Secretary General Professor Dr. Michel Abs: "Through the documents we intend to produce, we will address—from an Ecumenical Christian perspective—all phenomena that concern modern humans”

Under the slogan "The Word Became Flesh," and on the occasion of its fiftieth anniversary, the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), in partnership with Télé Lumière and Noursat TV station, launched a new Media Production Center titled "The Platform of the Word." The official ceremony was held on Thursday, November 7, 2024, at the platform's headquarters in the offices of the General Secretariat of the Middle East Council of Churches in Beirut, in the presence of Secretary General Professor Dr. Michel Abs.

Participants in the celebration included:

• Dr. Marie-Thérèse Kreidy, Director of Programs at Télé Lumière and Noursat, representing the station

• Ms. Marutzella Abboud, representing the Near East School of Theology (NEST)

• Journalist Lea Adel Maamary, Responsible of the Platform and Coordinator of the Church and Media Relations at the Council

• Dr. Laure Abi Khalil, Coordinator of the Social Capital Rehabilitation Project at the Council

• The team of the General Secretariat from various departments

Words Praising the MECC Role and Its Purposeful Programs

Aleppo, September 4, 2024

As part of his official follow up visit to the office of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) in Aleppo, the MECC Secretary General Dr. Michel Abs met with the Church Authorities at the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Aleppo, at the invitation of the Metropolitan of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Aleppo, Alexandretta and their Dependencies.

Attendees were alongside His Eminence Bishop Ephraim Maalouli, the Armenian Catholic Archbishop of Aleppo His Eminence Archbishop Boutros Marayati, the Chaldean Bishop of Aleppo His Eminence Bishop Antoine Audo, the Maronite Archbishop of Aleppo His Eminence Bishop Youssef Tobji, the Armenian Orthodox Bishop of Aleppo His Eminence Bishop Magar Ashkarian, the Head of the Armenian Protestant Community in Aleppo Reverend Dr. Harutyun Suleiman, Father Raymond Girgis, the Episcopal Vicar of the Latin Church in Syria, Father Bahjat Karakach, the Head of the Latin Monastery in Aleppo, Father Kommidas Dadaglian, Armenian Catholic Archdiocese, Father Gabriel Azar, the Director of MECC Office in Aleppo Lamis Makhoul, the MECC Coordinator of the Church and Media Relations Journalist Lea Adel Maamary.

What Are the Implications of this Event?

Since the first century AD, the Coptic Church celebrates on the first of June of each year an Ecclesiastical Feast that has a special place in history, geography and civilization, according to the His Holiness Pope Tawadros II, Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of St. Mark. It is the Feast of the Entry of the Holy Family into the Land of Egypt, after taking a journey full of hardships, torments, and dangers, to escape from King Herod.

Hence, the path of the Holy Family carries many spiritual, historical and cultural meanings and connotations, in addition to a tourist aspect, as His Holiness Pope Tawadros II described this path as "a special blessing and a unique gift that God gave to Egypt."

La campaña de las Naciones Unidas «ÚNETE para poner fin a la violencia contra las mujeres» sigue en marcha durante 16 días de activismo en todo el mundo. El Consejo de Iglesias del Oriente Medio participa con ACT Alliance en la campaña y alza su voz para proteger a las mujeres y preservar sus derechos.

Señalando que esta campaña anual de la ONU comenzó en el Día Internacional de la Eliminación de la Violencia contra la Mujer, el 25 de noviembre, y terminará en el Día Internacional de los Derechos Humanos, el 10 de diciembre.

The United Nations campaign “UNITE to End Violence Against Women” is still ongoing during 16 days of activism, worldwide. The Middle East Council of Churches is participating with ACT Alliance in the campaign and raises its voice towards protecting women and preserving their rights.

Noting that this UN annual campaign starts on the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women on 25 November, and ends on the International Human Rights Day on 10 December.

In the new issue of the weekly newsletter Momentum issued by the Communication and Public Relations Department of the Middle East Council of Churches, you can find the weekly message of the MECC Secretary General Dr. Michel Abs, which is entitled “On World Food Day: Humanity Between Schizophrenia and Hypocrisy”. It is written for the founding day of the Food and Agriculture Organization, and the World Food Day, on 16 October.