The Middle East Council of Churches and the Romaian Cultural Society Announce the Fifth Scientific Conference in a Press Conference
Strengthening Christian Faith Unity: The 1700th Jubilee Of the First Ecumenical Council of Nicaea
Secretary General Professor Michel Abs: It was a decisive Council for faith, settling doubt with certainty and producing the Creed, which the Church continues to follow to this day
Professor Najib Jahshan: Our duty as a cultural Society that sheds light on our ancient Roman heritage, we are holding this international conference to highlight this unique historical event
Engineer Abdallah Hayek: The conference will include sessions focusing on the historical situation and Church issues that preceded the Council, the Council's convening and agenda, and its near- and long-term outcomes
Dr. Elie Mouwakadie: During the conference, Dr. Asad Rustum will be inscribed in the Golden Register of Roman Creators during the conference
You can find some photos at the end of the text.
At the invitation of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) and the Romaian Cultural Society, a press conference was held to announce the “The Fifth Scientific Conference - Strengthening Christian Faith Unity: The 1700th Jubilee Of the First Ecumenical Council of Nicaea”, on Wednesday, May 21, 2025, live from the Platform of the Word at the MECC headquarters in Beirut. Noting that the Fifth Scientific Conference will take place on Saturday, May 31, 2025, at the Liqaa Center in Rabweh, Metn, Lebanon.
Attendees in the press conference, which was broadcasted live on Télé Lumière and Noursat TV Channel, and the MECC Facebook Page, were the Director of the Theological and Ecumenical Department at MECC Fr. Dr. Antoine Al Ahmar, and the Coordinator of the "Dialogue, Social Cohesion, and Human Dignity" program at MECC Dr. Laure Abi Khalil.
Following the Lebanese National Anthem, the press conference began, and was hosted by the Journalist Lea Adel Maamary, the Media Officer, the Coordinator of the Church and Media Relations, and the Director of the Platform of the Word at MECC.
Firstly, a speech was delivered by the President of the Romaian Cultural Society Professor Najib Jahshan, who introduced the Society and indicated that, based on "our duty as a cultural Society that sheds light on our ancient Roman heritage, we are holding this international conference to highlight this unique historical event (the First Ecumenical Council) in all its aspects, circumstances, and consequences. We believe that every human group that does not know its cultural heritage and is not aware of the dangers threatening it is doomed to disappear due to its exposure to successive attacks from the surrounding cultures..."
Afterwards, the Head of the Cultural Activities Committee at the Romaian Cultural Society Engineer Abdallah Hayek, presented the program of the "The Fifth Scientific Conference - Strengthening Christian Faith Unity: The 1700th Jubilee Of the First Ecumenical Council of Nicaea," which will be presided over by the MECC Secretary General Professor Michel Abs. The conference will include sessions focusing on the historical situation and Church issues that preceded the Council, the Council's convening and agenda, and its near- and long-term outcomes.
Then, the Head of the Committee for Honoring Creative People at the Romaian Cultural Society Dr. Elie Mouwakadie addressed a speech introducing the Late Thinker Asad Rustum, who will be inscribed in the Golden Register of Roman Creators during the conference. He highlighted the most prominent milestones in his life and intellectual career, noting that he fulfilled his mission "in the service of the Roman, Arab, and Lebanese intellectual heritage in a great way, thus setting a pioneering example of what a methodical historian committed to science and a researcher immersed in the obscure aspects of history should be. He was a gift from heaven to us, so may his memory be eternal."
At the end, the MECC Secretary General Professor Michel Abs, delivered a speech in which he talked about the Council of Nicaea, saying, "This council, convened upon the instructions of Emperor Constantine I and attended by hundreds of Bishops from around the world, focused on studying the Church's Disagreements over the nature of Jesus, whether it was the same as God's or the same as humanity's, and settled the debate with the heretics. It was a decisive Council for faith, settling doubt with certainty and producing the Creed, which the Church continues to follow to this day. Therefore, it deserves a careful consideration, in our region as well as around the world, as everyone witnesses the large number of seminars and conferences held about it."
The conference concluded with a coordination meeting among the attendees at the offices of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) General Secretariat in Beirut.
