The “Week of Prayer for Christian Unity” 2023 starts with a hope towards a desired and awaited unity since decades. It is a week which includes 8 daily Prayers and extends between 18 and 25 January every year. We unite in Prayer, reflection, and praise to the Lord Jesus Christ. But what does the date of the Week of Prayer symbolize?

In the video, the Director of the Theological and Ecumenical Department at the Middle East Council of Churches Father Dr. Antoine Al-Ahmar explains the significance and meanings of 18 and 25 January.

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 details and photos about the intellectual seminar held by MECC in partnership with the OHCHR under the title "Dignity, Freedom and Justice", for the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, on Wednesday 11 January 2023, at the headquarters of the MECC General Secretariat in Beirut. As for the weekly message of the MECC Secretary General Dr. Abs, it is entitled “The Universal Declaration of Human Rights... and Dignity”, and it was the speech which he delivered at the seminar.

MECC and OHCHR in a Seminar with Recommendations at the MECC’s headquarters in Beirut

"Dignity, Freedom and Justice"

The UN Deputy Special Coordinator for Lebanon Mr. Imran Riza: The Universal Declaration of Human Rights was able to enact rights which protect people and preserve their dignity

Secretary General Professor Michel Abs: we need a culture of human rights in order to make sure that humanity has left the jungle towards society never to return

On the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Middle East Council of Churches, in partnership with the Regional Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), organized an intellectual seminar entitled "Dignity, Freedom and Justice". It was held as part of the MECC work to spread and defend the human rights’ principles, on Wednesday 11 January 2023, at the headquarters of the MECC General Secretariat in Beirut.

Attendees were the UN Deputy Special Coordinator for Lebanon, Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Lebanon, Mr. Imran Riza, Professor Michel Abs, MECC Secretary General, Lebanese Deputy Dr. Michel Moussa, Dr. Habib Charles Malik, Lawyer Dr. Antoine Sfeir, Professor Antoine Messarra, alongside intellectuals, jurists, researchers and activists working for human rights and humanitarian social issues...

The Churches of the World Celebrates the Enthronement Ceremony of the 76th Archbishop

“In Cyprus, the Church has the first word. And all eyes are on me.” With these words, His Beatitude Archbishop Georgios started his new mission as Archbishop of New Justinian and All Cyprus, recognizing the weight of his responsibility assigned to him by God. His Beatitude said these words at his Enthronement ceremony as the 76th head of Cyprus’ Church, on Sunday 8 January 2023, at the Apostolos Varnavas Cathedral in Nicosia. His Beatitude Archbishop Georgios is succeeding the Late Archbishop Chrysostomos II, who died at the age of 81, in November 2022, after a long battle with illness.

And Celebrates the “Week of Prayer for Christian Unity” During this Month

The Communication and Public Relations Department at the Middle East Council of Churches have now issued its online Ecumenical calendar for the month of January 2023. It includes the Ecclesiastical and Liturgical feasts of the various families of Churches in the Middle East. In addition to international days identified by the United Nations, and which are related to the MECC identity and its spiritual and human mission.

Noting that January includes one of the most important international Ecumenical occasions. It is the “Week of Prayer for Christian Unity”, which MECC celebrates it in the region and with the world, between 18 and 25 January, every year.

In the new issue of the weekly newsletter Momentum issued by the Communication and Public Relations Department of the Middle East Council of Churches, the MECC releases the Arabic version of the “Week of Prayer for Christian Unity” Booklet 2023 entitled “Do good; seek justice” (Isaiah 1:17). As for the weekly message of the MECC Secretary General Dr. Abs, it is entitled “A prayer for unity in a time of rupture and loss”, and it is the introduction of the Arabic Version of the Book of Prayers for Christian Unity.

The issue also includes a video message from the Secretary General Dr. Michel Abs within the MECC Executive Committee meeting, which was held on Monday 28 and Tuesday 29 November 2022, at the Monastery of Notre-Dame du Puits in Bkennaya, Lebanon. This is in addition to a video presenting an overview of the youth consultations sessions held as part of the Executive Committee meeting and highlighting their issues and opinions through some interviews. The videos are produced by the MECC Communication and Public Relations Department.

A dialogue Forum in Erbil - Iraq

Towards a Brighter Future!

Huguette Salameh - Erbil, Iraq

Between coexistence, tolerance, managing diversity, rights, citizenship, and freedom of expression... and between religious and social values, dialogue, purification of memory, and historical reconciliation, between all these terms and the harsh circumstances that Iraq is passing through, there are winds of change and terms which are taking the front place in speeches and discourses today. The aim is to form a secular national identity and build a bright future for Iraqis, all Iraqis in Iraq!

Many conciliatory and peaceful terms have been topics of discussion since many years, especially since 2018, under the auspices of the World Council of Churches and in cooperation with the Middle East Council of Churches. In fact, a dialogue Forum was launched in Beirut through two sessions in 2019 and 2021 and entitled "Managing Diversity and Respecting Individual and Collective Rights in the State of Citizenship: The Constitution, school curriculum and media”.

Youth representing various Churches and youth movements in the Middle East, came from Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Palestine, Syria and Lebanon to the Monastery of Notre-Dame du Puits in Bkennaya, Lebanon, to participate in the Executive Committee meeting of the Middle East Council of Churches, which was held on Monday 28 and Tuesday 29 November 2022. They gathered together and raised their concerns, challenges, and suggestions to the Heads and Leaders of the Churches participating in the meeting. What were their aspirations and expectations?

The video presents an overview of the youth consultations sessions and highlights their issues and opinions through some interviews. It is produced by the MECC Communication and Public Relations Department.

Report: November 2022

With talking-heads hinting of a looming global recession in the next year, the Middle East is struggling to cope with the external changes. In addition to all the challenges that each of the countries has, they are being forced to come up with solutions that can guarantee a future. Faced with climate change, overpopulation, unemployment and other related hurdles, ME nations are being tested to their very limit. 

Within the Executive Committee meeting of the Middle East Council of Churches, which was held on Monday 28 and Tuesday 29 November 2022, at the Monastery of Notre-Dame du Puits in Bkennaya, Lebanon, the MECC Secretary General Dr. Michel Abs delivered a message. He highlighted the meeting’s activities and mentioned the most important issues that were discussed, as well as his aspirations and expectations.

In the new issue of the weekly newsletter Momentum issued by the Communication and Public Relations Department of the Middle East Council of Churches, the MECC invites you to its new monthly webinar entitled “Living In Dignity For Persons With Disability”, on Thursday 8 December 2022, from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. You can participate in it via the following Zoom link: shorturl.at/bde19, and live on the MECC Facebook page.

As for the weekly message of the MECC Secretary General Dr. Abs, it is entitled “Lebanon, the surrendered people, the persistent butcher, and the ray of hope”, in which he highlighted the circumstances in Lebanon, in light of the International Day of Commemoration, Honor and Prevention of the Crime of Genocide and the International Day Against Corruption on December 9, and the Human Rights Day on December 10.

“UNITE to End Violence Against Women” is the campaign leaded annually by the United Nations aiming at protecting women and reducing the risks which they may face.

Hence, the Middle East Council of Churches continues, this year, its participation with ACT Alliance in the campaign, stressing the need to preserve women’s dignity, especially since they have an essential role in building societies.

Amidst a rise in violence against woman which put her at risk at various levels, the world participates annually in the United Nations campaign “UNITE to End Violence Against Women”.

Through its participation with ACT Alliance in this international campaign, the Middle East Council of Churches calls for serious and quick action to end violence against women in all its forms and to help them face and overcome it.

The Middle East Council of Churches with the ACT Alliance join the annual campaign launched by the United Nations in the world under the title “UNITE to End Violence Against Women”. The campaign extends during 16 days of activism and awareness to end violence against women and work to preserve their dignity and rights.

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 final statement issued by the MECC Executive Committee meeting held on Monday 28 and Thursday 29 November 2022 at Saydet El Bir Monastery in Bkennaya, Lebanon. As for the weekly message of the MECC Secretary General Dr. Michel Abs, it is entitled “Executive Committee and the concerns of an era”, in which he talked about the importance of the in person meetings, and highlighted the most important decisions taken by the Executive Committee regarding the MECC work and its development.

The issue also includes 2 videos about the first day’s activities of the MECC Executive Committee Meeting, and the sessions organized for youth who were part of the meeting.

At the end of 2022, the Communication and Public Relations Department at the Middle East Council of Churches have now issued its online Ecumenical calendar for the month of December 2022. It includes the Ecclesiastical and Liturgical feasts of the various families of Churches in the Middle East. In addition to international days identified by the United Nations, and which are related to the MECC identity and its spiritual and human mission.

Beirut, November 29, 2022

The Executive Committee of the Middle East Council of Churches held a face-to-face meeting, for the first time after the end of the Corona pandemic, on Monday 28 and Tuesday 29 November 2022 at the Monastery of Notre-Dame du Puits in Bkennaya, Lebanon. The meeting was chaired by His Eminence Anba Anthonios, Metropolitan of Jerusalem and the Near East for the Coptic Orthodox and the President of the MECC for the Eastern Orthodox Family, His Beatitude Patriarch John X, Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, and the President of the MECC for the Orthodox Family, represented by His Eminence Metropolitan Saba Esber, Metropolitan of Busra Houran and Jabal Al-Arab, His Eminence Rev. Dr. Paul Haidostian, President of the Federation of Armenian Evangelical Churches in the Near East and President of the MECC for the Evangelical Family, His Beatitude Patriarch Raphael Bedros XXI Minassian, Catholicos of the House of Cilicia for the Armenian Catholics and President of the MECC for the Catholic Family, with the participation of members of the Executive Committee from Lebanon Syria, Iraq, Egypt, Jordan and Cyprus, representing 21 churches of the Middle East, the Secretary-General of the MECC Dr. Michel Abs, the two Associate General Secretaries Reverend Refaat Fikry and Father Nicolas Bustros, the Executive Secretary of the Association of Theology Institutes in the Middle East (ATIME), Reverend Michael Kanbar, in addition to the General Secretariat team of department directors and administrators.

The Middle East Council of Churches continues its participation with ACT Alliance in the UN international campaign “UNITE to End Violence Against Women Campaign” during 16 days of activism, though pictures that aims to raise awareness about the negative impacts of violence and call for serious action to face it.

Their challenges are many today in the Middle East... Christian youth are the present and future of the Church!

Youth representing Churches and youth movements from Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Palestine, Egypt and Iraq, expressed their opinions and concerns to convey it to the Heads of Churches during the Executive Committee meeting of the Middle East Council of Churches, which is being held on Monday 28 and Tuesday 29 November 2022, at Saydet El Bir Monastery in Bkennaya, Lebanon.