WCC Acting General Secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Ioan Sauca in a Visit to the Middle East Council of Churches
The Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches Dr. Michel Abs welcomed the Acting General Secretary of the World Council of Churches Rev Prof. Dr Ioan Sauca, at the headquarters of the MECC General Secretariat in Beirut on Tuesday December 14, 2021. The President of the National Evangelical Union in Lebanon and President of the Council for the Evangelical Family HE Rev. Dr. Habib Badr, besides the General Secretariat team in Beirut, also received Sauca.
The visit is part of a tour that Rev Prof. Dr Ioan Sauca is holding in the Middle East. The attendees discussed the historical and deep integration and cooperation between WCC and MECC at the theological and humanitarian levels, especially in supporting the human and preserving its dignity amidst all the difficult circumstances. Dr. Sauca has to know more about the situations that the Middle Eastern Churches are passing through and their parishes’ needs, in addition to the MECC work in supporting and taking care of the refugees and the most vulnerable people. Dr. Abs gave a brief overview of the programs implemented by the Council and the projects to be achieved in the future.
From his end, Father Sauca presented the WCC role as humanitarian and theological forum, as well as the most important challenges that the Council is facing, especially since the approach of the humanitarian issues differs between Churches and communities. He also stressed on the importance of working to preserve the human rights and dignity. As well as, Dr. Sauca talked about the preparations for the WCC 11th General Assembly that will be held from 31 August to 8 September 2022 in Germany.
At the end, H.E. Rev. Dr. Habib Badr and Dr. Michel Abs offered to the WCC Father an oriental Greek Icon of the Holy Family as a gift and a token of love and fellowship from the Churches of the East to the Churches of the world.
