His Beatitude Patriarch Mor Ignatius Joseph III Younan
Receives the MECC Secretary General Professor Michel Abs
and a Delegation from the General Secretariat
A Meeting that Emphasizes the Importance of Martyrdom in the Church and Strengthening the Ecumenical Spirit
His Beatitude Patriarch Mor Ignatius Joseph III Younan, Syriac Catholic Patriarch of Antioch, and Honorary President of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), received the MECC Secretary General Professor Michel Abs, at the head of a delegation from the General Secretariat, on Thursday, June 25, 2026, at the Patriarchal Residence in Mathaf, Beirut.
Attendees from the Patriarchate were Member of the MECC Executive Committee Chorbishop Habib Mrad, and Father Karim Kalash.
The MECC delegation included Associate Secretary General Mrs. Seta Hadeshian, Director of the Lebanon’ Office in the Diakonia and Social Service Department Ms. Nina Hallak, Finance Director Dr. Laudy El Khoury, Coordinator of the Dialogue, Social Cohesion, and Human Dignity Rehabilitation Programs Professor Laure Abi Khalil, Coordinator of Media and Church Relations Journalist Lea Adel Maamary, Senior Human Resources Officer Mrs. Caroline Haddad, Procurement Officer Richard Sassine, Executive Assistant to the Secretary General Mrs. Maha Samaan, IT Officer Rabih Abou Rjeili, Social Media Officer Johnny Anton, and Communication and Media Officer Elia Nasrallah.
During the meeting, His Beatitude Patriarch Younan welcomed the delegation and praised the important role that the Middle East Council of Churches plays, particularly in promoting a shared Christian witness and fostering the Ecumenical spirit among the Churches of the region.
His Beatitude also spoke about the history and establishment of the Syriac Catholic Patriarchate in Mathaf, highlighting its historical and spiritual significance in the Church life of the region.
For his part, Secretary General Professor Michel Abs thanked His Beatitude for the warm welcome and for his continued support of the Council's work and its Ecumenical and humanitarian mission.
Professor Abs also highlighted the latest developments of the MECC work and the programs it seeks to implement across Theological, Ecumenical, humanitarian, social, media, and organizational fields.
In this context, the participants discussed many Church, Theological, and intellectual issues. They also addressed the theme of the Season of Creation 2026, "Living Water," reflecting on its Theological, spiritual, and humanitarian meanings, as well as the importance of raising awareness of humanity's responsibility as faithful stewards of God's creation and the need to preserve it.
Participants further discussed the martyrs of the Church and the importance of their witness throughout Christian history. They also reflected on the processes of Beatification and Canonization, highlighting examples of holiness and witness. The discussion also emphasized preserving the Church's collective memory and transmitting its spiritual and historical heritage to future generations as a means of safeguarding identity and strengthening a sense of belonging.
At the end of the visit, the Secretary General presented to His Beatitude with the Medal of the 50th Year of the MECC Founding, as a token of appreciation, love, and respect.
He also presented to His Beatitude copies of the book “Towards a Common Date for Easter” – the 1997 Aleppo Statement, in Arabic, published by MECC. This is in addition to digital copies of the book “The Middle East Council of Churches: Complete Record of 23 Symposiums, Round Tables, and Webinars of the Dialogue, Social Cohesion, and Human Dignity Rehabilitation Program”, published by MECC.
In his turn, His Beatitude Patriarch Younan presented to Professor Abs with a commemorative shield bearing, in the Syriac language, the Lord's Prayer “Our Father” and the Prayer "Hail Mary". As well as a copy of the Jubilee book - More Than Half a Century of Giving, commemorating His Beatitude's ministry and marking the spiritual and Ecumenical significance of the visit.