The Secretary General Professor Michel Abs and an MECC Delegation Visit His Beatitude Patriarch Raphaël Bedros XXI Minassian
Words Emphasized that: “Martyrdom is a Historical Memory to Heroism and Faith”
You can find some photos at the end of the text.
The Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) Professor Michel Abs headed an MECC delegation on a visit to 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, on Thursday, November 13, 2025, at the Patriarchate in Geitawi - Achrafieh, Lebanon.
The MECC delegation included the Associate Secretary General Mrs. Seta Hadeshian, the Coordinator of Media and Church Relations the Journalist Lea Adel Maamary, the Executive Assistant to the Secretary General Mrs. Maha Semaan, and the Communication and Media Officer in the Communication and Public Relations Department Elia Nasrallah.
Following a closed meeting between His Beatitude and the Secretary General, the attendees gathered in the Patriarchal Hall, where Patriarch Minassian welcomed the MECC delegation, commending the Council's work and its role in building bridges and fostering rapprochement among the various Churches.
For his part, the Secretary General Professor Michel Abs congratulated His Beatitude on the Canonization of seven new Blesseds, including Bishop Ignatius Maloyan, praising the celebration presided over by His Holiness Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican for the occasion. Professor Abs also briefed His Beatitude on his tour in the Vatican as part of his participation in the Canonization ceremony.
In this context, Professor Abs confirmed his participation in the Thanksgiving Mass that will be presided over by Patriarch Minassian on the occasion of the Canonization, on Saturday, November 15, 2025, at the Basilica of Our Lady of Lebanon in Harissa.
The attendees also emphasized the need to preserve the Christian identity in the land of Martyrs and Saints and to protect it from any wave of extremism or danger. They discussed the subject of martyrdom, affirming that it is a historical record demonstrating heroism and faith, and noting that the Beatification of new Saints is an important and powerful act.
At the end, His Beatitude Patriarch Minassian offered the Secretary General Professor Michel Abs a Medal of Saint Ignatius Maloyan and commemorative souvenirs related to the Sanctification as a token of love and appreciation. As well as, each member of the visiting delegation received some of these souvenirs.
