The MECC Secretary General Dr. Michel E. Abs delivered this speech at the monthly webinar organized by the Middle East Council of Churches under the title “Human Dignity for Newborns of Unknown Parents”, on Thursday 31 August 2023. This webinar is part of the series of monthly seminars launched by MECC, within the framework of the “Human Dignity Project” - “Dialogue and Social Cohesion-Social Capital Rehabilitation”.

Dr. Michel E. Abs

Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches

They came to where they have no place.

They were "unwelcomed guests" in a society unprepared to receive them.

They are the result of a mistake, sin, crime, or any other reason!

“I wish they were not there,” says those who are not ready to receive them or who were not expecting them.

Why did you come into the world, you "unwelcome" children?

With this context, attitude, and thinking, newborns end up on the street, either on a hill of rubbish, or at the door of a temple or institution.

An Environmental Theology Lecture Delivered in Arabic by Archimandrite Euthymios Faqas

A Priest at Saint Elie Chouaya Patriarchal Monastery - Lebanon

With the beginning of the “Season of Creation” 2023, Archimandrite Euthymios Faqas, a Priest at the Greek Orthodox Saint Elie Chouaya Patriarchal Monastery – Lebanon, delivered a spiritual lecture about Environmental Theology with an Orthodox view, under the title “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come” (2 Corinthians 5: 17), which you can find its full text in Arabic. The lecture was part of a Spiritual Retreat organized by the General Secretariat of the Middle East Council of Churches on Friday 1 September 2023, which also marks the beginning of the Ecclesial Year. It was hosted by His Eminence Bishop Costantine Kayyal, the Head of the Saint Elie Chouaya Patriarchal Monastery, at the Monastery.

Due to the worsening conditions in Lebanon’s relatively remote locations, and the absence of government policies to develop such areas, poverty is increasing during a time when humanitarian actors are suffering from donor shortage. However, the Middle East Council of Churches, thanks to its partners’ gracious support, is able to mobilize to alleviate the burdens of several households.

As such, scoring was undertaken, with the help of local Churches, to identify the most vulnerable 400 households among a selection of 500, in the Akkar and South of Lebanon areas. Results were staggering as most of the beneficiaries in Akkar – North Lebanon needed the cash assistance mainly for buying medication then food, whereby in South Lebanon, the majority needed the money to keep a roof over their heads. As such, money was dispatched through a local cash transfer service to the vulnerable households.

A Spiritual Retreat Hosted by Bishop Constantine Kayyal

Head of the Greek Orthodox Saint Elie Chouaya Patriarchal Monastery in Lebanon

Together We Glorify God the Creator!

The “Season of Creation” 2023 started around the world on 1 September, bringing a lot of hope to the world and the Middle East. It is a Christian environmental season during which the Ecumenical family around the world unites in Prayer and working together to protect our common home. The season ends, as every year, on 4 October. Noting that the theme of the Season for this year is “Let Justice and Peace Flow” and its symbol is “A Mighty River”.

In celebration of God’s creation, the General Secretariat of the Middle East Council of Churches organized a Spiritual Retreat on Friday 1 September 2023, which also marks the beginning of the Ecclesial Year. It was hosted by His Eminence Bishop Costantine Kayyal, the Head of the Greek Orthodox Saint Elie Chouaya Patriarchal Monastery - Lebanon, at the Monastery.

Participants in the Retreat were, alongside the Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches Dr. Michel Abs, the Associate Secretaries General of the Council, Father Nicolas Bustros and Mrs. Seta Hadeshian, as well as the MECC General Secretariat’s team from various departments in Beirut, and online with the colleagues from the Council’s offices in the countries of the region.

The New Monthly Webinar Organized by MECC

Secretary General Dr. Michel Abs: Childhood is the basic red line in any society that wants to produce normal adults, and wants to secure a better future for its generations, born and yet to be born

The Middle East Council of Churches continues its series of monthly seminars, and held a new webinar entitled “Human Dignity for Newborns of Unknown Parents”, on Thursday 31 August 2023, with the participation of specialists, academicians, universities’ students and interested attendees in the topic at hand. Noting that this webinar comes within the framework of the “Human Dignity Project” - “Dialogue and Social Cohesion-Social Capital Rehabilitation”, which MECC is implementing consecutively.

The webinar, which was broadcasted live on the MECC Facebook Page, included three interventions, moderated by Dr. Chawki Attieh, who presented in his opening speech an overview about the phenomenon of leaving children without custody, in addition to its causes and the situation of this issue today.

The webinar began with a speech delivered by the MECC Secretary General Dr. Michel Abs, in which he spoke about children with unknown parents…

In light of the severe crises that cast its shadows over Lebanon, mental health is becoming an issue in the country. Therefore, the Middle East Council of Churches, Diakonia and Social Service Department, Lebanon’s Office, continues its implementation of mental health awareness sessions. It organized recently a new session Session to address such a topic. A group of women were invited to the session at Our Lady Dispensary, affiliated to MECC, and located in the Sabtieh region – Lebanon.

During the session, one of the Council’s social workers explained to the participant’s ways of dealing with stress and how to mitigate its impact. Usually, anxiety is the real culprit behind stress and failing to understand or manage it can lead to more significant problems such as depression, unproductivity, social isolation, and in extreme cases, suicide.

A Spiritual Retreat at Saint Elie Chouaya Patriarchal Monastery in Lebanon

How Great are your Deeds, O Lord, All of them are Wisely Done (Psalm 103)

With the beginning of this year's "Season of Creation" around the world, the family of the General Secretariat of the Middle East Council of Churches gathered in a Spiritual Retreat, on Friday 1 September 2023, at the Greek Orthodox Saint Elie Chouaya Patriarchal Monastery in Lebanon. Hence, you can find some highlights about the Retreat in the video.

The Retreat included the participation in the Season of Creation Ecumenical Prayer Service, and a tour in the Monastery. This is in addition to a dialogue with His Eminence Bishop Costantine Kayyal, Head of the Saint Elie Chouaya Patriarchal Monastery, and a Spiritual lecture with Archimandrite Efthimios Fakis. As well as another lecture with Archdeacon Garen Yosulkanian.

O God, bless the crown of the year with your goodness

Report: August 31th, 2023

The Middle East Council of Churches is being involved in the relief and rehabilitation efforts in Syria under the name of "Rescue Syria Campaign" through which the Council shall be dealing with the relief efforts in this emergency period and later on with rehabilitation plans in order to help people survive properly and resume a normal life with dignity.

On Télé Lumière and Noursat

With Dr. Laure Abi Khalil, the Coordinator of the MECC Social Rehabilitation Project

Dr. Laure Abi Khalil, the Coordinator of the Social Rehabilitation Project at the Middle East Council of Churches, was the guest of an episode of “Al Nour Maana” (The Light is with Us) program, on TéléLumière and Noursat. The episode was broadcasted on Thursday 31 August 2023.

During the episode, Dr. Abi Khalil highlighted the “Human Dignity Project” - “Dialogue and Social Cohesion-Social Capital Rehabilitation”, that the Middle East Council of Churches is implementing, especially through a series of monthly seminars that it has launched and revolving around various issues related to human dignity and the Middle East region.

Dr. Laure talked as well about the new webinar that MECC is organizing under the title “Human Dignity for Newborns of Unknown Parents”, on Thursday 31 August 2023, at 7:00 pm. You can click here for more details about the webinar, in which you can participate via the following Zoom link https://shorturl.at/djosI, and live on the MECC Facebook Page.

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 “Season of Creation” 2023 international Guide which was translated by MECC into Arabic. As for the weekly message of the MECC Secretary General Dr. Michel Abs, it is entitled “Season of Creation and the Human Recklessness”, on the occasion of the “Season of Creation” 2023 launching on the 1st of September. In his message, Dr. Abs talked about the environmental concern which is at the heart of the work of the Council and the Church. He also highlighted the MECC environmental activities, stressing on the environmental awareness, and denouncing the environmental carelessness.

In the issue, the Middle East Council of Churches has the honor to invite you to participate in its new monthly webinar, entitled “Human Dignity for Newborns of Unknown Parents”, on Thursday 31 August 2023, at 7:00 pm. You can participate in the webinar via the following Zoom link https://shorturl.at/djosI, and live on the MECC Facebook Page. The webinar, which includes three interventions, will start with an opening speech by its moderator Dr. Chawki Attieh, which will be followed with a speech by the Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches Dr. Michel Abs.

This week, at the beginning of the month of September, is the start of Season of Creation which carries-on until the fourth of October, when the season is closed with an extended ecumenical meeting in a ceremonial no less important than the ceremonial of the launching.

This ecclesiastical season has entered the annual ecumenical calendar, due to international ecumenical efforts and reached us in the Middle East, through the Middle East Council of Churches, 3 years ago, through which activities kept expanding until they include all the countries of the region.

In this context, we must mention that the MECC is the engine for the activities of this important ecumenical season, through the concerned departments and through its blessed leaders, as well as through the member churches who never hesitated to provide all basic facilities for ecumenical activities.

In this context as well, we must mention that the quarterly retreat held by the MECC team at the central level, which happened to be on the first day of the Season of Creation, will evolve around environmental concerns from the point of view of the Creator’s creation, which He created for the humankind and where He embraces Him, be it at the level of prayers or at the level of meditation and thinking. The seminars of this retreat will be animated and coordinated by Church ministers who are concerned with environment or have specialized in it.

The Middle East Council of Churches Congratulates Him

The Middle East Council of Churches extends its warmest congratulations to Hegomen Father Andraos Al Anthouny, and wishes him good health and success in his Preaching mission. MECC also acknowledges the great efforts made by Hegomen Father Andraos, from Lebanon, for the success of the twelfth General Assembly of the Middle East Council of Churches, which was held between 16 and 20 May 2022 at the Papal Logos Center in Wadi El Natrun.

For more details about the ordination, click here to read the news published in Arabic on the Facebook page of the Coptic Orthodox Church in Lebanon.

And Launches the “Season of Creation” For This Year in the Middle East

The Middle East Council of Churches, Communication and Public Relations Department, have now issued its online Ecumenical calendar for the month of September 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 the remaining months of the year will be published consecutively.

As well as, the Middle East Council of Churches launches during September 2023, the “Season of Creation” activities in the region for the third consecutive year through translating the Season’s international booklet into Arabic, with this year’s theme is “Let Justice and Peace Flow” and its symbol is “A Mighty River”. Noting that the international celebrations of the Season start on September 1st and end on October 4 of each year.

What Is the Theme of This Year’s Season?

Since we are co-creatures and part of all that God has made, and our wellbeing is interwoven with the wellbeing of the Earth, the Ecumenical family in the Middle East and the world unites in an annual international environmental Christian Ecumenical season entitled “Season of Creation”, during which we celebrate together through praying and working for the protection of our common home, the Oikos of God.

This international season was launched by the Middle East Council of Churches for the first time in the region in 2021, as it extends annually between 1 September, the beginning of the “Season of Creation” and the days of Prayer for the creation, and 4 October, the end of the “Season of Creation” and the Feast of Saint Francis of Assisi, Patron saint of the environment.

Together We Unite in Prayer and Supplication to God the Creator

The Middle East and the world celebrate a yearly Environmental Christian and Ecumenical season, which is the "Season of Creation". A season during which we unite in Prayer and work together to protect God’s creation and our common home. The season extends between 1 September, the day of Prayer for creation, and 4 October, the Feast of Saint Francis of Assisi, the Patron Saint of the environment.

In celebration of this season, you can find the text of the 2023 “Season of Creation” Prayer.

How Did This Season Started?

The Middle East region will be celebrating an annual, international, environmental, Christian and Ecumenical season entitled “Season of Creation”…

During this season, the Ecumenical Christian family unites around one common goal. The season calls us all to Pray and work together for the care and preservation of God's Creation. The season extends from 1 September, the beginning of the “Season of Creation” and the Prayer days for the Creation, to 4 October, the end of the “Season of Creation” and the Feast of Saint Francis of Assisi, author of the Canticle of Creatures, and Patron Saint of environmental activists in the Catholic Church.