A few days ago, a senior ecumenical delegation held a stand in solidarity with the Palestinians in their suffering through remote communication, due to the impossibility of visiting the Gaza area. In this context, we found it necessary to share with the public the relationship between the Church, the Middle East Council of Churches, and the Palestinian cause.

Supporting vulnerable groups, including youth, women, rural populations, migrants, and refugees, has been a priority in the MECC’s programs and concerns since its establishment.

The deteriorating situation in the region affects additional groups in society, some of whom were previously able to meet their needs but are no longer able to do so. Displacement, inflation, and political and security instability are pushing an increasing number of people into misery, worsening the destitution of many social groups in the absence of comprehensive and sound government policies. It is worth mentioning that the number of these groups is expanding, and statistical indicators have become alarming. Therefore, the Middle East Council of Churches considers supporting these groups to be a key priority in its programs. Palestinian refugees, by virtue of the miserable situation they have been living in for three-quarters of a century, are among the groups in need of support.

MECC and the Palestinians

At the level of social service, immediately after the Nakba, committees were established in Cyprus, Lebanon, and Jordan to serve Palestinian refugees. These were initiatives by local churches, both traditional and evangelical, which gradually evolved into more crystallized and organized forms. This long process reached its peak when the MECC was established, and all these committees were merged into a department that is the largest and oldest in the Council. They were all called the "Department of Service to Palestinian Refugee." This department's central office is currently in Jerusalem and has branches in several areas of the Antiochian Levant.  

The Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) Dr. Michel Abs was the guest of “Kel Yom Byomo” (“Each Day by Day”) program, on Suboro TV, to talk about the most prominent activities of the Middle East Council of Churches, especially the program of events that it is holding on the occasion of the Fiftieth Year of its Founding. 

“To hope and act with Creation”

Under the theme “To hope and act with Creation” and the symbol of “The firstfruits of hope” based on the Epistle to the Romans 8: 19-25, the Ecumenical family in the Middle East and the world unites to celebrate the “Season of Creation” 2024. An Ecumenical, Christian and environmental season that begins every year on 1 September, with the Feast of Creation, and ends on October 4, with the Feast of Saint Francis of Assisi, the Patron Saint of ecology.

In this context, the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) issues the guide for the “Season of Creation” 2024 in Arabic after finishing its translation, as is customary annually. It includes all the details and information about the season and the slogan of this year, in addition to Prayers and suggestions for participating in the celebrations... Hence, you can find below the guide in Arabic, as well as in English.

MECC Implements a New Session of the “Spiritual and Psychological Support” Program for Jordan and Palestine

Within the framework of the “Spiritual and Psychological Support” program implemented by the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), Theological and Ecumenical Department, in various countries of the Middle East, a new session of the program was dedicated for Jordan and Palestine, between 21 and 26 July 2024, at Theodor Schneller School - Amman.

The session, which was titled “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest” (Mark 6: 31), was held at a time when the region is witnessing a series of wars, conflicts, and crises that have burdened the people of the East and disrupted their usual activities. Thus, that they became in dire need of spiritual and psychological accompaniment to help them restore hope to their lives.

 The Diakonia and Social Service Department at the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), Syria’s Office, continues raising awareness among pregnant and lactating women about the importance of breastfeeding and the correct way to care for infants.

This is being done through holding health and Psychosocial sessions for pregnant and lactating mothers in three governorates: Damascus and its countryside, Aleppo, and Dara’a.

These sessions shed light on all aspects related to breastfeeding, the difficulties mothers face with breastfeeding, and clarification of some misconceptions. They also addressed complementary feeding for infants, maternal nutrition, and dietary practices when the child is ill.

Renews the Solidarity of MECC with the Palestinian People:

“The online visit to the Holy Land in which we participated with WCC affirms the determination of the Palestinians and the people of the region to remain steadfast and endure”

Prof. Dr. Michel Abs, the Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), participated in an online solidarity visit to the Holy Land, between 7 and 8 August 2024, organized by the World Council of Churches (WCC) and within the framework of a delegation of Ecumenical Partners from around the world, including the Middle East Council of Churches, ACT Alliance, and Caritas International.

During an online media interview made by the World Council of Churches (WCC) at the end of the visit, Prof. Dr. Michel Abs expressed his regret over the postponement of the visit that the World Council of Churches (WCC) was scheduled to hold in-person to the Holy Land between 5 and 9 August, due to the security developments that occurred in the region.

Professor Dr. Abs also pointed out that the virtual solidarity visit was characterized by a lot of love and fraternity, as it carried a message of hope from the wounded Gaza and the Middle East to the whole world. He continued that the visit constituted “a sign of solidarity and an act of love towards the people of the region who have been suffering for a long time from the scourge of wars and conflicts, as well as from the political, security, social and economic crises that have burdened them.”

An Online Visit to the Holy Land Held by WCC, MECC, ACT Alliance, and Caritas Internationalis

A Media Briefing On the Visit

In light of the difficult security conditions that Gaza and the region are passing through, a delegation from the World Council of Churches (WCC) and Ecumenical Partners from around the world, including the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), ACT Alliance, and Caritas Internationalis, held an online solidarity visit to the Holy Land between 7 and 8 August 2024, as recent developments in the region led to the postponement of an in-person visit originally slated for 5-9 August.

This visit represented an opportunity to accompany the Member Churches and Ecumenical Partners, listen to their concerns and point of views, and raise their voices at a time when the war is worsening in the region, especially in Palestine, and emergency humanitarian needs are increasing at various levels. Therefore, the visit aimed to promote dialogue in order to restore justice and stability, and to remind the world of what is needed to achieve peace in the region.

The visiting delegation included His Grace Bishop Dr. Heinrich Bedford-Strohm, WCC Moderator, Rev. Prof. Dr. Jerry Pillay, WCC General Secretary, Mr. Rudelmar Bueno de Faria, ACT Alliance General Secretary, and Mr. Alistair Dutton, Caritas Internationalis Secretary General, Dr. Audeh Quawas, Member of the WCC Central Committee and Executive Committee, Prof. Dr. Michel Abs, Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), and Mr. Erik Lysén, ACT Alliance Moderator.

An Ecumenical Delegation Holds an Online Solidarity Visit to the Holy Land

The leadership of the World Council of Churches (WCC), accompanied by a delegation of Ecumenical Partners, held an online meeting, on Thursday 8 August 2024, with some Christians based in Bethlehem representing a range of different organizations locally, including Diyar Consortium, Kairos Palestine, YMCA, Department of Services to Palestinian Refugees at the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), Arab Educational Institute, and SABEEL Association.

The aim of this meeting was to listen to the testimonies of the participants and to accompany and support them in light of the difficult circumstances that the region is going through. It brought forth a range of experiences and perspectives from local communities at a time when accompaniment and solidarity are dearly needed.

This session came within the program of the virtual and solidarity visit to the Holy Land which was held between 7 and 8 August 2024, by a delegation from the World Council of Churches (WCC) and Ecumenical Partners, including the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), the ACT Alliance, and Caritas Internationalis.

The World Council of Churches Thanks Ecumenical Accompaniers for Being “God’s presence”

Within the framework of closely reviewing the field relief work in the Holy Land, a delegation led by the World Council of Churches (WCC), which included the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), ACT Alliance, and Caritas Internationalis, held an online meeting, on Wednesday 7 August 2024, with staff from the WCC Jerusalem Liaison Office and with accompaniers from the WCC Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme (EAPPI).

This meeting came as part of the program of an online visit held by the World Council of Churches (WCC) between 7 and 8 August 2024, after postponing the visit that was scheduled to take place in person between 5 and 9 August due to the security developments that occurred in the region. Hence, this visit represented an opportunity to accompany Member Churches and Ecumenical Partners, listen to their voices and perspectives, amplify their calls, and remind the world of what is needed to bring about peace in the region.

The delegation which participated in this virtual visit included His Grace Bishop Dr. Heinrich Bedford-Strohm, WCC Moderator, Rev. Prof. Dr. Jerry Pillay, WCC General Secretary, Mr. Rudelmar Bueno de Faria, ACT Alliance General Secretary, and Mr. Alistair Dutton, Caritas Internationalis Secretary General, Dr. Audeh Quawas, Member of the WCC Central Committee and Executive Committee, Prof. Dr. Michel Abs, Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), and Mr. Erik Lysén, ACT Alliance Moderator.

Emphasizing the Importance of Solidarity and Cooperation Together Towards Peace and Justice

Within the framework of the virtual solidarity visit implemented by an ecumenical delegation to the Holy Land between 7 and 8 August 2024, an online meeting was held with the Higher Presidential Committee of Churches in Palestine, in the presence and participation of the World Council of Churches (WCC), the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), the ACT Alliance organization, and the and Caritas Internationalis. The meeting focused on the current political situation in the region, the need for an end to the ongoing war and seemingly escalating conflict, so that the region may shift into building peace long-term.

It should be noted that the delegation participating in the visit includes His Grace Bishop Dr. Heinrich Bedford-Strohm, WCC Moderator, Rev. Prof. Dr. Jerry Pillay, WCC Secretary General, Mr. Rudelmar Bueno de Faria, ACT Alliance Secretary General, and Mr. Alistair Dutton, Caritas Internationalis Secretary General, Dr. Audeh Quawas, Member of the WCC Central Committee and Executive Committee, Prof. Dr. Michel Abs, Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), and Mr. Erik Lysén, ACT Alliance Moderator.

Together Towards Creating a Media Network Unifying the Voice of the Church

Together we join hands, communicate and build bridges! Together we work to consolidate human values ​​and spread love and fraternity throughout the earth! From this perspective, the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) seeks, through its media activities, to embody these slogans through service, work, and solidarity in order to raise the voice of the Church so that it remains a prophetic voice carrying the call of our Lord Jesus Christ “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid” (Matthew 14: 27).

Given the importance of the role of Christian media, especially in conveying the good word and good News, coordination is being made between various Christian media offices in the Middle East. It aims at enhancing communication among them and work together to create an Ecumenical media network towards unifying efforts and coordinating at various media levels.

In this context, and following the invitation of the Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) Dr. Michel Abs, an Ecumenical media meeting was held on Tuesday 20 August 2024, in the presence of a group of specialists in the field of Church media from various Church Families and countries of the Middle East. They participated in person at the offices of the MECC General Secretariat in Beirut, and online via Zoom.

Will Lebanon Have the Full Peserved Relics of the Blessed Cardinal Aghajanian?

In preparation for the awaited event that will be held by the Armenian Catholic Church in Lebanon, and with the blessed efforts of His Beatitude Patriarch Raphaël Bedros XXI Minassian, Catholicos Patriarch of the Armenian Catholic Church of Cilicia, and President of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) for the Catholic Family, the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) and Télé Lumière and Noursat TV station highlights the inspiring story of the Servant of God Cardinal Patriarch Krikor-Bedros XV Aghajanian. Yesterday's Patriarch and tomorrow's Saint, his proven miracles and unforgettable service bring him closer to beatification. Will his full preserved relics will be soon moved to the heart of Beirut? Watch with us the following report prepared by the Journalist Lea Adel Maamary, the Coordinator of Church and Media Relations at the Middle East Council of Churches, to learn more.

Lebanon is preparing to receive the body of the Servant of God Cardinal Patriarch Krikor-Bedros XV Aghajanian from Rome to Beirut. A press conference that sheds light on this event in the report.

Video - MECC’s Exclusive Interview with His Beatitude Patriarch Raphael Bedros XXI Minassian on the Legacy of Patriarch Aghagianian

With the upcoming preparations filled with uplifting Hope, drawn from within the Luminous Gifts of our Lord Jesus Christ where He bestows His crowns of triumph upon those who were worth being called His Champions of Faith, the Armenian Catholic Church in Lebanon prepares for a special event. We share with you an exclusive interview with His Beatitude Raphael Bedros XXI Minassian, Catholicos Patriarch of Cilicia of the Armenian Catholic Church, and President of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) for the Catholic Family. In this interview, He shares his unique experience lived alongside the Venerable Servant of God Catholicos Patriarch Krikor-Bedros XV Aghajanian and the importance of His relocation from Rome to Lebanon.

It is a path of disappointment, which begins the next day to graduation, after the students rejoice with their friends, families, and professors, and live the saying of Imru’ al-Qais: “Today is wine and tomorrow is matter.”

The joy of graduation is unparalleled, as it defines the space where young people move from the stage of preparation for working life, to fighting the battle of finding their place in society, through the labor market.

When they enter the labor market, disappointments start emerging from institutions that the graduate thinks are waiting for him with open arms to receive him, so he specializes in compiling excuses and polite methods of rejection, just because in my country no one cares about the youth, and no government has made an effort to prepare a place for them in the field of work, nor is it concerned with a better future for them.

Between the beautiful dreams of studying at university, and the painful reality that graduates live in, there is a path of suffering that makes their souls loaded with wounds, and no one knows how it can end.

Painful Stories Amidst a Violent War

The MECC Department of Service to Palestinian Refugees Continues Its Field Relief Work

The ongoing war in Gaza continues and the death toll is rising in light of the dangerous security escalation which the region is witnessing as a result of the conflicts that are worsening there. In this context, a delegation from the World Council of Churches (WCC) and Ecumenical partners, which is conducting a virtual solidarity visit to the Holy Land between 7 and 8 August 2024, was keen to listen to field stories from Gaza in order to convey the voices of those affected and in pain to all parts of the world and to renew the call for the necessity of working to achieve peace in the region.

In this context, an online meeting was held on Tuesday 7 August, bringing together the World Council of Churches (WCC), the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), the ACT Alliance, and the Caritas Internationalis, with medical staff in Gaza who shared their testimonies and daily suffering and highlighted their urgent needs and future aspirations.

Calling for the Release of All Detainees and Respect for Human Rights and Dignity

A delegation from the World Council of Churches (WCC) and Ecumenical partners are continuing their virtual and solidarity visit to the Holy Land. The WCC Moderator His Grace Bishop Dr. Heinrich Bedford-Strohm, and the WCC General Secretary Rev. Prof. Dr. Jerry Pillay, held a meeting with Layan Nasir’ parents, on Wednesday 7 August 2024. Layan is a 24-year-old Palestinian Anglican student who has been detained by the occupation authorities since April 2024.

Noting that the delegation participating in the virtual visit, which extends between 7 and 8 August 2024, includes His Grace Bishop Dr. Heinrich Bedford-Strohm, WCC Moderator, Rev. Prof. Dr. Jerry Pillay, WCC General Secretary, Mr. biBueno de Faria, ACT Alliance General Secretary, Dr. Audeh Quawas, Member of the WCC Central Committee and Executive Committee, Prof. Dr. Michel Abs, Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), and Mr. Erik Lysén, ACT Alliance Moderator.

A Virtual Visit to the Holy Land Held by WCC, MECC, ACT Alliance, and Caritas Internationalis

Together Towards Peace and Reconciliation!

In support to the brothers and sisters in the Holy Land and Gaza in light of the difficult circumstances they are passing through, a delegation from the World Council of Churches (MECC) and Ecumenical partners from around the world, including the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), ACT Alliance, and Caritas Internationalis, held an online solidarity meeting with His Beatitude Patriarch Theophilos III, the Greek Orthodox Patriarch of the Holy City and all Other Palestine and Jordan, and Church Leaders in Jerusalem, on Wednesday 7 August 2024.

This meeting comes as part of a virtual visit program held by the World Council of Churches (WCC) between 7 and 8 August 2024, as recent developments in the region led to the postponement of an in-person visit originally slated for 5-9 August. In fact, this solidarity visit is taking place at a time when the war is worsening in the region, especially in Palestine, and emergency humanitarian needs are increasing at various levels. Therefore, it aims to promote dialogue towards restoring peace and stability.

The delegation included His Grace Bishop Dr. Heinrich Bedford-Strohm, WCC Moderator, Rev. Prof. Dr. Jerry Pillay, WCC General Secretary, Mr. Rudelmar Bueno de Faria, ACT Alliance General Secretary, and Mr. Alistair Dutton, Caritas Internationalis Secretary General, Dr. Audeh Quawas, Member of the WCC Central Committee and Executive Committee, Prof. Dr. Michel Abs, Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), and Mr. Erik Lysén, ACT Alliance Moderator.

Invites You to the Official Reception of the Incorrupt Body of the Servant of God Catholicos Patriarch Krikor-Bedros XV Aghajanian, In Beirut

Thursday, September 12, 2024

His Beatitude Raphael Bedros XXI Minassian, Catholicos Patriarch of Cilicia of Armenian Catholics, and President of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) for the Catholic Family, has the pleasure to invite you to the official reception of the incorrupt body of the Servant of God Catholicos Patriarch Krikor-Bedros XV Aghajanian, in Beirut, on Thursday, September 12, 2024.  

Solemn ceremony on the “Martyr Square” in Beirut, at 7:00 pm, followed by a procession towards His new tomb in the St. Gregory the Illuminator – Dt. Elie Cathedral.