The Middle East Council of Churches is a regional ecumenical organization, which brings together churches in the East for a common Christian witness in a region where Christ was born, lived, died and resurrected.
UNDER THE SPOTLIGHT
Professor Dr. Michel Abs
The Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC)
We head to Egypt with great longing for its people, its Nile, its skies, and the pleasure of being there.
We go to Egypt to participate in the Week of Prayer for the Unity of Christians, which Christians around the world have been doing for more than a hundred years, although the dates of this Week in Egypt does not exactly match with the dates of same event in the Antiochian Levant.
What delights us when we visit Egypt and hear from its church leaders, as well as from our compatriots, is how the Egyptian people live with a social and national unity that transcends differences of religion or sect.
There is an unambiguous consensus among the people of Egypt regarding the unity of culture and citizenry, and the need to make every possible sacrifice to preserve this unity.
Isn’t His Holiness Pope Tawadros II, the entrusted with the See of Saint Mark, the one whose words everyone repeats: “It is better for us to have a homeland without a church than to have a church without a homeland”?
Truly spoken, Your Holiness, for if the homeland is lost, everything is lost; but if the homeland remains, it becomes the place that shelters the church, the mosque, and all God’s worshippers.
I have sat with many Egyptian elites of various affiliations, and they all clearly share this choice: the homeland comes first, and in this regard, there is no compromise whatsoever…
Cairo, February 13, 2025
With great love, translated into true fraternity, the Honorary Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) Dr. Gergis Saleh, offered a painting of Jesus Christ to the Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) Professor Michel Abs, the Associate Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) Reverend Dr. Refaat Fikry, and the Media Officer and the Coordinator of the Church and Media Relations at the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) Lea Adel Maamary, as a token of love and appreciation.
The painting of Jesus Christ was decorated with the Bible Verse “That Your Eyes may be Open toward this house night and day” (1 Kings 8: 29).
Emphasizing the Importance of Dialogue, Social Cohesion, and Media Cooperation
Cairo, February 13, 2025
His Grace Bishop Anba Ermia, General Bishop, President of the Coptic Orthodox Cultural Center and Assistant Secretary General of the Egyptian Family House, received the Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) Dr. Michel Abs, and a delegation from the Council at the Center's headquarters - Cairo.
The meeting was attended by the MECC Honorary Secretary General Dr. Gergis Saleh, the MECC Associate Secretary General Reverend Dr. Refaat Fikry, and the Media Officer and the Coordinator of the Church and Media Relations at MECC, the Journalist Lea Adel Maamary.
Bishop Shehata Praises the Work of the Council's Departments, Programs and Advanced Media.
Professor Michel Abs: "We always strive for joint Christian work and to enhance dialogue with others."
Cairo, February 12, 2025
Within the framework of enhancing joint Christian work and affirming the role of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) in spreading the spirit of love among all, the Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) Professor Michel Abs, along with a delegation from the Council, visited the Bishop of the Episcopal Church in Egypt, North Africa and the Horn of Africa, His Eminence Bishop Sami Fawzi Shehata at the headquarters of the Episcopal Church in Cairo.
The meeting was attended by the MECC Honorary Secretary General Dr. Gergis Saleh, the MECC Associate Secretary General Reverend Dr. Refaat Fikry, the Secretary General of the Egyptian Council of Churches Father Yachouh Ayoub, and the Journalist Lea Adel Maamary, the Media Officer and the Coordinator of the Church and Media Relations at the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC).
At the beginning, His Eminence Bishop Sami Shehata welcomed the Secretary General Professor Michel Abs and the Council's delegation, stressing that his visit enhances fraternity and cooperation between the Churches.
Drama Therapy and Psychological Support
In light of the daily pressures surrounding our societies, children became in dire need of a safe space in which they can feel free to express themselves. Therefore, it has become necessary to develop their abilities and skills and teach them valuable skills which can elevate them to better heights once they reach adulthood. Hence, the Diakonia and Social Service Department, Lebanon’s Office, at the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), in cooperation with the international organization Mennonite Central Committee - MCC, launched 10 drama therapy sessions over a period of 3 weeks, for a group of 7 children.
The aim was to empower the participants, build skills for self-expression and self-regulation, which can in turn boost self-confidence, enhance empathy and social skills, reduce stress and anxiety, and foster cognitive development.
Entitled “Do you believe this?” (John 11: 26)
Cairo - February 12, 2025
Professor Michel Abs, the Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), arrived in Cairo to participate in the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity entitled “Do you believe this?” (John 11: 26).
The Secretary General will also visit Church Leaders, hold lectures, as well as media interviews.
He was accompanied on the visit by the Media Officer at the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), the Coordinator of the Church and Media Relations at the Council, and the Director of the Platform of the Word, Lea Adel Maamary.
They were received at Cairo International Airport by the Associate Secretary General Reverend Rafaat Fikry.
It is worth noting that the MECC Secretary General Professor Michel Abs, had made a special statement via the MECC platform, in which he expressed his happiness to visit Egypt and meet Church Leaders, stressing that the Secretary General's participation in the Week of Prayer in Egypt will become an annual tradition.
During His Participation at the Symposium of the Supreme Islamic Shiite Council in Lebanon
On the thought of Imam Sheikh Muhammad Mahdi Shams Al-Din on the Twenty-fourth Commemoration of His Passing
The Supreme Islamic Shiite Council in Lebanon held a symposium on the thought of the Late Imam Sheikh Muhammad Mahdi Shams Al-Din on the Twenty-fourth Commemoration of his passing. The symposium was held under the patronage of the Scholar Sheikh Ali Al-Khatib, the Vice-President of the Supreme Islamic Shiite Council, on Wednesday, February 5, 2025, at the headquarters of the Islamic Shiite Council in Hazmieh - Lebanon.
At the end of the symposium, the media team of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) conducted an interview with Sheikh Ali Al-Khatib, who stressed the importance of the thought of the Late Imam Sheikh Muhammad Mahdi Shams Al-Din, especially in terms of openness, tolerance, dialogue and safeguarding the nation.
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