The Media of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) continues its daily coverage of the procedures, meetings, and events related to the election of the new Pope, and the Conclave's procedures, history, and rules.

Follow a daily series of reports, news, and articles about the election of the new Pope and the latest Vatican updates, on the Middle East Council of Churches’ platform.

The Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) have now issued its online Ecumenical calendar for the month of May 2025. 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.

What Are the Latest Updates?

A Ceasefire Call On the Eve of the Conclave

Have They Discussed the Qualifications of the New Pope?

Media of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC)

With hearts filled with hope, the world's eyes are fixed on the Vatican, awaiting the good news that will reveal the name of the new Pope. But will the Cardinals agree on the Pope’s name? Will white smoke billow out from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel?

The answer remains on hold as the chimney becomes stable and ready, and the Vatican prepares for this delicate mission.

The Cardinals are making the necessary measures with complete transparency and objectivity. Daily meetings, highlighted by the Vatican News Website, discuss the issue of the new Supreme Pontiff, who will assume the leadership of the Catholic Church amidst many international challenges. They also address various Ecclesiastical, Liturgical, and social issues that the Vatican will bear in the coming period.

According to the Vatican News Website, the Press Office had previously published a statement in which the cardinals participating in the meetings preceding the Conclave called on the faithful to live this Ecclesial moment as an act of grace and spiritual discernment in listening to God's will. The statement indicated that the Cardinals recognize the importance of the responsibility to which they are called, but they hope the faithful will pray for them, emphasizing the need to be meek instruments of the wisdom and providence of the Heavenly Father in obedience to the Holy Spirit.

Historical Traditions Honoring the Virgin Mary

Exclusive: Media of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC)

“Hail, Mary! Full of grace, The Lord is with thee; Blessed are thou among women” (Luke 1: 28). Blessed are you, Mary, the greatest and holiest woman! Blessed is your obedience and the fruit of your womb! How great is your motherhood, full of grace!

The Virgin Mary, the Mother of Jesus and the entire universe, is the Queen of Peace, the safe haven, and the source of all comfort and love. She accepted with all her heart God's will of salvation: "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word" (Luke 1: 38), becoming a model of purity, obedience, and holiness. The Mother of God and the Mother of Light is the savior from adversity, the pride of creation, and the ocean of gifts from which we draw all strength and hope.

In honor of her and to glorify her love, the Catholic Church has dedicated an entire month to the Virgin Mary in May of each year. This month bears many Prayers and hymns to the Mother of God, asking for her protection and intercession. Believers flock to her Shrines to seek her blessing. This month is characterized by peace, hope, and purity, sowing joy, reassurance, and tranquility in the hearts of the beleivers.

But when does this special Marian Month begin?

Ongoing Ecumenical Cooperation!

As part of her visit to Lebanon, the World Council of Churches (WCC) Programme Executive for the Middle East Mrs. Carla Khijoyan, met with the Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) Professor Michel Abs on Friday, April 25, 2025, at the MECC headquarters in Beirut. The meeting was attended by the MECC Associate Secretary General Mrs. Seta Hadeshian.

During the meeting, both sides exchanged the latest developments in the work of the World Council of Churches and the Middle East Council of Churches, as well as their efforts to consolidate the Ecumenical spirit and achieve their desired humanitarian goals despite all challenges.

Coordination and exchange of expertise also took place regarding the ongoing preparations for the WCC Sixth World Conference on Faith and Order, which will be held on the occasion of the 1700th Anniversary of the First Ecumenical Council in Nicaea in 325, under the theme “Where Now for Visible Unity?”. The conference will be convened between 24 and 28 October 2025, at the Papal Logos Center in Wadi El Natroun - Egypt.

At the Franciscan Convent - Tripoli, Lebanon

Its components, and the Meanings that this Historic Church Event Bears

His Eminence Is Interviewed By the Journalist Lea Adel Maamary

The Entire World Awaits the White Smoke, and the Countdown to the Announcement of the New Pope Has Begun!

Exclusive: Media of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC)

Angels rejoice and Church bells ring around the world... Prayers and hymns are raised, and the scent of incense wafts in every corner of the earth. Is it joy or sorrow? Do we mourn the passing of the Pope of mercy and peace, or rejoice over the legacy he left behind? Of course, it's a heavenly wedding... Pope Francis enters the Kingdom of God, fulfilling a human mission in every sense of the word. Hoping that the Pope's humanity would be taught in schools, universities, and societies where humans lack their humanity.

A heavenly wedding is matched by an Ecumenical wedding on earth, in St. Peter's Square in the Vatican... this square where crowds of pilgrims used to flock to seek His Holiness's blessing. But this time the scene is very different... sadness is mixed with the joy of the Resurrection, and thus the Divine Will willed that His Holiness Pope Francis pass into the arms of the Father on Easter Monday, at the time of the Lord's Resurrection.

What Did He Want from Them?

World Youth Participates in His Funeral, Grateful for What He Offered Them

Media of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC)

Pope Francis has been engaged in addressing many international issues, calling for peace and love, and affirming his support for every human being on earth. However, amidst all the urgent developments the world is experiencing, he did not forget the youth who are also struggling with life’s challenges. Throughout his Papacy, he carried their concerns and anxieties, and was their father, guide, and closest friend to God.

“Learn to listen to others,” this is what Pope Francis asked young people in a video message he recorded a month before his hospitalization. He reminded them of the importance of listening to others and emphasized listening to grandparents, who teach us so much.

Amidst the great noise surrounding youth today and their endless daily pressures, the Holy Father wanted to emphasize the need to slow down and listen. He said in his message, “Dear boys and girls, one of the most important things in life is to listen—to learn how to listen," said the late Pope. "When someone speaks to you, wait for them to finish so you can really understand, and then, if you feel like it, respond. But the important thing is to listen.”