“Momentum”

14-11-2025

This issue includes reports, videos, news, articles, and a full coverage of the latest developments of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), as well as the Church, Ecumenical, and social events…

This is in addition to the weekly word of the MECC Secretary General Professor Michel Abs which is entitled in this issue “Middle East Council of Churches: A Haven of Dialogue and Reconciliation”. It i the word that he delivered at the celebration commemorating the sixtieth anniversary of the document "Nostra Aetate", held on Saturday, November 8, 2025, at the Maronite Patriarchal Edifice in Bkerke, Lebanon.

You can check the issue via the following link:
https://mailchi.mp/b89c6082499a/momentum-mecc-weekly-newsletter.

You can also subscribe to the Momentum Newsletter via the following link:

https://mecc.us14.list-manage.com/subscribe?id=fd3381352a&u=1db32cafe9ea32b38eb90480a.

Media Middle East Council of Churches (MECC)

With the blessings and presence of His Beatitude Cardinal Mar Bechara Boutros Al-Rai, Maronite Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, and President of the Council of Catholic Patriarchs and Bishops in Lebanon, a celebration was held to mark the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea (325 AD). The event took place at the invitation of the Ecumenical Relations Committee and the Theological and Biblical Committee of the Council of Catholic Patriarchs and Bishops, and the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC).

The ceremony, held on Friday, November 15, 2025, in the lectures hall of the Maronite Patriarchal Edifice in Bkerke, Lebanon, was attended by His Holiness and Beatitude the Patriarchs of the Eastern Churches, Archbishops and Bishops, including the Catholic Bishops of Lebanon gathered for their 58th session, and His Excellency the Apostolic Nuncio to Lebanon Archbishop Paolo Borgia.

Participants were also the Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) Professor Michel Abs, the MECC Associate Secretary General Father Dr. Nicolas Bustros, the Director of the MECC Theological and Ecumenical Department Father Dr. Antoine Al Ahmar, the MECC media team, Priests, Monks and Nuns, Seminarians, specialists from various fields, and guests from different Church Families.

Words Emphasized that: “Martyrdom is a Historical Memory to Heroism and Faith”

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.

Youth Meeting in Bkerke: A Celebration of Faith and Witness

Media of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC)

December 1, 2025, is a day of joy for every young man and woman. It is a day when youth renew their hope and strengthen their determination to continue working for peace. It is the day they will meet with His Holiness Pope Leo XIV, who comes to Lebanon carrying Jesus Christ in his heart and bringing the Lord's peace to a nation yearning for tranquility and stability.

His Holiness Pope Leo XIV's meeting with the youth of Lebanon is the first of its kind outside the Vatican. It will be a spiritual and national event through which the Holy Father places his great trust in the younger generation, sowing much joy and hope in their hearts. December 1 is an event that crowns the role of youth, the future of Lebanon and its mission.

In this context, the media of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) continues to highlight the meeting of His Holiness the Pope with the youth, as it had prepared a report about the slogan of the meeting, and hosted, through its pages in the “Platform of the Word”, guests who spoke in various segments about this anticipated event.

The Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) have now issued its online Ecumenical calendar for the month of November 2025. It includes the Ecclesiastical and Liturgical Feasts of the various Families of Churches in the Middle East. In addition to international days identified by the United Nations, and which are related to the MECC identity and its spiritual and human mission.

Produced by the Middle East Council of Churches

“Ecumenical Horizons” is a weekly program that features spiritual, cultural, intellectual, educational, youth and environmental topics.

The Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) continues its dedicated efforts to support the educational process and provide a healthy, safe school environment that protects students.

Recently, these efforts were translated into action through the rehabilitation of six schools in Dara’a Governorate, implemented through the MECC Diakonia and Social Service Department, Syria’s Office.

The project contributed to improving Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) facilities, upgrading classrooms and hallways, and ensuring a more comfortable environment for both students and teachers.

The renovation works included the rehabilitation of sewerage system infrastructure and its fittings, maintenance of the drinking water network, and the installation of faucets, toilets, doors, tiles. In addition, new water tanks were installed, painting works were carried out, and canopies were added in the schoolyards to protect students from the sun and rain.

An Historic Event that Strengthens the Human Values Uniting All Components of the Society

Media of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC)

In preparation for the visit of His Holiness Pope Leo XIV to Lebanon, bearing the slogan " Blessed Are the Peacemakers," the Catholic Media Center in Lebanon held a press conference announcing the details of the national event and the Ecumenical and Interreligious meeting that will take place as part of the Holy Father's visit program, on Monday, December 1, 2025, at 4:00 pm at the Martyrs' Square in Beirut.

The press conference, held on Tuesday, November 11, 2025, at the Catholic Media Center in Beirut, began with a speech by Monsignor Abdo Abou Kassem, Director of the Catholic Media Center, and the Church Media Coordinator for the Pope's visit to Lebanon. He spoke about the importance of the conference, which highlighted the details of the Ecumenical and Interreligious meeting, emphasizing its role in strengthening love, dialogue, and fraternity within Lebanese society which is characterized by its rich cultural diversity.

The Middle East Council of Churches Participates in the Ceremony Held for the Occasion

“Momentum”

7-11-2025

This issue includes reports, videos, news, articles, and a full coverage of the latest developments of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), as well as the Church, Ecumenical, and social events…

This is in addition to the weekly word of the MECC Secretary General Professor Michel Abs which is entitled in this issue “Between Education and Dignity: A Society in Crisis”. It i the word that he delivered at the seminar organized by MECC under the title "Education in Lebanon and Human Dignity", on Thursday, November 6, 2025, at the MECC headquarters in Beirut.

You can check the issue via the following link:
https://us14.campaign-archive.com/?u=1db32cafe9ea32b38eb90480a&id=c288b4ac90.

You can also subscribe to the Momentum Newsletter via the following link:

https://mecc.us14.list-manage.com/subscribe?id=fd3381352a&u=1db32cafe9ea32b38eb90480a.