A Press Conference at the Catholic Media Center Announces the Launch of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity and Its Program
You can find some photos at the end of the text.
The President of the Episcopal Commission for Ecumenical Relations His Eminence Archbishop Youssef Soueif, held a press conference at the Catholic Media Center, during which he announced the launch of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity and its program under the title “There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling”(Ephesians 4: 4), with the participation of the President of the Episcopal Commission for Media His Eminence Bishop Mounir Khairallah, the Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) Professor Michel Abs, the Director of the Catholic Center Monsignor Abdo Abou Kassem, and the Rapporteur of the Episcopal Commission for Ecumenical Relations Father Tanios Khalil.
At the beginning, His Eminence Bishop Mounir Khairallah welcomed the attendees, noting that "working for Christian unity is a priority for all of us because unity is a divine commandment at the very heart of our Christian identity. It embodies the essence of the Church's vocation, which is the call to reflect the unity of our lives in Christ in harmony amidst our diversity."
He added, "Christ himself prayed to the Father for his disciples, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one’ (John 17:21-22). Since his election, His Holiness Pope Leo XIV has prioritized to work for building peace—the peace of the Risen Christ—and strengthening the unity of Christians and the Church.”
Then, His Eminence Archbishop Youssef Soueif delivered a speech announcing the launch of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. He emphasized that "unity is not a choice but a divine commandment… the path of unity is a matter of existence and a way of life." He added, "The Week of Prayer constitutes an open invitation to all Churches to engage in the journey of unity through Prayer, reflection on the Word of God, and joint work. The journey of unity begins with a journey of love toward truth."
Afterwards, the MECC Secretary General Professor Michel Abs delivered a speech in which he said:
"Today we are in front of a global Ecumenical movement, and we are active members of it. We are in a partnership of Prayer and unity, which we celebrate during a week dedicated to it once a year, but we live it throughout the year in different ways…
The Middle East Council of Churches has followed the same path taken by the Ecumenical movement and the Week of Prayer for Unity, in a clear indication also that it is neither an imported system nor a structure imposed from the outside, despite our certainty that the Council is the fruit of interaction between the Churches of the region and the Churches of the West…"
At the end, Father Tanios Khalil presented the program of celebrations for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, which is as follows:
* Opening: Sunday, January 18, at 6:00 pm – Armenian Orthodox Catholicosate, Antelias.
* Bekaa Meeting: Wednesday, January 21, at 6:00 pm – St. Maron Cathedral, Zahle.
* North Meeting: Thursday, January 22, at 6:00 pm – St. Ephrem Syriac Orthodox Church, Tripoli.
* South Meeting: Saturday, January 24, at 6:00 pm – National Evangelical Church, Rmeileh.
* Youth Meeting: Friday, January 23, at 7:00 pm – St. George Greek Orthodox Cathedral, Downtown Beirut.
* Closing: Sunday, January 25, at 6:00 pm – Archangel Raphael Catholic Cathedral, Baabda – Brasilia.
