Under the slogan of “I am the light of the world”, Egypt will be launching the days of the “Week of Prayer for Christian Unity” 2022 during many celebrations that will start on Thursday 3 March 2022 and end on Saturday 12 March 2022, organized by the Egypt Council of Churches and the Middle East Council of Churches. Noting that MECC chose the theme of the Week of Prayer for this year “We saw his star at its rising and have come to do him homage” (Matthew 2:2) and prepared its international booklet of prayers.

“Listen to the Voice of Creation”

In response to the call of creation groaning due to human violations, the ecumenical family around the world is preparing to celebrate once again the annual season of creation, which has been launched this year in an online international event held today by the organization of the Laudato Si’ Movement, in the presence of leaders of the different Ecumenical Churches and the participation of Christians concerned by this global issue.

The Association of Theological Institutes in the Middle East (ATIME) held, on Tuesday morning, February 22, 2022, an online meeting that gathered the deans of the faculties and institutes and their representatives from Egypt, Iraq, Syria and Lebanon. It was attended by members of the Executive Secretariat and the Director of the MECC theological and Ecumenical Department Father Antoine Al Ahmar.

The meeting was presided by the President of the Association, and Dean of the Faculty of Religious and Theological Sciences at Université La Sagesse in Beirut Father Tanios Khalil, and moderated by Father Dr. Mikhael Kanbar, ATIME Executive Secretary.

Many thanks to H.H Pope Tawadros II for hosting the next General Assembly

We must work together to contain the post-Coronavirus poverty, unemployment and crises

On Friday, February 11, 2022, the Executive Committee of the Middle East Council of Churches held an online meeting in compliance with the ongoing preventive measures during the Corona pandemic. Members of the Committee from Egypt, Palestine, Jordan, Syria, Iraq, Iran, Cyprus, and Lebanon attended the meeting.

The meeting was presided by the heads of the Church families of the Council: President of the Council for the Eastern Orthodox family His Holiness Patriarch Mor Ignatius Aphrem II, President of the Council for the Greek Orthodox family His Beatitude Patriarch John X, President of the Council for the Catholic family His Beatitude Patriarch Cardinal Mar Louis Raphael Sako, President of the Council for the Evangelical family Reverend Dr. Habib Badr. Other participants were members of the Executive Committee, the General Secretariat team, and the invitees of Secretary General Dr. Michel E. Abs.

“How lovely it is to get together in love our Lord teaches us, When two meet in my name together I will always be in between their gather” (from the “How Lovely” hymn).

On the occasion of the “Week of Prayer for Christian Unity” 2022, the World Council of Churches and the Middle East Council of Churches united in prayer, at the invitation of the team of the World Ecumenical Center in Geneva.

On the occasion of the “Week of Prayer for Christian Unity” 2022, Télé Lumière and Noursat prepared in cooperation with the MECC Theological and Ecumenical Department and Communication and Public Relations Department a special episode focusing on the meanings and importance of the week of Prayer, as well as the aspects and symbolism of Christian unity, especially amidst the difficult circumstances that Christians are going through in the East and the world.

On the kick-off of the "Week of Prayer for Christian Unity" 2022, the Patriarchal Vicar of the Armenian Catholic Church His Eminence Archbishop Georges Assadourian was the guest of the morning show “Yom Jdid” (which means “New Day”) on OTV, on Monday 17 January 2022 to discuss about the week of prayer and the importance of Christian Unity.

As part of the "Week of Prayer for Christian Unity" 2022 activities, MTV interviewed in its morning program Alive, on Sunday 17 January 2022, the director of the MECC Theological and Ecumenical Department Father Antoine Al Ahmar and the member of the MECC preparatory committee of the prayers’ booklet Reverend Dr. Rima Nasrallah from the National Evangelical Church in Beirut to shed light on the meanings of the week of prayer and the importance of Christian unity.

The annual international Prayer Octave will be happening soon, and its preparations are still ongoing, aiming at achieving the goal of building bridges and shortening distances.

The “Week of Prayer for Christian Unity” will be launched next Tuesday on January 18 and will end on January 25. During this week, we pray and sing together praising our Lord Jesus through a special booklet. The theme of this year is focusing on the Christmas star and entitled “We saw his star at its rising and have come to do him homage” (Matthew 2:2).

Dedicar una semana de oración por la unidad de los cristianos podría sugerir que los discípulos de Cristo sólo buscan la unidad durante esta época del año. Sin embargo, rezan por la unidad a diario durante todo el año, con una creencia común en la «Iglesia única, santa, católica y apostólica». Lo que distingue a estos ocho días es que los cristianos de diferentes Iglesias y comunidades rezan juntos, reflexionando sobre un mismo tema, siguiendo un mismo servicio y reunidos localmente en un mismo lugar. Así aparece la unidad en su esplendor, reflejando una verdadera oración cristiana.

Dedicating a week of prayer for christian unity might suggest that Christ's disciples only seek unity during this time of the year. However, they pray for unity daily throughout the year, with a common belief in “One, holy, catholic and apostolic Church”. What distinguishes these eight days is that Christians from different Churches and communities pray together, reflecting on one subject, following one service, and gathered locally in one place.

MECC Has Prepared the Prayer Booklet for the 2022 Week

A Message from the East to the World

“In One, Holy and Apostolic Church” we declare in our Nicene Creed to emphasize the importance of our Christian unity with our Lord Jesus Christ. Heads of churches around the world have always seek to this unity which is today highlighted by Christians through daily prayers and meditations during the "Week of Prayer for Christian Unity" that is scheduled from 18 to 25 January of each year.