risen!

The Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), Communication and Public Relations Department, have now issued its online Ecumenical calendar for the month of May 2024. It includes the Ecclesiastical and Liturgical feasts of the various families of Churches in the Middle East. In addition to international days identified by the United Nations, and which are related to the MECC identity and its spiritual and human mission.

In the context of strengthening the ecumenical ties, the Reverend Dr. John Holdsworth, a Communications Consultant and Former Archdeacon of the Anglican Diocese of Cyprus and the Gulf who is now editing a journal about the Middle East, visited the Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) Dr. Michel Abs, on Thursday 25 April 2024, at the offices of the MECC General Secretariat in Beirut.

During the meeting, the attendees discussed the relationship between the Anglican Church and the Middle East Council of Churches, in addition to the role of this Church and the activities it implements. As well as, they talked about the program of events for the Fiftieth Year of the MECC Founding, and also discussed the issue of Ecumenism and the directions it is taking, in addition to various issues such as abduction and massacres.

Dr. Michel E. Abs

The Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC)

During this period, we live several significant events that carry profound lessons for humanity. Among the most noticeable are Easter, the commemoration of the abduction of the Archbishops of Aleppo on April 22, the commemoration of the Armenian massacres on April 24, and later, the commemoration of the Syriac-Assyrian-Chaldean massacres on June 15, referred to as Sayfo.

In this emotionally charged period, the Christian believer pauses to contemplate these events that have shaped a crucial part of human history. All revolve around the Christian faith, the Christian mission, and the Christian role in this region and the world.

Christ was unjustly arrested, tried by hypocrites, and crucified by tyrants who believed the hypocrites’ words. However, He triumphed over annihilation through resurrection, offering hope and new life to humanity. His “crime” was teaching and practicing love, challenging all those who harbor spite, hatred, fanaticism, and corruption.

The Armenian people, followers of Christ’s faith, suffered a similar fate. They were unjustly “arrested” and slandered, tried by a group of hypocrites and tyrants, and subjected to all forms of torture, humiliation, and abuse. This group of tyrants committed murder against more than one community under its authority, sparing no human group that it perceived as weak.

A delegation from the Islamic Azad University of Qom, Iran, visited the Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) Dr. Michel Abs, on Tuesday 23 April 2024, at the offices of the MECC General Secretariat in Beirut. The delegation included the President of the University in Qom Sheikh Dr. Hassan Khairi, and the Head of the University’s Office in Lebanon Dr. Mohammad Kourani.

During the meeting, the attendees discussed modern directions in the human sciences and the defects that have afflicted these sciences in the West, in addition to the necessity of creating innovative, authentic human sciences stemming from the Eastern culture.

The attendees also discussed various curricula in some universities, stressing the need to intensify conferences, seminars and meetings between these universities for joint thinking and drawing a new direction in the human sciences.

Full Video of the Conference Organized by MECC About the Armenian Genocide

22 April 2024 – At the Armenian Catholic Patriarchate in Geitaoui, Lebanon

On the occasion of the fiftieth year of the founding of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), in commemoration of the 109th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, and with the blessing and presence of His Beatitude Patriarch Raphaël Bedros XXI Minassian, Catholicos Patriarch of the Armenian Catholic Church of Cilicia, and President of the Middle East Council of Churches for the Catholic Family, MECC held a conference entitled “Keeping Memory Alive”, about the Armenian Genocide, presented by the MECC Secretary General Dr. Michel Abs. It took place on Monday 22 April 2024, at the Theatre of the Armenian Catholic Patriarchate in Geitaoui, Lebanon.

Hence, you can find in the video the full conference which also included a speech delivered by His Beatitude Patriarch Raphaël Bedros XXI Minassian.

More information about the conference

The MECC Secretary General Dr. Michel Abs: If the perpetrators of massacres had been held accountable in an appropriate manner, this would not have been repeated in other parts of the world

On the 109th commemoration of the Armenian Genocide, the Armenian people are still waiting for justice, striving to achieve it and commemorate this event, which constituted a turning point in their history. April 24 is a date that Armenians will never forget... a date that bears witness to massacres committed against a people who have long struggled to preserve their existence. It is true that the Armenians are still experiencing great sadness and pain, but they are deriving their strength and determination to persevere in their faith in Jesus Christ, the world-giver of great mercy.

In commemoration of this painful anniversary, within the activities of the Fiftieth Year of the Founding of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), and under the auspices of His Beatitude Patriarch Raphaël Bedros XXI Minassian, Catholicos Patriarch of the Armenian Catholic Church of Cilicia, and President of the Middle East Council of Churches for the Catholic Family, MECC held a conference entitled “Keeping Memory Alive,” about the Armenian Genocide, on Monday 22 April 2024, at the Theatre of the Armenian Catholic Patriarchate in Geitaoui, Lebanon.

The conference which was followed by a speech by His Beatitude Patriarch Minassian, was delivered by the Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches Dr. Michel Abs who presented a historical and geopolitical overview of the era in which the Armenian Genocide occurred, in addition to the facts of these crimes and their repercussions.

Video - An Exclusive Interview with His Beatitude Patriarch Raphaël Bedros XXI Minassian:

“We are witnessing in the principles that we live by in our societies a kind of genocide or crime against spiritual and humanitarian values”

109 years have passed since the Armenian Genocide, and the Armenians' wounds have not yet healed. It is a massacre and a tragedy committed against people who have always striven and struggled to survive and achieve truth and justice... But are there any listening ears to all this pain? The pain is deep and the international community is not doing anything, but what is certain is that the memory will remain engraved forever in the hearts of the Armenian people and that heavenly justice will be revealed and achieved, “For the Lord is righteous, he loves justice; the upright will see his face” (Psalm 11: 7).

In commemoration of the Armenian Genocide, on the occasion of the Fiftieth Year of the Founding of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), and with the blessing and presence of His Beatitude Patriarch Raphaël Bedros XXI Minassian, Catholicos Patriarch of the Armenian Catholic Church of Cilicia, and President of the Middle East Council of Churches for the Catholic Family, MECC organized a conference about the Armenian Genocide entitled “Keeping Memory Alive”, delivered by the Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches Dr. Michel Abs. It was held on Monday 22 April 2024, at the Theatre of the Armenian Catholic Patriarchate in Geitaoui, Lebanon.

In this context, the team of the Communication and Public Relations Department at the Middle East Council of Churches made an exclusive interview with His Beatitude Patriarch Raphaël Bedros XXI Minassian, in which he spoke about his aspirations regarding the Armenian issue, stressing the necessity of consolidating spiritual and human values.

“Keeping Memory Alive”

The video presents a highlight about the conference held by the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) about the Armenian Genocide under the title “Keeping Memory Alive”, in commemoration of the 109th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, on the occasion of the Fiftieth Year of its Founding, and and with the blessing and presence of His Beatitude Patriarch Raphaël Bedros XXI Minassian, Catholicos Patriarch of the Armenian Catholic Church of Cilicia, and President of the Middle East Council of Churches for the Catholic Family.

The conference, which also included a speech by His Beatitude Patriarch Minassian, was delivered by the Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches Dr. Michel Abs, on Monday 22 April 2024, at the Theatre of the Armenian Catholic Patriarchate in Geitaoui, Lebanon.

On the Occasion of the 109th Commemoration of the Armenian Genocide

And as part of the Activities of the Fiftieth Year of Its Founding

MECC Organizes a Conference About the Armenian Genocide

 “Keeping Memory Alive”, Delivered by the Secretary General Dr. Michel Abs

On the Occasion of the 109th Commemoration of the Armenian Genocide, as part of the activities of the Fiftieth Year of the Founding of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), and with the blessing and presence of His Beatitude Patriarch Raphaël Bedros XXI Minassian, Catholicos Patriarch of the Armenian Catholic Church of Cilicia, and President of the Middle East Council of Churches for the Catholic Family, MECC held a conference entitled “Keeping Memory Alive”, about the Armenian Genocide, presented by the MECC Secretary General Dr. Michel Abs. It took place on Monday 22 April 2024, at the Theatre of the Armenian Catholic Patriarchate in Geitaoui, Lebanon.

Attendees in this conference which you can watch by clicking here, were His Holiness Catholicos Aram I, Catholicos of the Armenian Apostolic Church, Holy See of Cilicia, and Honorary President of the Middle East Council of Churches, represented by Father Sarkis Abrahamian, His Beatitude Patriarch Cardinal Mar Bechara Boutros Al-Rai, Maronite Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, represented by His Eminence Monsignor Antonio Wakim, representatives from various Church families, their Eminences Bishops, Pastors and Priests, Nuns from the Lebanese Hospital Geitaoui, Seminary students, the President of the Syriac League in Lebanon Mr. Habib Afram, legal and social figures, guests, media, and the MECC family. The event, was presented by the journalist Lea Adel Maamary.

Arcbishop Boulos Yazigi and Mar Gregorios Youhanna Ibrahim,

the Middle East Council of Churches has issued a statement

As we mark the eleventh year, the fate of the two bishops of Aleppo, beloved by their churches, their parishioners, and all who knew them, remain unknown. What can we say to a world that remains silent and indifferent to this tragedy? Do we raise our voices loudly, knowing it is deaf? Do we appeal to its conscience, knowing it has lost all sense of mercy? Do we turn to its institutions, knowing they are ineffective? The world today seems to live by the rule, ‘He would have answered if whom I called is alive, but there is no life for those whom I call.’

Under the Auspices of the University’s President Professor Father Salim Daccache

With the aim of helping students to learn about the labor market, the Saint Joseph University (USJ) in Beirut organized a job fair, in which the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) participated, on Thursday 18 April 2024, at the Campus of the University’s Faculty of Humanities - Museum, Beirut.

The job fair provided a space for students to learn about the various types of institutions and organizations, as well as their work and tasks, where they were able to search for job opportunities that may suit their specializations and professional future.

During the job fair, the MECC Senior Human Resources Officer Roula Saliba, and the MECC Media and Communication Officer Elia Nasrallah, presented to the students an overview of the Middle East Council of Churches’ work and the programs it implements at the various Ecumenical, Theological, and humanitarian levels, in addition to the activities it is doing on the occasion of the Fiftieth Year of its Founding.

As well as, Professor Father Salim Daccache, President of the Saint Joseph University (USJ), visited the Middle East Council of Churches’ stand at the job fair and was briefed on its updates, praising the tasks it is accomplishing.

A Conference Organized by the Department of History in the Faculty of Humanities & Social Sciences at the Lebanese University and the Lebanese Historical Society

The MECC Secretary General Dr. Michel Abs Attends One of Its Sessions

The Department of History in the Faculty of Humanities & Social Sciences at the Lebanese University (Second Branch) and the Lebanese Historical Society held the annual conference under the title “Famine in Lebanon During World War I (1914 - 1918): A Study of Origins and Primary Sources”. It took place on Thursday 16 and Wednesday 17 April 2024, in Dr. Youssef Farhat Hall - Faculty of Humanities & Social Sciences - The Lebanese University – Al Fanar.

Attendees were Deans and Professors from the Lebanese University and other Universities, writers and intellectuals, Religious, political and social figures, and guests. As well as, the Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) Dr. Michel Abs attended one of its sessions.

During the debate, Dr. Abs presented an intervention in which he praised the conference and the importance of its topic, and informed the attendees and participants that the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) classifies the famine in Lebanon under the category of wars of genocide and ethnic cleansing. He also informed them that MECC is organizing a series of seminars on massacres and genocidal wars in the region, including the events that befell the Armenians, Syriacs, Kurds, Alawites, and Yazidis. Hence, Dr. Abs invited the Department of History at the Lebanese University and the Lebanese Historical Society to cooperate in this field.

Dr. Michel E. Abs

The Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC)

Next week, we in the Levant will commemorate two painful occasions, though they differ in historical context and magnitude.

The first occasion, which falls on the 22nd of April, marks the day of the abduction of the Archbishops of Aleppo, Archbishop Boulos Yazigi and Archbishop Gregorios Youhanna Ibrahim. They were captured in the Mansoura area, west of Aleppo, while returning from the Turkish border. Nothing has been known about them since that day, and they have been missing for eleven years.

The second occasion, which falls on the 24th of April, is the beginning of the massacres against the Armenian people. These took place in the northeast of Antioch, Cilicia, as well as in the rest of Anatolia, where the Armenian presence in those regions was almost completely eliminated. These massacres occurred eleven decades ago.

In both cases, the saying circulating in the literature of political and social sciences applies: “Killing a man in a forest is an unforgivable crime, but killing a peaceful people is a matter of consideration?”