Closing Prayer for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity 2026 in Lebanon
Hosted by His Eminence Bishop Michel Kassarji with the Participation of Church Leaders
His Beatitude Patriarch Cardinal Mar Bechara Boutros Al-Rai:
Unity means meeting at the core, at the essence, in Christ Himself
His Eminence Bishop Kassarji: The Holy Spirit transforms diversity into communion, pain into joy, and fear into hope
MECC Secretary General Professor Michel Abs:
The Ecumenical movement has laid the foundation and paved the way for sustained dialogue and cooperation among the Churches
You can find some photos at the end of the text.
Media of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC)
On the occasion of the closing of the "Week of Prayer for Christian Unity 2026," an Ecumenical Prayer Service was held under the theme “There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling” (Ephesians 4: 4), hosted by His Eminence Bishop Michel Kassarji, Head of the Chaldean Church in Lebanon, on Sunday, January 25, 2026, in the Archangel Raphael Chaldean Cathedral, Baabda - Lebanon.
The Prayer Service, organized and prepared by the Episcopal Committee for Ecumenical Relations of the Council of Catholic Patriarchs and Bishops in Lebanon, in cooperation with the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), was attended by His Beatitude Patriarch Cardinal Mar Bechara Boutros Al-Rai, Maronite Patriarch of Antioch and All the East; His Beatitude Patriarch Mor Ignatius Joseph III Younan, Syriac Catholic Patriarch of Antioch, and MECC Honorary President; His Holiness Catholicos Aram I, Armenian Orthodox Catholicos of Cilicia, and MECC Honorary President; His Holiness Patriarch Mor Ignatius Aphrem II, Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, Supreme Head of the Syriac Orthodox Church of the World, and MECC Honorary President, His Eminence Archbishop Dr. Mor Severios Roger Akhrass, Head of the Department of Syriac Studies at the Syriac Orthodox Patriarchate; His Beatitude Patriarch Raphaël Bedros XXI Minassian, Catholicos Patriarch of the Armenian Catholic Church of Cilicia, and MECC President for the Catholic Family, Represented by Father Mesrob Topalian; Reverend Dr. Joseph Kassab, President of the Supreme Council of the Evangelical Community in Syria and Lebanon, and Member of the MECC Executive Committee, Represented by Reverend George Mrad, President of the National Evangelical Synod in Syria and Lebanon; Father Andraos Al Anthouny, Head of the Coptic Orthodox Church in Lebanon and Syria; and Father Antonios Ibrahim, Head of the Coptic Catholic Church in Lebanon.
As well as, the Prayer brought together Church Leaders, Bishops, Abbots and Abbesses, Priests, Pastors, Monks, Nuns, and laypeople Representing various Church Families, including Members of the MECC Executive Committee: Chorbishop Habib Mrad, and Lawyer Mr. Ibrahim Traboulsi.
Attendees were also the MECC Secretary General Professor Michel Abs, heading a delegation from the MECC General Secretariat that included the Director of the Theological and Ecumenical Department Father Dr. Antoine Al Ahmar, and the MECC media team. This is in addition to Church, social, and cultural personalities, and believers.
The Prayer was led by Father Tanios Khalil, Dean of the Faculty of Religious and Theological Sciences at La Sagesse University in Lebanon, and Secretary of the Episcopal Committee for Ecumenical Relations. Noting that the Cathedral Choir performed many Hymns according to the Chaldean Rite.
At the outset, a welcoming word was delivered by Monsignor Raphael Traboulsi, General Vicar of the Chaldean Diocese of Beirut, who emphasized the importance of praying together for Christian unity—the unity to which Jesus Christ called before his death and Resurrection: “That all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you” (John 17:21).
The service included Prayers according to the booklet of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, as well as reflections read by the Heads of Churches on the intention of Christian unity.
Following the reading of the Holy Gospel by His Beatitude Patriarch Al-Rai, His Eminence Bishop Michel Kassarji delivered a homily addressing various dimensions of Ecumenism. He stressed that Christian unity is not isolation but rather hope and mission; it is a gift, a responsibility, and a call to dialogue and Prayer together, as well as to the preservation of human dignity.
He also mentioned that the Holy Spirit transforms diversity into communion, pain into joy, and fear into hope; the Holy Spirit is the hidden power that preserves the Church. He noted that Christians in this land endure many forms of silent persecution... but the flame of faith will not be extinguished.
For his part, His Beatitude Patriarch Cardinal Mar Bechara Boutros Al-Rai delivered a speech in which he said, “Christian unity is not a human project, nor the result of negotiations, nor the fruit of mutual concessions. Rather, it is first and foremost a gift from God, sought through Prayer, preserved through humility, and lived through love. Therefore, we pray. We dedicate an entire week to Prayer. Because we believe that what plans cannot accomplish, grace accomplishes, and what good intentions cannot achieve, the Holy Spirit achieves.”
He added, “Unity does not mean erasing particularities, obliterating traditions, or dissolving identities. Unity means meeting at the core, at the essence, in Christ Himself. It means differing without quarreling, enriching ourselves without fighting amongst ourselves, and bearing witness together without arguing over who possesses the truth, because the truth belongs to us all.”
Before the Service ends, MECC Secretary General Professor Michel Abs delivered a speech about Ecumenical work, noting that “Throughout its long history, the Ecumenical movement has consistently relied on dialogue to achieve its goals. This has been complemented by activities such as shared Worship, Ecumenical Prayers, and most importantly, the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity and the Season of Creation, as well as joint social work and Theological discussions…”.
He continued, “If we must pause and reflect on the past, with its achievements and shortcomings, we can say that this movement has made fundamental accomplishments. It has laid the foundation and paved the way for sustained dialogue and cooperation among the Churches. It has also led to some mergers between Churches in various parts of the world…”.
At the end, the "Prayer for Christian Unity" was said, and a commemorative photo was taken for the occasion.
