Following the Earthquake that Shook the North of the Antiochian Levant

After the devastating earthquake that struck the North of the Antiochian Levant, the Middle East Council of Churches’ team in Syria made an interview with His Eminence Archbishop Mor Boutros Kassis, Syriac Orthodox Archbishop of Aleppo, in which, and via the following video, he describes the suffering of the Syrian people due to the war and today as a result of the catastrophic earthquake.

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 “Medical Ethics, the Physician and Society”. It was the speech he delivered at the monthly webinar organized by MECC under the title of “Medical Ethics and Human Dignity”, on Thursday 23 February 2023.

In the issue, the Secretary General Dr. Abs congratulates Reverend Joseph Kassab, member of the MECC Executive Committee, on his re-election as President of the Supreme Synod of the Evangelical Community. He also congratulates the members of the administrative office and the Executive Committee of the Synod, on their election. It was during the general meeting of the General Assembly of the Supreme Council of the Evangelical Community.

The issue also presents a news about the participation of the Secretary General Dr. Abs in the ordination of Jirair Ghazarian who was granted the title of "Verabadveli", in the Armenian Evangelical Church. It was held at the invitation of The Union of the Armenian Evangelical Churches in the Near East (UAECNE), on Sunday 26 February 2023, at the First Armenian Evangelical Church, in Beirut.

The Middle East Council of Churches, Communication and Public Relations Department, have now issued its online Ecumenical calendar for the month of March 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.

Mohamad Bitar Explains the Difficult Situations He Passed Through with His Family

On 6 February 2023, God gave Mohamad Bitar a new baby in Syria. A moment that is supposed to be one of the most beautiful moments in his life. However, the baby’s birth coincided with the time when the earthquake struck the North of Antioch.

A moment as if it were forever for Mohammad, who describes in the video the difficult conditions he passed through in order to save his newborn and family from among the rubble. Noting that his children are epileptic, and one of his daughters had a seizure while the earthquake occurred.

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 a news about the participation of the MECC Secretary General Dr. Michel Abs, at the Last Judgment Sunday Mass, presided over by His Beatitude Patriarch John X, Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch and All the East and MECC President for the Orthodox Family, on Sunday 19 February 2023, at Our Lady of Balamand Patriarchal Monastery in Lebanon. This is in addition to details about the meeting of Dr. Abs with His Beatitude Patriarch John X, and also with Archimandrite Dr. Jack Khalil, President of the Association of Theological Institutes in the Middle East (ATIME).

As for the weekly message of the MECC Secretary General Dr. Michel Abs, which title is “The Northern Antiochian Levant, A Glimmer of Hope in the Heart of Tragedy”, he talked about the tragedies and sufferings that Antioch has always witnessed over the decades. He added that we should never give up in the face of difficulties and work to support the neediest and most vulnerable people, so that Antioch remains, as His Beatitude Patriarch John X said in his Sunday Homily, “the glorious Bride of Christ.”

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 statement issued by MECC following the earthquake that hit the north of the Antiochian Levant, in which the MECC calls on the international community for emergency aid and urges for lifting the sanctions on Syria. As for the weekly message of the MECC Secretary General Dr. Michel Abs, which title is “Reflections on harsh times”, and has the subtitle “On the sidelines of the earthquake in the north of the Antiochian Levant”, he praises the rescue and relief work being made by various parties in Turkey and Syria, which were affected by the earthquake. He also stresses the importance of assisting others’ during their tragic times and helping the neediest.

Following the catastrophic earthquake that struck Syria and hit it to the core, the team of the Middle East Council of Churches in Syria made an interview with His Eminence Ephraim Maalouli, Greek Orthodox Metropolitan of Aleppo, Alexandretta and Dependencies, in which, and via the following video, he describes the first moments of terror they passed through due to the earthquake and how the Church worked to heal the wounds of the affected and afflicted people.

Video - Georges Batikha Survives the Disaster and Highlights the Urgent Needs

The earthquake which occurred at dawn on Monday 6 February 2023, was nothing but a fatal blow to the Syrians, who lost everything they owned. Immediately, the Middle East Council of Churches launched a relief appeal calling on the international community to support the Syrian people, urging the lifting of sanctions on wounded Syria.

Hence, the MECC team in Syria is seeking to heal the wounds of the afflicted people and support them on various levels.

In the video, Georges Batikha, a survivor of the earthquake, describes the difficulties they witnessed during the first actions they had to make following the disaster, stressing that the urgent needs are increasing daily.

Video - Rogina Makhoul Describes the Fear of the Afflicted Families and Children

The situation in Syria is very touching... Children are living in constant anxiety, families keep praying, hoping that hope will be restored despite all the pain. In fact, the earthquake that hit Syria is a great tragedy which left many people without a roof protecting them.

The Middle East Council of Churches, in coordination with the Churches of Syria, is making its efforts to help those affected. MECC launched an appeal in which it calls on the world to support Syria and help the country overcome this ordeal, and urges for the lifting of sanctions on the Syrian people.

In the video, Rogina Makhoul, a mother who survived the earthquake, highlights the first moments of terror that they experienced, describing the state of panic, fear and anxiety that families in Syria are suffering from.

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 statement issued by MECC following the earthquake that hit the north of the Middle East, in which the Council calls on the international community for emergency aid and urges for lifting the sanctions on Syria. As for the weekly message of the MECC Secretary General, Dr. Abs, which title is  “Listen, Little Creature!”, he stresses the repercussions of the catastrophe that struck Syria following the earthquake and the suffering of the Syrian people due to the blockade. He also mentioned how people are weak amidst huge events, and their need to the Creator’s love and to cling to Christian’s values. Dr. Abs called again for the lifting of sanctions on the country.

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, entitled “Interfaith Harmony”, on the occasion of the International Week of Interfaith Harmony which extends from 1 to 7 February every year.

The issue also includes a news about the visit of the MECC Secretary General Dr. Michel Abs, heading an MECC delegation, to His Holiness Catholicos Aram I, Catholicos of the Armenian Church, Holy See of Cilicia, at the Catholicosate in Antelias, Lebanon.

Report: January 2023

Despite the positive advancements some Middle East countries are witnessing, others such as Egypt, Lebanon, Syria, and Palestine are struggling amid economic difficulties. So far, global inflation has yet to let up and global recession might be soon upon us. As such, it will be difficult for most of these countries to maneuver past all the global changes. Hopefully, better off countries, especially those that benefited from the increase in oil prices, would offer assistance or forms of partnership that can boost the regional economy.       

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 about the round table organized by MECC, as part of its monthly seminars, under the title “The Prisoner and Human Dignity”, on Thursday 26 January 2023, at the MECC Headquarters in Beirut. As for the weekly message of the MECC Secretary General Dr. Abs, it is entitled “Between punishment and Reform... Dignity”, and it was the speech which he delivered at the beginning of the round table.

The Communication and Public Relations Department at the Middle East Council of Churches have now issued its online Ecumenical calendar for the month of February 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.