Momentum, the Weekly Newsletter from the Middle East Council of Churches
In the new issue of the weekly newsletter Momentum issued by the Middle East Council of Churches, Communication and Public Relations Department, you can find the weekly message of the MECC Secretary General Dr. Michel Abs, which title is “Between the chair of Mark and the chair of Peter, A promise of love for humanity”. Dr. Abs talked about the meeting of His Holiness Pope Tawadros II, Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of St. Mark, with His Holiness Pope Francis, in the Vatican, on Wednesday 10 May 2023. The visit aims to celebrate together the 50 years since the return of relations between the Coptic Orthodox Church and the Catholic Church, after 15 centuries after the Council of Chalcedon in 451, and also to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the declaration of the Day of Brotherly Love called for by His Holiness Pope Tawadros II during his visit to the Vatican in 2013.
The issue also includes a news and photos about the visit of a delegation from the Church of Sweden, which is a member in ACT Alliance, the offices of the MECC General Secretariat in Beirut, on Monday 8 May 2023, aiming at strengthening the partnership between the Church of Sweden and MECC. The delegation was received by the MECC Secretary General Dr. Michel Abs, along with the MECC Associate Secretary General Mrs. Seta Hadeshian, and the Director of the MECC Theological and Ecumenical Department Father Dr. Antoine Al Ahmar.
As well as, you can find details about the visit of a delegation from the United Church of Christ Canada, United Church of Christ America and Disciples of Christ (Global Ministries), headed by Dr. Peter Makari, the Global Relations Minister of the Middle East and Europe Global Ministries, to the MECC offices in Amman, Jordan, on 22 April 2023. In reception of the delegation was the MECC Jordan Team, Ms. Wafa Goussous, Director of the Jordan Office, Mr. Azmi Udwan, Mrs. Berta Ziadeh, and Mrs. Anni Koshkeryan.
You can also find messages via video delivered by His Eminence Metropolitan Silouan Moussi, Greek Orthodox Bishop of Byblos, Batroun and Dependencies (Mount Lebanon), and Dr. Khalil Khairallah, Law Professor at the Lebanese University, during the seminar organized by the Middle East Council of Churches on the 10th yearly commemoration of the abduction of the Archbishops of Aleppo, His Eminence Archbishop Boulos Yaziji and His Eminence Archbishop Gregorius Youhanna Ibrahim, under the title “The Issue of the Abducted and Forcibly Absented, Violation of Human Dignity”, on Monday 24 April 2023.
Moreover, the issue includes a video in which some of the survivors of the earthquake that struck the North of the Antiochian Levant, describe the bitter first moments and difficult circumstances they passed through following the disaster. The video also presents footages from the heart of the tragedy in Syria.
The issue also includes many reports issued by MECC after the earthquake, under the name of "Rescue Syria Update" which will keep you informed about the developments of MECC action as well as the overall situation in a context analysis perspective. The MECC will be also publishing other periodical and updated reports. This is in addition to a photo album showing the difficult humanitarian situations in Syria.
Furthermore, the issue highlights the Infant and young child feeding (IYCF) and psychosocial awareness sessions implemented by the MECC Service and Relief – Diakonia Department, Syria’s Office, for pregnant and lactating women in Damascus and Dara’a governorates.
You can also find the Ecumenical Calendar for May 2023 issued by the Middle East Council of Churches, Communication and Public Relations Department, Ecumenical reports, the weekly Prayer, videos, and news of the Middle Eastern Churches.
Additionally, the issue presents a socio-economic overview of the Middle East during April 2023 and the latest updates of the Coronavirus in the region.