It Declares Qattine Azar as the Largest Cave in Lebanon and the Eastern countries

MECC Participates in the Celebration

The Lebanese Association for Speleology (ALES) held a celebratory gathering to launch its new publication, SpéléOrient Hors-Série, and to announce the Qattine Azar cave in Aintoura El Matn, the largest cave in Lebanon and the Eastern countries. It was held on Friday 7 June 2024, at Salle Montaigne in the French Cultural Center - Beirut.

The celebration was attended by members of the Association, political, social, and cultural figures, as well as university Professors and students, caving enthusiasts, and representatives of many associations and organizations, including the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), on behalf of which the media and communication officer Elia Nasrallah participated. Noting that MECC seeks, through its various programs, to follow up on the environmental issue at various levels in order to work towards preserving and protecting God’s creation.

Following the Lebanese national anthem, the mistress of the celebration, Mrs. Helene Rechmani Maasry, delivered a speech in which she welcomed the audience, stressing the importance of the occasion as well as the importance of the cave in terms of depth, size, length and breadth.

Christ is risen.

A blessed step in a blessed country

Speech by the Secretary General, Dr. Michel Abs, at the inauguration of the new MECC office in Jordan on June 4, 2024

Your Eminence Archbishop Christoforos Atallah,

Your Eminences the heads of the Churches of Jordan and their representatives,

Ladies and Gentlemen current and former Ministers and Deputies,

Ladies and Gentlemen, intellectual, cultural, and economic elites,

Honorable Fathers,

Reverent Pastors,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Today, we are inaugurating a new office of the Middle East Council of Churches in Amman, the capital of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.

The office is new, but the MECC’s presence in Jordan is not, as it has been here for a long time, thanks to church leaders and church members who are committed to serving those who are weary and heavy burdened.

Our long-standing presence here is due to the unlimited support provided to us by the Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem whose Patriarch, highly respected, Kyrios Kyrios Theophilos III we salute as children of the church. His support has enabled the MECC to overcome the crisis that has plagued it more than a decade ago, and he has taken the necessary steps to ensure the Council’s continuity in Jordan.

A delegation from the “Danmission” organization visited the offices of the General Secretariat of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) in Beirut, on Wednesday 5 June 2024. It included Rev. Mads Christoffersen, Danmission new Technical Advisor for “Contextual Theology for Faith and Social Action”, Mrs. Kristen Auken, Regional Director for the Middle East, Mr. Jack Lahoud, Program Manager, and Ms. Rim Haydamous, Communication and PR Officer.

The delegation was received by the Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches Dr. Michel Abs, and Father Dr. Antoine Al Ahmar, Director of the MECC Theological and Ecumenical Department.

Launching of the “Season of Creation” 2024 Guide Via an International Online Celebration

MECC Participating in Prayer

In preparation for celebrating the “Season of Creation” which is awaited annually in the Middle East and the world between 1 September, the Feast of Creation, and 4 October, the Feast of Saint Francis of Assisi, the Laudato’Si movement launched this year’s Season guide, through a celebratory webinar. It coincided with the World Environment Day, on Wednesday 5 June 2024, and included Prayers, reflections, and interventions delivered by Heads of Churches and ecumenical leaders from around the world.

Noting that the “Season of Creation” 2024 bears the theme of “To Hope and Act with Creation,” and the symbol of "The firstfruits of hope," inspired by the Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Romans (8: 19-25).

Dr. Michel Abs at the End of the Delegation’s Visit to Jordan

At the end of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) delegation’s visit to the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, and following the inauguration of the new office of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) in Amman on Tuesday 4 June 2024, His Eminence Archbishop Christoforos Atallah, the Greek Orthodox Archbishop of Jordan, met with the MECC Secretary General Dr. Michel Abs, and the MECC Financial Director Ms. Laudy Al Khoury, and offered each of them an icon of the Holy Sepulcher as a token of love and appreciation.

For his part, Dr. Abs thanked His Eminence for the generous hospitality and fruitful cooperation with the Archbishopric, praising His Eminence’s continuous support for MECC for the good of the Church and society.

As part of his tour program in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan with the aim of inaugurating a new office for the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) in Amman, the MECC Secretary General Dr. Michel Abs, accompanied by the MECC Financial Director Ms. Laudy Al Khoury, visited the Monastery of the Virgin Mary, Fountain of Life in Dibeen, where they were received by His Eminence Archbishop Christoforos Atallah, the Greek Orthodox Archbishop of Jordan.

The tour in the Monastery included a visit to the Church of the Three Hierarchs, which is the most recently inaugurated Church and is located within the Orthodox Center that serves as a headquarters for youth, camps and seminars. Noting that the Monastery was established by His Excellency Archbishop Christoforos Atallah, and includes the only women's Monastic order in Jordan. It is also worth mentioning that a Church dating back to the fourth century was found in the vicinity of the Monastery and was carefully preserved.

The Middle East Council of Churches Inaugurates Its New Office in Jordan

His Eminence Archbishop Atallah Praises the Important Role Played by MECC Over the Past Years in Jordan, and Mentions the Beginning of a New Phase

Secretary General Dr. Michel Abs: The Council will have a connection with the Jordanian society, which is rich in potentials

Hence, we will have created a new synergy between the Council, as a basis for ecumenical work in the region, and a promising country

Under the patronage and with the presence of His Eminence Archbishop Christoforos Atallah, the Greek Orthodox Archbishop of Jordan, and President of the Council of Heads of Churches in Jordan, and in the presence of the Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) Dr. Michel Abs, and the MECC Financial Director Ms. Laudy Al Khoury, a new MECC office was inaugurated in the Sweifieh area at the capital Amman. His Emiennce offered the office to MECC as a generous gesture to be a new ecumenical place directed by Father Ignatius Khalifeh with the support of the Archbishopric.

For the occasion, an official celebration was held on Tuesday 4 June 2024, which began with a ribbon cutting ceremony and a tour in the new office. Attendees were a group of Church, intellectual, social and economic elites, current and former ministers and deputies, and the Archbishopric’s work team.

Together Towards Enhancing Joint Work with Various Churches

As part of his tour in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, the Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches, Dr. Michel Abs, visited the Catholic Center for Studies and Media in Amman, on Tuesday 4 June 2024. He was received by Father Rifaat Bader, the Head of the Catholic Center for Studies and Media and Publisher of Abouna Website, and member of the Executive Committee of the Middle East Council of Churches, as well as members of the team work.

Dr. Abs was accompanied by Father Gerasimos Tashman, Pastor of the Greek Orthodox Church of the Divine Ascension in Khalda - Amman, and the MECC Financial Director Ms. Laudy Khoury.

The Secretary General Dr. Michel Abs Delivers a Lecture at the Orthodox Club - Amman:

“Ecumenism is intertwined with the broader issues that Christianity faces in the world, which are the topic of dialogue, controversy, and even conflict and disagreement”

Within the framework of his tour in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan to inaugurate a new office for the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), and with the blessing and presence of His Excellency Archbishop Christoforos Atallah, the Greek Orthodox Archbishop of Jordan, the MECC Secretary General Dr. Michel Abs visited the Orthodox Club in Amman, on Monday 3 June 2024, where he delivered a lecture entitled “MECC in Its Fiftieth Year, Its reality, Future Vision, and the Challenges of the Next Phase.”

Dr. Abs was accompanied by the Director of the MECC new office in Jordan Father Ignatius Khalifeh, and the MECC Financial Director Mrs. Laudy Al Khoury. The lecture was also attended by the Heads of Churches in Jordan or their delegates, members of the Executive Committee of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), Father Rifaat Bader, the Head of the Catholic Center for Studies and Media and Publisher of Abouna Website, and Dr. Aude Kawas, as well as a large audience of intellectuals and Orthodox elites in Jordan.

Emphasizing the Importance of Strengthening the Ecumenical Work

The Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) Dr. Michel Abs visited the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan at the head of a delegation from the Council including the Director of the MECC new office in Amman Father Ignatius Khalifeh, and the MECC Financial Director Ms. Laudy Al Khoury.

Within the visit program, Dr. Abs and the accompanying delegation met with members of the Executive Committee of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), Father Rifaat Bader, the Head of the Catholic Center for Studies and Media and Publisher of Abouna Website, and Dr. Aude Kawas, Head of the Central Committee of Department of Service to Palestinian Refugees at the Middle East Council of Churches, on Monday 3 June 2024, at the headquarters of Greek Orthodox Archdiocese in Amman.

As part of his visit to the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan with the aim of inaugurating a new office for the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) in Amman, the MECC Secretary General Dr. Michel Abs, headed a delegation from the Council, in a meeting held with His Excellency Archbishop Christoforos Atallah, the Greek Orthodox Archbishop of Jordan. It took place on Monday 3 June 2024, at the Archdiocese Headquarters - Amman. The delegation included the Director of the MECC office in Amman Father Ignatius Khalifeh, and the MECC Financial Director Ms. Laudy Al Khoury.

The Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), Communication and Public Relations Department, have now issued its online Ecumenical calendar for the month of June 2024. 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.

Inaugurating the New MECC Office in Amman

The Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) Dr. Michel Abs, heading a delegation that includes the MECC Financial Director Ms. Laudy Al Khoury, is visiting the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. The delegation is hosted by His Excellency Archbishop Christoforos Atallah, the Greek Orthodox Archbishop of Jordan. The purpose of this visit is to inaugurate the new office of the MECC in Amman, the capital of the Kingdom. Dr. Abs will also meet the new office’s Director Father Ignatius Khalifeh, and will hold a series of different meetings. As well as, he will deliver a lecture at the Orthodox Club, and a speech at the office’s inauguration.

Wednesday 5 June - 4 pm Beirut time

The world and the Middle East are preparing to participate in an ecumenical environmental event celebrated annually during the “Season of Creation.” A season in which Christians unite in Praise of God the Creator, and motivates us to work together to preserve God’s creation. The season extends between 1 September, the Feast of Creation, and 4 October which coincides with the Feast of Saint Francis of Assisi. Noting that the “Season of Creation” this year bears the theme of “To Hope and Act with Creation,” and the symbol of "The firstfruits of hope," inspired by the Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Romans (8: 19-25).

And Under the Auspices of His Eminence Archbishop Mor Krysostomos Mikhael Chamoun

On the occasion of the Fiftieth Year of Its Founding

MECC Invites You to A Conference (In Arabic) on Sayfo

“Keeping Memory Alive - 2”, Delivered by the Secretary General Dr. Michel Abs

Wednesday 12 June 2024, at 6:00 pm

As part of the activities of the Fiftieth Year of the Founding of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), with the blessings of His Holiness Patriarch Mor Ignatius Aphrem II, Patriarch of Antioch and All the East and Supreme Head of the Universal Syriac Orthodox Church, and Honorary President of the Middle East Council of Churches, and under the auspices of His Eminence Archbishop Mor Krysostomos Mikhael Chamoun, Archbishop of Mount Lebanon and Tripoli for the Syrian Orthodox Church, MECC invites you to a conference (in Arabic) on Sayfo entitled “Keeping Memory Alive - 2”, which will be delivered by the Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) Dr. Michel Abs. It will be held on Wednesday 12 June 2024, at 6 PM, at the Saint Jacob of Serug Church Hall, Sabtiyeh – Lebanon.

Restoring Hope Towards Community Resilience

Amidst the difficult security and living conditions that Lebanon is going through as a result of wars and conflicts in the Middle East and the world, the South of Lebanon is witnessing the displacement of its people who have persevered, strove and sacrificed to preserve the heritage of their ancestors, as many families have been displaced to Tire, Sidon, Beirut and other areas to secure a safe haven.

In light of this saddening humanitarian scene, the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), took the initiative, through the team of the Diakonia and Social Service Department in Lebanon, and with the support of its partners, to hasten in lending a helping hand and delivering what is necessary, so that to help those affected to endure, while preserving their basic human.

Hence, this video sheds light on the response of the Middle East Council of Churches, the Diakonia and Social Service Department, Lebanon’s Office, to the crisis that the South of Lebanon is passing through, in addition to its humanitarian and relief field work to support those affected and heal their wounds.

A Round Table Organized by the Middle East Council of Churches

The Secretary General Professor Michel Abs: Between harassment and slavery...awareness and rebellion

Silence prevails in this jungle called sexual harassment

As part of its monthly seminar series, the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) held a round table entitled “Sexual Harassment and Preserving Human Dignity,” on Thursday 30 May 2024, at the offices of the MECC General Secretariat in Beirut. This symposium emphasizes the importance of raising awareness about the issue of sexual harassment and the need for ongoing work to reduce this dangerous phenomenon in societies.

The round table included two sessions in which researchers and specialists from various fields and Middle Eastern countries spoke. The first session revolved around the title “The Dangers of Sexual Harassment for Victims of Assault.” The second session was entitled “Mechanisms for Confronting Sexual Harassment.”

Attendees were specialists and interested people in the topic who participated at in the offices of the MECC General Secretariat or online via the “Zoom” platform. Noting that the symposium was broadcasted live on the MECC YouTube channel (first session - second session).

At the beginning of the coming week, a delegation from the Middle East Council of Churches is heading to the blessed Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. The delegation is hosted by the Greek Orthodox Archbishop of Jordan, His Excellency Archbishop Christoforos Atallah. The purpose of this visit is to inaugurate the new office of the MECC in Amman, the capital of the Kingdom. This comes after His Beatitude Patriarch Theophilos III, Patriarch of the Holy City, hosted the office of the Council and supported it for a long period of time.

This visit was preceded by months of developments, during which interaction and exchange of views continued between the Archdiocese and the MECC. Changes occurred in the nature of the support provided by the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem and the Archdiocese of Jordan, blessed by the Lord. This visit was also preceded by a preparatory visit by a delegation from the MECC to follow up on some matters.

The MECC looks forward to re-strengthening its regional presence, which has declined for a while, for many reasons that cannot be entered into here. In doing so, it is counting on the churches to provide support to launch any work it does and every action. The Working Group does not lose sight of the fact that MECC was established, since its foundation, to serve the Church and society. It has no aims of its own, outside the framework of this service to which the founders themselves were dedicated and delegated it.

“From Taurus to Gaza, 110 Years Since the Bleeding of the East”

The round table, “From Taurus to Gaza, 110 Years Since the Bleeding of the East,” which was held by Hayat Al Howayek Foundation for Cultural Studies, presented many humanitarian and historical issues. It was presided over by the Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) Dr. Michel Abs, with the participation of speakers from various social, religious, cultural, legal and political fields. In this context, the report sheds light on this round table and its sessions.