“There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling” (Ephesians 4: 4)

The "Week of Prayer for Christian Unity" starts, as it is one of the most awaited Ecumenical stations of the year, which includes a Prayer Octave that extends between 18 and 25 January every year. A station during which we unite in Prayer on the intention of a unity that has been awaited for decades, through a special international booklet that the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) translates it into Arabic annually. Noting that this year theme is “There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling” (Ephesians 4: 4).

In this context, you can find the daily Prayers, meditations, and reflections in English and Arabic for the week of Prayer, included in the booklet, and which you may publish and distribute every day.

Week of Prayer 2026 Booklet

Program of the Celebrations in Lebanon

on Thursday, January 22, at 6 pm Beirut time, at the Mar Ephrem Syriac Church, Saint Elias Street, Al Mina - Tripoli

on Friday, January 23, at 7 pm Beirut time, at the Armenian Catholic Cathedral of Saints Gregory the Illuminator and Saint Elias the Prophet - Downtown Beirut, Debbas Square

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.