You can find a video about the MECC activities in support of Iraqi refugees in Syria since the beginning of the war in Iraq until the end of 2011, with the support of the MECC’s partners and local Churches in Syria. The video was presented during the Council’s 10th General Assembly, held between 29 and 30 November 2011 in Paphos, Cyprus, under the title of “And all who believed were one heart” (Acts 4: 32).

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 final statement of the MECC Executive Committee meeting held online on February 11, 2022. As for the weekly message of the MECC Secretary General Dr. Michel Abs, it was entitled “Social Justice and the Misery of Humanity”.

The United Nations has made the twentieth of February as the International Day of Social Justice and has identified the theme of the celebration for the year 2022 as achieving this justice through official employment, that is, organized by contract and guaranteed by the state through officially established procedural laws, especially labor laws, as well as laws covering obligations and contracts.

There is no doubt that the choice is good, as the whole of humanity is moving towards informal employment whereas the employee does not benefit from any social or legal protection and whereas the conditions of work in general range from being acceptable and deplorable to sometimes even illegal, despite the existence of differences between informal work and illegal work.

International Endeavors to Contain Post-Covid-19 Stage

Is the End of the Pandemic Near?

The Middle East continues to suffer from the Covid-19 pandemic and all of its countries are registering continuous daily increases in infection and death rates. Hence, appeals to advance vaccination campaigns and the demands for equitable distribution of vaccines between the different countries continue, as was mentioned in the final statement of the executive committee meeting of the Middle East Council of Churches which was held on the 11th of February, with the goal of ending the pandemic and preparing for the containment of the next stage of the pandemic which has caused a massive increase in poverty and unemployment.

You can find a video prepared by the Middle East Council of Churches in Syria shedding light on the reconstruction work at the Private Secondary School of the Armenian Orthodox Church in Aleppo, Syria. The school was restored and rehabilitated within the “Restoration Fund for Rehabilitation of Faith-based Social Services & Religious Infrastructure Damaged During the Crisis in Syria” program implemented by MECC in cooperation with Kerk in Actie in Netherlands, in various Syrian governorates.

“And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church…” (Matthew 16:18)

Peter... Simon Peter, the rock and the "Leaders of the apostle", was the apostle entrusted by Jesus Christ, despite his mistakes, with a noble mission, asking him to be the Chief of the apostles and a sign of their unity, especially in the service of the Church’s unity, “And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it” (Matthew 16:18).

You can find the detailed minutes of the MECC 11th General Assembly, held between 6 and 8 September 2016 in Amman, Jordan, under the title of “Give thanks to the Lord for He is good, His mercy endures forever” (Psalm 136: 1).

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.

To the righteous saint Maron the hermit on his name’s day

Peace be upon you, you ascetic Cyrus of Antioch, defiant of nature.

Peace be upon you, O trustee of the pledge of allegiance, O you who carried it in the folds of your mind and soul to rugged mountains and remote regions, conveying the good news of El, the incarnate God, to those who were still worshiping the stone.

Peace be upon you, O you who transformed the pagan temple into a church, destined to be holy and apostolic.

Peace be upon you, O you whose shrine has been sought by thousands seeking health for their souls over against the health of their bodies.

At the invitation of the World Council of Churches (WCC), the Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches Dr. Michel Abs participated in the online meetings held by the WCC central committee from 9 to 15 February 2022 to prepare for the WCC 11th general assembly. Noting that the assembly will take place in August-September in Karlsruhe, Germany under the theme “Christ’s love moves the world to reconciliation and unity.”

The Association of Theological Institutes in the Middle East (ATIME), held on Thursday, January 27, 2022, an online meeting that gathered the deans of the faculties and institutes and their representatives from Egypt, Iraq, Syria and Lebanon. It was organized in the presence of the Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches Dr. Michel Abs, and the Director of the MECC theological and Ecumenical Department Father Antoine Al Ahmar.

The Service and Relief Department- Diakonia, at the Middle East Council of Churches, Damascus office, distributed various in-kind kits to students in six schools in Rural Damascus, Aleppo and Homs in order to support the most vulnerable groups.

The students of a school in Bloudan and another in Madaya in Rural Damascus received hygiene and school kits in addition to children clothing kits. In addition, the students of other two schools in Homs and two in Aleppo, received school and hygiene kits.

You can find the full minutes of the MECC 10th General Assembly, held between 29 and 30 November 2011 in Paphos, Cyprus, under the title of “And all who believed were one heart” (Acts 4: 32).

A video prepared by the MECC Communication and Public Relations Department, which sheds light on many international and interreligious initiatives aiming at consolidating the human fraternity. As well as, the video highlights the initiative of the consultative sessions as part of the "Interfaith Consultation of Social Cohesion in Iraq", jointly organized by the World Council of Churches and the Middle East Council of Churches.

Iraq an Example of Working Towards Fraternity Through an Ecumenical Initiative

Accepting difference, accepting others, respecting different cultures, religions and beliefs aiming at consolidating the culture of human fraternity. Promoting interreligious and intercultural dialogue for the sake of peace and social stability…

All these values are principles adopted by ​​the Middle East Council of Churches, many international human parties and of course the United Nations. But the most important question remains: is there any real implementation of projects enhancing human values?

The new issue of the weekly newsletter Momentum issued by the Communication and Public Relations Department of the Middle East Council of Churches presents a news about the visit of His Holiness Pope Francis to Lebanon soon. As for the weekly message of the MECC Secretary General Dr. Michel Abs, it was entitled “Valiance in the service of meanness”.

This article is about people's exploitation of people, but rather about people's use of people until they are consumed or they perish.

This article draws from decades of experience in working with people and among them, as well as from university teaching and research in sociology and economics.

“If you see the poor busy, know that the rich have exploited him,” says our popular adage.

This saying covers the socio-economic dimension and the relationship between social classes, and it embodies only part of the truth that this article wants to highlight.

Gallagher: The Pope is Closely Following Developments in Lebanon

Coming from Rome to Beirut, His Eminence Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, the Vatican's Secretary for Relations with States, conveyed His Holiness Pope Francis’ closeness to the Lebanese people from all components, expressing the desire of the Pope to visit the wounded Lebanon. According to sources related to Gallagher, His Holiness will make an apostolic visit to the Land of the Cedars. A visit that will take several days and aims to sorrow a glimmer of hope amidst all the difficult circumstances the Lebanese citizens are passing through.

Since two years, Lebanese citizens are suffering from worsening economic crises, and the collapse of the banking system and the Lebanese currency. Aiming at facing this urgent situation, the Middle East Council of Churches continues to support the most affected groups by this economic and living disaster in order to preserve their dignity and protect their right to a decent life. Hence, the Service and Relief Department – Diakonia, Beirut office, implemented a cash assistance program, in partnership and cooperation with the international humanitarian organization Norwegian Church Aid – NCA.

MECC Distributed Winter Clothes and Shoes to Children

Aiming at helping families to overcome one of the major winter challenges, the Service and Relief Department – Diakonia, Damascus office, at the Middle East Council of Churches distributed winter clothes for children in Dara’a Al Balad and Um Al-Mayazen in Dara’a Governorate.