Human Fraternity Meeting: A Journey and Participation in Al-Zahraa Hall - Haret Hreik, Lebanon, at the Invitation of the Episcopal Committee for Christian-Muslim Dialogue
Words Stresses that the Human Fraternity Document Should be a Guide for Emerging Generations
You can find some photos at the end of the text.
On the occasion of the International Day of Human Fraternity, and at the invitation of the Head of the Episcopal Committee for Christian-Muslim Dialogue in Lebanon His Eminence Bishop Mar Mathias Charles Mrad, a meeting was held on “Human Fraternity: Journey and Participation”, at the Islamic Cultural Center – the Two Imam Al Hussein Compound - Al-Zahraa Hall - Haret Hreik, Lebanon.
Attendees were His Eminence Bishop Mar Mathias Charles Mrad, the Scholar Sayyed Ali Fadlallah, Church and Religious personalities, Scholars, Priests, members of the Episcopal Committee for Christian-Muslim Dialogue and journalists.
The meeting started with the National Anthem, followed by the Lord’s Prayer for the journalists, prepared and written by Télé Lumière-Noursat TV Channel.
Then the journalist Lea Adel Maamary addressed a speech in which she welcomed the audience and summarized her speech with a statement quoted from the words of His Beatitude Patriarch John X, Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, and President of the Middle East Council of Churches for the Orthodox Family, "Between We and You, the "and" disappears and We becomes You and You becomes We", stressing that this quote and others are applied to the content of the Human Fraternity Document.
The meeting included many speeches that emphasized the importance of fraternity and living in peace with each other towards better societies and a brighter future.
The Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) Professor Michel Abs delivered a speech entitled “Involvement in Life and Human Fraternity - the Role of the Middle East Council of Churches as a model.” He presented the concepts adopted in the field of dialogue and suggested amending some of them and adopting new concepts related to social solidarity and unity. Then, Dr. Abs talked about the MECC initiatives in this context and said:
“The MECC launched a program related to dialogue and social cohesion, which also aims to rehabilitate human dignity and social capital - the societal basis for fraternity among human beings - and we began it with a series of lectures and seminars, all of which deal with topics related to human fraternity and social unity and the rehabilitation of its structures. Within this context, we see that the Environmental Season of Creation program, which we have been implementing for three years, has provided great results in terms of awareness campaigns, as well as in afforestation campaigns, and both dimensions of environmental work are gradually expanding to include additional regions of the Middle East.
Moreover, I have been writing articles in the MECC weekly newsletter, all of which are centered around dialogue and fraternity among people towards explaining the position of the MECC and the Church of the Middle East on issues raised in our daily life, and it goes without saying that the general trend is towards dialogue and fraternity.
This is in addition to the humanitarian aid in the fields of relief and development provided by the Council, which constitutes an element of fraternity among people because the aid is offered without any form of discrimination.”
The meeting concluded by reciting the text of the supplication included in the Human Fraternity Document.
As well as, the book of “The Human Fraternity Document: An Interpretive Reading” by Father and General Director of the Antonine Maronite Order Dr. Bechara Elia, was distributed to the participants. Noting that its introduction was written by His Eminence Bishop Mar Mathias Charles Mrad.
