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.

What Are the Celebrations that Will Be Held on the Occasion?

The Middle East and the world celebrate the "Week of Prayer for Christian Unity" between January 18 and 25 of each year. An Ecumenical station during which we Pray and sing together praising our Lord Jesus through a special booklet, which is entitled this year “There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling”
(Ephesians 4: 4).

As is customary every year, Christians from different Church Families participate in celebrations during which they unite in Prayer on the intention of a unity that they long for.

In this context, we issue in Arabic the program of celebrations of the "Week of Prayer for Christian Unity" that will be held this year in various Lebanese regions.

Week of Prayer Booklet: https://www.mecc.org/mecc/2025/12/29/the-middle-east-council-of-churches-issues-the-arabic-version-of-the-week-of-prayer-for-christian-unity-booklet-2026.

Arabic Translation of the 1997 Aleppo Statement and Details of the Proceedings of the Global Symposium “Easter 2025: Celebrating together to strengthen unity”

As part of its mission in promoting Theological dialogue, strengthening the Ecumenical spirit, and addressing Ecclesial issues related to unity, the Theological and Ecumenical Department (TED) at the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) releases a new publication for the 1997 Aleppo Statement related to the common date of celebrating Easter/Resurrection. This publication responds to a renewed Ecclesial and intellectual need in our region and reflects ongoing discussions on this issue at the local, regional, and global levels.

This publication comes at a highly significant Ecumenical context, coinciding with the 1700th Commemoration of the First Ecumenical Council of Nicaea (325) and the unified date of Easter in all Churches in 2025. This has revived the old-new hope that the common celebration of the Feast can become a permanent rule, not a fleeting exception. It also reflects the desire of the MECC to actively contribute to a deeper understanding of the roots of the existing differences surrounding the date of Easter, the Biblical, Theological, and historical foundations that have governed its emergence and development, and the serious Ecumenical efforts made over the decades to address it.

A New Workshop Within the “Trauma Healing and Spiritual Counseling for Church Ministers” Program

As part of its commitment to supporting those most affected by the difficult social and security conditions in the region, the Theological and Ecumenical Department of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) continues the implementation of its two-year program, “Trauma Healing and Spiritual Counseling for Church Ministers” (THSC).

Within this framework, a new THSC workshop was held at Saydet el Bir Monastery in Lebanon from 7 to 12 December 2025. The workshop brought together participants from different Church Families and diverse contexts marked by conflict and suffering. Participants came from several regions of Lebanon, including the South—particularly Rmeich—as well as religious sisters from Syria currently residing in Lebanon.

The group also included individuals who had lived through multiple wars in Lebanon, including participants directly affected by the 4 August 2020 Beirut Port explosion. Among the participants were a nun from Iraq, sisters engaged in healthcare ministries in Lebanon—particularly in the care of cancer patients—and nuns serving in hospitals who experienced the events of 4 August firsthand. By bringing together these diverse experiences, the workshop created a rich Ecclesial space of encounter, Prayer, and mutual support.

Spiritual and Psychological Support Sessions for Church Ministers

As part of supporting the most affected people by the difficult social and security situations in the region, the Theological and Ecumenical Department at the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) continues the implementation of its two-year program on “Trauma Healing and Spiritual Counseling” for Church Ministers

Therefore, a new session of the program for Church Ministers in Iraq was organized, hosted by the Syriac Catholic Archdiocese of Mosul in Baghdida (Qaraqosh), with the blessings of His Eminence Archbishop Mar Benedictus Younan Hano, Syriac Catholic Archbishop of Mosul and Its Dependencies. It was held from 23 to 28 November 2025, in the Mosul region, in the Nineveh Plain.

Twenty-two participants—men and women, including laypeople, priests, pastoral workers, individuals displaced from the Nineveh Plain, and family members of the victims of the tragic fire that claimed 243 lives and left many others injured—took part in the session.

As part of the "Trauma Healing and Spiritual Counseling for Church Leaders" program, the Theological and Ecumenical Department at the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) is conducting a training course for sisters and brothers in Iraq at the Syriac Catholic Archdiocese of Mosul in Baghdeda (Qaraqosh), from November 23 to 28, 2025.

Within this training, a spiritual meeting was organized for the Syriac Women's Forum – the Sisters of the Virgin Mary Forum for Syriac Catholics in Baghdeda – Qaraqosh – Hamdaniya, Nineveh Governorate, at the initiative of the Forum's Spiritual Guide Father Roni Momika. Father Anthony Kazzi, a Member of the program's team of specialists, delivered a spiritual talk about the Virgin Mary, who accepted the Annunciation with faith and obedience, reflecting on her role in the journey of Salvation and her profound connection to every believer.

Under the Title "Peace with Creation, Spiritual and Practical Perspectives from the East"

10-11 October 2025 - At the Coptic Orthodox Cathedral, Abbassia - Cairo

On the occasion of World Mental Health Day and the beginning of the week of global celebrations of the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea in Egypt, the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) organized an environmental science day with members of the Coptic Evangelical Organization and the Bishopric of Public, Ecumenical and Social Services (BLESS) in the Coptic Orthodox Patriarchate, at the Anaphora Oasis in Egypt. The event took place on Friday, October 10, 2025.

The environmental day began with a gathering of experts from Egyptian universities and the Ministry of Environment at St. Mark's Cathedral in Abbassia. Father Movses (Garen) Yosolkanian welcomed the attendees in the Anaphora Oasis. His Eminence Metropolitan Thomas, Director of the Oasis and Metropolitan of El-Qusiya and Mir, in Assiut Governorate, joined the meeting.

In the garden and forest of the Nazareth Monastery in Ain Alak, Lebanon, members of the Scouts of Lebanon (Les Scouts du Liban) gathered to pray for the Season of Creation 2025, on Sunday, September 28, 2025.

The Prayer was attended by Father Father Movses, an Armenian Cilician Monk, from the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), who gave an introduction about the Season of Creation and the care of creation, highlighting the importance of scouting activities and their role in preserving the garden of social peace.

The Middle East Council of Churches Participating

With a lot of joy and hope, the Ecumenical family around the world concluded the “Season of Creation” 2025 with an online Prayer celebration under the theme of the year "Peace with Creation." The celebration was organized by the Ecumenical Youth Committee in the “Season of Creation”, on Saturday, October 4, 2025, coinciding with the Feast of Saint Francis of Assisi, the Patron Saint of Ecology. Noting that the Season began on September 1, with the Feast of Creation.

The Prayer was led by the Coordinator of the Eco Justice Unit at the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) Father Movses Yosolkanian, and Daisy Yator representing the youth of ACT Alliance international organization. They emphasized the importance of amplifying youth voices and strengthening the role of youth in working to protect God's creation.

Saturday, October 4, 2025 – 4 pm Beirut Time

In a world immersed in wars and conflicts, the “Season of Creation” 2025 ends on October 4, with the Feast of Saint Francis of Assisi, the Patron Saint of ecology, as is customary annually, after it had started on 1 September, with the Feast of Creation.

On this occasion, the Ecumenical Youth Committee in the “Season of Creation” is organizing an international online celebration, with to Pray and praise God the Creator, with the participation of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) represented by the Coordinator of the Eco Justice Unit Father Movses Yosolkanian. It will be held on Saturday, October 4, 2025, at 4 pm Beirut time, and you may join it by clicking here.

Let us participate together in this celebration and unite in Prayer on the intention of creation and our common home, hoping to achieve peace in the Middle East and the world. Noting that this year's "Season of Creation" carries the theme “Peace with Creation” and the symbol of “Garden of Peace”, inspired by Isaiah 32: 14-18.

at the MECC Partners Meeting - September 2025

By the Director of the Theological and Ecumenical Department at the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) Father Dr. Antoine Al Ahmar

“The fortress will be abandoned… until the Spirit is poured upon us from on high, and the wilderness becomes a fruitful field… My people will live in peaceful dwelling places, in secure homes, in undisturbed places of rest.”

— Isaiah 32:14-18

The Season of Creation invites us to rediscover our calling as caretakers of God’s creation, and Isaiah’s prophetic vision speaks powerfully to our reality today. He imagines a world transformed: once desolate lands renewed, abandoned cities restored, and God’s Spirit poured out to bring justice, peace, and harmony.

This vision feels particularly urgent in the Middle East, where conflicts and wars have deeply scarred both people and the environment. Forests have been burned, fertile lands abandoned, rivers polluted, and biodiversity threatened. With water scarcity rising, climate change worsening, and displacement increasing, nature has become an unspoken victim of human violence.

Ecumenical Leaders: Serious Work to Protect the Environment!

Media of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC)

For "Peace with Creation," believers around the world are praying during this year' “Season of Creation”, united in celebration and working together as one Ecumenical family, striving with hearts filled with hope to preserve creation and thus contribute to the path of peace.

This peace has been longed for since decades, as countries around the world work to achieve it through various means and methods. Ecumenical activists in the Middle East and around the world are also making efforts to achieve this desired goal via studying and environmental action. This is achieved through studying the Bible and delving into the Teachings of Jesus Christ, as well as implementing environmental activities aimed at protecting our common home.

The “Season of Creation” best expresses these environmental initiatives called for by Church and Ecumenical Leaders around the world, so that we may assume an effective responsibility towards God's creation.

Environmental Justice is an Urgent Issue in Light of All the Dangers Threatening the Creation!

Media of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC)

With hope mixed with the joy of Prayer and working together, and with a firm belief in love and solidarity, the Ecumenical family in the Middle East and the world celebrates on of the most glorious annual Ecumenical seasons. It is the "Season of Creation," which calls on every person on this earth to renew their relationship with God and all His creatures.

This year's "Season of Creation" coincides with two important occasions: the 1700th Commemoration of the First Ecumenical Council of Nicaea and the tenth anniversary of the Encyclical "Laudato Si'," issued by His Holiness the late Pope Francis on the protection of our common home.

The Environment Cries Out in Pain, and the Season of Creation Rings the Alarm Bell!

Media of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC)

"O Most High, all-powerful, good Lord God, to you belong praise, glory, honor and all blessing. Be praised, my Lord, for all your creation…" How great is the beauty of your home, O God, and how great is the work of your hands!

With Saint Francis of Assisi, the Patron Saint of Ecology and the Canticle of the Creatures, we praise and glorify the Lord, thanking Him for His gifts, and rejoicing in His creatures. But wait! Do we truly rejoice in God's creatures while His creation groans in pain? Do we truly hear the cry of the earth and all that is in it?

Indeed, our common home is under threat! This is a bitter truth that we cannot ignore, especially as God's creation today faces enormous environmental challenges due to many climate, social, humanitarian, and economic crises casting their shadows over the planet Earth.