The media coverage on the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity continues as Father Tanios Khalil, the Dean of the Faculty of Theology at La Sagesse University in Lebanon, and the Rapporteur of the Episcopal Committee for Ecumenical Work at the Assemblée des Patriarches et Evêques Catholiques du Liban (APECL), was the guest of the Journalist Lea Adel Maamary, the Media Officer at the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), the Director of the Platform of the Word, and the Coordinator of the Church and Media Relations at MECC, in an episode within her program “Moubadarat” (“Initiatives”) on Radio Voice of Van.

The episode, which you can watch in the video, centered around the most prominent meanings of the Week of Prayer and the spiritual symbolism it carries, in addition to explanations about the topic chosen for this year, “Do you believe this?” (John 11: 26).

In the video, you can find a Church News Bulletin on Mariam TV, which includes reports about the latest activities of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC). The bulletin is prepared and presented by the Journalist Lea Adel Maamary, the Media Officer at the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), the Director of the Platform of the Word, and the Coordinator of the Church and Media Relations at MECC.

As a culmination of the Fiftieth Year of its Founding, and in accordance with the adopted media strategy, the MECC first Church News Bulletin will be launched early next week on Wednesday, January 22, 2025.

The bulletin will include Church and humanitarian news and the MECC activities in various fields.

The Churches in Egypt are preparing to organize celebrations on the occasion of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity 2025, which carries this year the theme “Do you believe this?” (John 11: 26). In this context, the committee assigned for the preparation continues to hold its meetings in order to coordinate and cooperate together aiming at developing the program for the upcoming celebrations. The committee includes among its members the Honorary Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) Dr. Gergis Ibrahim Saleh, and the Associate Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) Reverend Refaat Fikry.

Week of Prayer Booklet 2025 in Arabic and English

The Prayer for Christian Unity

"The Patriarchate is your home!"

A Meeting that Stresses the Importance of Building Bridges Between the Churches

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 (MECC) for the Catholic Family, received the Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) Professor Dr. Michel Abs, at the head of a delegation that included colleagues from the MECC General Secretariat. The visit was held on Wednesday, January 15, 2025, at the Patriarchate headquarters in Geitawi - Beirut, in the presence of His Eminence Bishop Krikor Badishah, Auxiliary Bishop of the Armenian Catholic Archdiocese of Beirut.

During the meeting, the Secretary General Professor Dr. Abs wished His Beatitude Patriarch Minassian blessed Feasts and a happy new year. He also congratulated him on the Ecumenical and Ecclesiastical event that he held on the occasion of receiving the body of the Servant of God Cardinal Patriarch Krikor-Bedros XV Aghajanian from Rome to Beirut, praising its great organization and emphasizing the spiritual meanings it carries.

For his part, His Beatitude welcomed the Secretary General and the accompanying delegation, wishing the Middle East Council of Churches continued success in its Ecumenical mission and humanitarian tasks, praising all the projects, initiatives and programs being implemented by the Council’s departments. He also expressed his happiness with this visit and mentioning that the Patriarchate is a home for everyone.

On the occasion of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity 2025, His Eminence Archbishop Youssef Soueif, Archbishop of the Maronite Diocese of Tripoli and President of the Episcopal Committee for Ecumenical Work at the Assemblée des Patriarches et Evêques Catholiques du Liban (APECL), was the guest of the Journalist Lea Adel Maamary, the Media Officer at the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), the Director of the Platform of the Word, and the Coordinator of the Church and Media Relations at MECC, in a special episode from The Platform of the Word at MECC, as part of His Eminence’s first and historical visit to the Council.

The episode, which you can watch in the video, focused on the Week of Prayer for the year 2025 and the theme that was adopted for this year “Do you believe this?” (John 11: 26), in addition to the importance of living love, repentance and self-denial.

Via Charity Radio TV

Father Dr. Antoine Ahmar, the Director of the Theological Affairs and Ecumenical Department at the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), was the guest of the Journalist Zouhour Bou Mansour in an episode within her program "Hawana Hawak" on Charity Radio TV, to talk about the "Week of Prayer for Christian Unity" 2025 and the most prominent meanings it carries, in addition to the theme that was chosen for this year, which is “Do you believe this?” (John 11: 26).

You can watch the episode through the video.

What Are the Details?

"The Council is my home and I have accompanied the most important historical milestones of the launch of its offices"

Reverend Dr. Paul Haidostian, President of the Union of the Armenian Evangelical Churches in the Near East (UAECNE), President of Haigazian University in Lebanon, and President of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) for the Evangelical Family, visited the Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) Professor Dr. Michel Abs, on Wednesday, January 15, 2025, at the MECC headquarters in Beirut.

The visit began with a meeting between Rev. Dr. Paul Haidostian and Professor Dr. Michel Abs, during which they discussed the most important current Church and Ecumenical issues, in addition to the ongoing preparations for the celebrations that will be held on the occasion of the "Week of Prayer for Christian Unity" in various Lebanese regions.

Marking the Fiftieth Year of the Founding of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), the President of the Heart of Giving Association Mrs. Raifa Al-Daouk, visited the Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) Professor Michel Abs, at the MECC headquarters in Ras Beirut, in the presence of the Media Officer, Director of the Platform of the Word, and Coordinator of the Church and Media Relations at MECC Lea Adel Maamary.

The visit included many discussions about various humanitarian and social initiatives and issues being implemented by the associations, especially the Heart of Giving Association.

For her part, Mrs. Raifa Al-Daouk praised the work of the Council and the achievements made on all levels.

At the end of the meeting, colleagues in the MECC Media Department, Elia Nasrallah and Johnny Anton, conducted a media interview with Raifa Al-Daouk, during which she talked about urgent humanitarian and social issues.

Details in this Report!

This report sheds light on the Celebratory Holy Mass held on the occasion of the inauguration of the " Church of Jesus' Baptism" at the Baptism Site in Jordan, which is one of the biggest Churches in the Middle East and the world. A historic event that was a beacon of hope amidst all the challenges, and a call to Pray for peace and justice in the region.

His Beatitude Patriarch Anba Ibrahim Ishak Inaugurates the Jubilee Year of Hope in the Catholic Church in Egypt

MECC Participates in the Celebratory Mass

Under the slogan “Hope Does Not Disappoint,” His Beatitude Patriarch Anba Ibrahim Ishak, Coptic Catholic Patriarch, and President of the Council of Catholic Patriarchs and Bishops in Egypt, celebrated the inauguration of the Jubilee Year of Hope “Pilgrims of Hope,” on Friday, December 27, 2024, at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Egypt, Nasr City.

The CelebraTORY Mass was attended by Bishops, Heads of various Catholic churches in Egypt, representing the membership of the Council of Catholic Patriarchs and Bishops in Egypt, as well as the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) represented by the Archdeacon Garen Yosolkanian, Coordinator of the Eco Justice in the Council.

Participants were also Priests, Heads of various Monastic Groups in Egypt, both male and female, and their members from various Catholic Churches in Egypt, in addition to a large crowd of parishioners and Deacons.

The Middle East Council of Churches Implements Many Awareness Sessions in Lebanon!

In the context of strengthening health awareness about various chronic diseases, the Diakonia and Social Service Department, Lebanon’s Office, in the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), implemented two new sessions about cancer for a group of women and men, at Our Lady Dispensary (OLD), affiliated with the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), in the Sabtieh region – Mount Lebanon. The sessions were held with the support of the international humanitarian organization Mennonite Central Committee – MCC.

These two sessions come in light of a world facing the danger of pollution and the repercussions resulting from the chemicals that some food contain, as well as amidst rising levels of daily pressures, which all has led to the rapid and increasing spread of cancer, especially among the most vulnerable and poor groups. This negatively affects the fabric of societies and their safety, especially since medical care is not available in a fair manner to many families.

The two sessions included awareness segments on breast cancer for a group of 20 women, and prostate cancer for a group of 20 men, as these two topics were identified after a questionnaire was distributed to the participants.

The Evangelical Churches in Egypt celebrated the Installation of the Associate Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) Reverend Refaat Fikry as Pastor of the Rod El-Farag Evangelical Church in Egypt, on Friday, January 10, 2025.

Details in this report!

What Are the Celebrations that Will Be Held on the Occasion?

As we celebrate the “Week of Prayer for Christian Unity” 2025, let us unite together in Prayer to the Lord Jesus Christ, on the intention of Christian unity and for peace in the Middle East and the world, carrying this year’s theme “Do you believe this?” (John 11: 26).

Below you can find in Arabic the Prayer for Christian Unity.

Week of Prayer Booklet 2025 in Arabic and English

Program of the Celebrations in Lebanon

As we celebrate the “Week of Prayer for Christian Unity” 2025, let us unite together in Prayer to the Lord Jesus Christ, on the intention of Christian unity and for peace in the Middle East and the world, carrying this year’s theme “Do you believe this?” (John 11: 26).

Below you can find in Arabic the Prayer for Christian Unity.

Week of Prayer Booklet 2025 in Arabic and English

Program of the Celebrations in Lebanon

The Press Conference Launching the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity
Minbar Al-Kalima – Middle East Council of Churches
Beirut, January 7, 2025

Professor Dr. Michel Abs

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

His Excellency Bishop Youssef Soueif
Maronite Archbishop of Tripoli and Head of the Episcopal Committee for Ecumenical Relations
in the Council of Catholic Patriarchs and Bishops – Lebanon

Esteemed attendees, whether in person or remotely, from the media community and beyond,
Esteemed colleagues in the Middle East Council of Churches,

Before we begin our press conference, I would like first to extend best wishes of a glorious Christmas to the churches currently celebrating the Feast of the Nativity, and a blessed Feast of the Epiphany to those celebrating it. May the coming days bring better times for our societies.

I also wish to warmly welcome His Excellency Bishop Youssef Soueif on his first visit to the Council—the home of ecumenical work in the Middle East—and say, “You are truly welcome, Your Excellency, bringing us abundant blessings.”

My address today is titled:

“The Week of Unity and the Inevitable Ecumenical Path on the Road to Social Cohesion.”

For over a century, Christians have gathered to pray for their spiritual and institutional unity. Over time, this practice has grown into a firmly established tradition—a vital part of the culture of collaborative (ecumenical) work, particularly here in the Middle East. This region is the cradle of the Good News, the Incarnation, the Refuge, and the Resurrection—where Christians were first called Christians, and from which the message spread to the entire world.

This year, the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity takes on special significance:

• It coincides with the end of the fiftieth anniversary of the founding of the Middle East Council of Churches, serving as its crowning event.

• It also marks the seventeen-hundredth anniversary of the Council of Nicaea, which ratified the Nicene Creed, one of the symbols of Christian unity…

This report sheds light on the Christmas visit made by the Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) Professor Dr. Michel Abs, on the occasion of Christmas and New Year, to Reverend Dr. Paul Haidostian, President of the Union of the Armenian Evangelical Churches in the Near East (UAECNE), President of Haigazian University in Lebanon, and President of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) for the Evangelical Family, and his wife Mrs. Maral Haidostian, on Tuesday, January 7, 2025, at the campus of Haigazian University - Beirut.

This report presents an overview about the Christmas meeting that brought together the Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) Professor Dr. Michel Abs, at the head of an MECC delegation, and the Pastor of the Coptic Orthodox Church in Lebanon Father Andraos Al Anthouny, on Tuesday, January 7, 2025, at the headquarters of the Coptic Orthodox Church in Lebanon.