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 MECC statement in which it is mentioned that the Council is following with great concern, what is happening in Iraq with His Beatitude Patriarch Cardinal Mar Louis Raphaël Sako, Chaldean Patriarch in Iraq and the World, and one of the Honorary Presidents of the Middle East Council of Churches. The MECC, affirms its full solidarity with His Beatitude, and its deep respect for his honorable person and his achievements, and stresses the need to preserve the spirit of fraternity, friendship and respect among all the Iraqi components.
As for the weekly message of the MECC Secretary General Dr. Michel Abs, it is entitled “The Church and Its Response to Harming Its Endowments, The Land Regain in Jerusalem as Model”, in which he affirms the MECC support to His Beatitude Patriarch Theophilos III, and to the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem’s position after it succeeded in regaining its “full” rights over a plot of land it owns in the Abu Tour neighborhood of Jerusalem. Dr. Abs also expresses his joy and pride for this achievement, and stresses the importance of safeguarding and protecting the Christian presence in our region, and ensuring its continuity, which are among the basic principles on which the Middle East Council of Churches was founded.
As well as, the issue presents a news about a new permanent partnership contract which was developed between the "Danmission" organization and the Middle East Council of Churches, which their framework will be during the next four years. This contract will also be signed later on when its text will be finalized. In this context, a delegation from “Danmission” visited the offices of the MECC General Secretariat in Beirut, on Thursday 13 July 2023. The delegation was received by the Secretary General Dr. Michel Abs and a team from the General Secretariat.
You can also find details and photos about the restoration of Dar Al Salam School in Aleppo, Syria, and the restoration a hall in the Monastery of St. Elias, located in the town of Maarat Saidnaya in Rural Damascus, Syria, through the “Restoration Fund for Rehabilitation of Faith-based Social Services & Religious Infrastructure Damaged During the Crisis in Syria”. This project is being implemented by the Middle East Council of Churches in cooperation with the “Kerk in Actie” organization in the Netherlands, and aims at restoring and rehabilitating what the war has destroyed in Syria.
Moreover, the issue includes a news about a training course organized by the Middle East Council of Churches, in cooperation with the international foundation “Bread for the World”, with the participation of the MECC General Secretariat team, about fundraising, which is a main element towards the implementation of any type of program. It was held on Tuesday 18 July 2023, at the MECC headquarters in Beirut.
In addition, you can find a news about the soft skills and capacity-building sessions implemented by the Middle East Council of Churches, Diakonia Department Lebanon, during the month of June, in which women and men participated. During the sessions, they were accompanied by a specialized trainer and learned a new skill which is fabricating and decorating baskets. The sessions were held in an atmosphere of fraternity, cooperation and support.
Furthermore, the issue includes many reports issued by MECC after the earthquake that hit the North of the Antiochian Levant, 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 photo albums showing the difficult humanitarian situations in Syria.
The issue also presents the Ecumenical Calendar for the month of July 2023, issued by the Middle East Council of Churches, Communication and Public Relations Department. In addition to the international “Season of Creation” guide 2023 entitled “Let Justice and Peace Flow” in Arabic and English. Noting that MECC has translated it into Arabic. As well as, you can find 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 May 2023 and the latest updates of the Coronavirus in the region.