The "Restoration Fund for Rehabilitation of Faith-based Social Services & Religious Infrastructure Damaged During the Crisis in Syria" Program

Reaps the Fruits of its First Phase

A Field Tour in the Restored Projects

A year has passed since the Middle East Council of Churches launched the "Restoration Fund for Rehabilitation of Faith-based Social Services & Religious Infrastructure Damaged During the Crisis in Syria" with the support of the international organization Kerk in Actie. The first phase of the program ended and the Churches and their affiliated institutions got back to life after the restoration and rehabilitation works have been finished.

The Armenian Catholic Church celebrated the ceremony of appointment of His Beatitude Catholicos Patriarch of Cilicia for the Armenian Catholics Raphael Bedros XXI (Peter) on the morning of Sunday October 24, 2021 at St. Gregory the Illuminator Cathedral - St. Elias for the Armenian Catholics, Dabbas square, Beirut, Lebanon.

Archbishop Abdel Sater:

“The primary goal of a Christian missionary is to introduce everyone to the love of God for them”

On World Mission Sunday, Maronite Archbishop of Beirut HE Mrg. Boulos Abdel Sater called for a Mass on Sunday October 24, 2021 at St. George’s Maronite Cathedral in Beirut. Officials from different professional sectors participated in carrying the message to the world, especially journalists, media professionals, judges, lawyers, doctors, and engineers... The Communication and Public Relations Department of the Middle East Council of Churches participated in the Mass alongside the Head of Department Mrs. Huguette Salameh.

Survived Destruction and Got Back to Life

The restoration activities have been completed in Lady of Annunciation Church affiliated to the Latin Church in Aleppo Governorate. The activities included the basement of the Church, which will be used to implement programs and projects aiming at serving and developing the local community in Aleppo.

Believing that education and knowledge are the optimal solution for rebuilding society, MECC rehabilitated classrooms for students in addition to vocational training halls to train and enable youth to enter the labor market.

The final video of the “Season of Creation” 2021 video series stresses on the need to keep the flame of hope alive in our hearts in order to defy all life difficulties, as well as on the importance of restoring our true identity, which is created in the image and likeness of God.

Entre la conspiración y la firmeza

Vivimos en una zona geográfica culturalmente civilizada que ha sufrido tantas crisis y ha sido designada con una plétora de nombres tan grande que ha perdido su identidad.

Algunos lo llaman «Levante», otros «Levante árabe», otros «Creciente fértil» y otros «Souristán». Todos estos apelativos se refieren a una región de diversas etnias, profundamente dividida, abundante en conflictos, que en su historia ha estado expuesta a lo que ninguna otra región del mundo ha estado expuesta en términos de invasiones y calamidades. La geografía ha jugado en contra de la historia de esta región y de la estabilidad de sus pueblos y civilizaciones.

La Fundación One Voice organizó una mesa redonda titulada «One Voice Lebanon, the Homeland of Man» (One Voice Líbano, la patria del hombre) el sábado 16 de octubre de 2021 en el Monasterio de Nuestra Señora de El-Bir – Bqenaya, Líbano. El Secretario General del Consejo de Iglesias del Oriente Medio, el Dr. Michel Abs, participó como ponente junto con el Padre Prof. Georges Hobeika y el Dr. Paul Jalwan.

The new issue of the weekly newsletter Momentum issued by the Communication and Public Relations Department of the Middle East Council of Churches, presents the news of the MECC Secretary General Dr. Michel Abs’ participation as a speaker in a seminar organized by the One Voice Foundation, entitled “One Voice Lebanon, the Homeland of Man”. As for the weekly message of Dr. Abs, it was the lecture he delivered during the seminar entitled “The Antiochian Levant: People, Identity and Society Between conspiracy and steadfastness”.

Between conspiracy and steadfastness

We live in a culturally civilized geographic catchment area that has undergone so many crises and has been designated with such a great plethora of names so that it has lost its identity.

Some call it the Levant, and some call it the Arab Levant, and some call it the Fertile Crescent, and some others ‘Souristan’. All these appellations refer to a region of diverse ethnicities, deeply divided, abundant in conflicts, which in its history has been exposed to what no other region of the world has been exposed to in terms of invasions and calamities. Geography has played against the history of this region and the stability of its peoples and civilizations.

The One Voice Foundation organized a panel discussion entitled “One Voice Lebanon, the Homeland of Man” on Saturday, October 16, 2021 at the Monastery of Our Lady of El-Bir – Bqenaya, Lebanon. The Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches Dr. Michel Abs participated as a speaker along with Father Prof. Georges Hobeika and Dr. Paul Jalwan.

Dr. Abs delivered a detailed presentation entitled " The Antiochian Levant: People, Identity and Society Between conspiracy and steadfastness".

The importance of Praying, especially on the intention of the earth, nature and the divine blessings, in a video. It calls us to Prayer for the COP26 UN Climate Change Conference that will be held in November 2021 in Glasgow, Scotland.

Report: 20 October 2021

Despite the significant improvement in epidemiological situation in regards to corona, the virus is still being recorded at sizable levels. The vaccination drive is slowly improving but remains to be low.

Como parte del programa de apoyo psicosocial, el Departamento de Servicio y Ayuda – Diakonia, oficina de Beirut, del Consejo de Iglesias del Oriente Medio, organizó 6 sesiones de formación con el objetivo de acompañar a los grupos más vulnerables a superar las dificultades y el estrés diarios.

Un grupo de mujeres participó en las sesiones. Observando que luchan con problemas de salud mental de todo tipo y gravedad debido a la soledad.

Supera las Repercusiones de la Guerra

El MECC finalizó las actividades de restauración en la «Escuela Secundaria Privada Siria» de Alepo, afiliada a la Iglesia Ortodoxa Armenia.

El MECC, en cooperación con la organización «Churches Together» de los Países Bajos, está rehabilitando establecimientos religiosos y sociales que resultaron dañados por la guerra de Siria.

Difícil es la despedida, de sabor amargo, dolorosa, que deja cicatrices que pueden no sanar.

Que el Metropolitano Paul Yazigi y el Metropolitano Youhanna Ibrahim estén ausentes es una cosa, y reconocer que tal vez no vuelvan es otra.

No cabe duda de que la decisión tomada por el Santo Sínodo de Antioquía de trasladar al metropolitano Paul Yazigi al puesto honorífico de metropolitano de la diócesis de Diyarbakir, dado el paso de casi nueve años desde su ausencia, es una decisión práctica y realista, pero es una decisión que surgió de la profundidad del sufrimiento que supone la ausencia de los dos pastores cuyo destino se consideraba desconocido para todas las referencias militares, políticas, jurídicas y mediáticas.

El MECC lanzó una campaña de sensibilización y limpieza en Dara'a dentro de su programa «Dinero por trabajo» con el objetivo de ofrecer oportunidades de empleo temporal en las ciudades de Msefra y Kherbet Ghazaleh en la zona rural de Dara'a.

160 trabajadores participaron en la retirada y el transporte de la basura. Además, 75 mujeres, que recibieron sesiones de concienciación sanitaria sobre el COVID-19 y la importancia de una higiene correcta, realizaron visitas a domicilio en ambos pueblos para difundir la información aprendida a la comunidad local y extender los conocimientos al mayor número posible de población.

El Departamento de Servicio y Ayuda – Diakonia, oficina de Beirut del Consejo de Iglesias del Oriente Medio organizó 6 sesiones de apoyo psicosocial para un grupo de niños con el objetivo de mejorar sus capacidades y desarrollar sus habilidades.

Las sesiones psicosociales para niños desempeñan un valioso papel en la promoción del bienestar y la resiliencia de los niños.

As part of the Psychosocial Support program, the Service and Relief Department - Diakonia, Beirut office, at the Middle East Council of Churches, organized 6 training sessions aiming at accompanying the most vulnerable groups in overcoming daily difficulties and stress.

A group of women participated in the sessions. Noting that they struggle with mental health issues of all types and severity due to loneliness.

Report: 1 to 15 October 2021

According to the World Bank, the Middle East is heading towards a ‘tenuous’ recovery stage as the pandemic continues to hit the region hard. It warned that if newer and deadlier variants of corona appear in the region, previous projections of growth will be scrapped. The organization also warned that political instability in the region could also deter recovery.

and the Families of the Beirut Blast Victims at LIQAA

A group of the families of the Beirut blast victims of August 4, 2020, especially the families of the 10 martyrs of the Beirut Fire Brigade, responded to the invitation of the Theological and Ecumenical Department in the Middle East Council of Churches to participate in the Trauma Healing and Spiritual Counseling program, through a meeting on 15, 16, and 17 October 2021 at the "Liqaa" Center in Rabweh - Lebanon.