In memory of the kidnapped shepherds

To the three and a half million martyrs of the Orthodox Christians of Anatolia, we can add the name: Boulos Yazigi, the Shepherd and Martyr,

To the half a million martyrs of Syrian Christians we can also add a name: Youhanna Ibrahim, the Shepherd Martyr too,

They may be alive, but they are living martyrs, since what kind of a life did they have during or after all this detention?

Since the earthly powers were unable to tell us about their fate, should we inquire about it in the constellation of “Al-Farqadan”? *

You two high and exalted stars, have you seen two shepherds who disappeared while ministering to their flocks?

Secretary General Dr. Michel Abs in a Solidarity Meeting with the "Orthodox Encounter" and the "Syriac League":

They may be alive, but they are living martyrs, since what kind of a life did they have during or after all this detention?

On the occasion of 9 years since the kidnapping of the Bishops Paul Yazigi and John Ibrahim, the “Orthodox Encounter” and the “Syriac League” organized a solidarity meeting on Monday, April 12, 2022 at Le Gabriel Hotel in Achrafieh, Beirut, entitled “We will not forget and we will not be quiet”. The Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches participated in the meeting, and delivered a speech entitled “The Registry Is Still Open - When Will the Registry Be Closed? In memory of the kidnapped shepherds”.

MECC Sorrows Hope in Their Homes

“I cannot express how happy I am with this aid! will share it with my brother’s family”, “You’ve restored my faith in humanity! I haven’t received any aid for a long time”, “Hygienic and cleaning products are expensive, so we can’t afford it”… As such, elderly women in Lebanon expressed their urgent need for a glimmer of hope and support amidst the social collapse that made them drown in despair due to the economic, social and health crises... they are witnessing as all the Lebanese people.

A Follow Up to the MECC Training Courses and Programs in Amman

The Regional Director of the Service and Relief Department - Diakonia at the Middle East Council of Churches visited the MECC office in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, where the office’s Director Mrs. Wafaa Al Qusous welcomed him. The visit aimed at following up the ongoing projects and looking forward to organize future programs in order to achieve the desired ecumenical and humanitarian goals.

March 2022: A Month of International Fluctuation and Development

As the drums of war sounded between Russia and Ukraine and Russian military operations escalated on the capital Kyiv, the world turned its attention to the difficult humanitarian reality in Eastern Europe. In its turn, the Middle East raised the alarm as the repercussions of this war affected most of the countries in the region, already suffering from years of wars, conflicts, and economic and social collapses.

In the new issue of the weekly newsletter Momentum issued by the Communication and Public Relations Department of the Middle East Council of Churches you can find a news about the visit of His Holiness Pope Francis to Lebanon on next June. As for the message of the MECC Secretary General Dr. Michel Abs, it was entitled this week “When fake becomes culture”.

El hombre inventa en su vida cotidiana métodos de trato y pautas de comportamiento que adopta en la gestión de sus asuntos vitales para asegurar sus intereses y preservar sus logros sociales, económicos, políticos y de otro tipo.

Son los mecanismos de autoconservación y autodefensa. La psicología los ha llamado «mecanismos de defensa», un concepto que se ha convertido en uno de los axiomas de la psicología y no hay controversia en torno a él, ya que se ha extendido incluso entre los no especialistas y la gente interpreta que muchos comportamientos entran dentro de este concepto.

Man invents in his daily life methods of dealing and patterns of behavior that he adopts in managing his life affairs in order to secure his interests and to preserve his social, economic, political and other achievements.

They are the mechanisms of self-preservation and self-defense. Psychology has called them "defense mechanisms", a concept that has become one of the axioms of psychology and there is no controversy around it, as it spread even among non-specialists and people interpret many behaviors as falling within this concept.

The Service and Relief Department - Diakonia, at the Middle East Council of Churches, Syria office, implemented a vocational training program aiming at supporting youth to enter the labor market in Damascus and Rural Damascus. 50 young trainees aged 18 to 45 participated in the trainings.

The professions taught were men hairdressing, chef training and tailoring and lasted for more than two months.

Pope Francis Visits Lebanon in June 2022

The Presidency of the Republic of Lebanon announced on its website that the Apostolic Nuncio Monsignor Joseph Spiteri informed that His Holiness Pope Francis will visit Lebanon next June. As for the date of the visit, it may be between 12 and 13 June, but it will be determined with the official program of the visit in coordination between Lebanon and the Holy See.

Workshops with Danmission Enhanced Cooperation with Humanitarian Organizations

Capacity building and skills improvement are main goals of the Middle East Council of Churches team, which seeks with every opportunity to develop the potential of its members and build their professional, intellectual and spiritual capabilities.

Lately, the team of the MECC Communication and Public Relations Department participated in a communication and media training workshop organized by the international humanitarian organization Danmission.

After his election as Executive Secretary of the Association of Theological Institutes in the Middle East (ATIME) which is related to the Middle East Council of Churches, Father Mikhael Kanbar visited Egypt and had many theological and ecumenical gatherings. On Friday, March 25, 2022, he visited the St. Mark's Coptic Orthodox Cathedral, Anba Ruwais in Cairo, the Theological Seminary and Institute of Coptic Studies, and held a meeting with the deans of colleges and institutes from all Church families.

In the new issue of the weekly newsletter Momentum issued by the Communication and Public Relations Department of the Middle East Council of Churches you can find a news about the online discussion organized by MECC about Anti-Racism and Anti-Segregation, on Wednesday, March 30, 2022. As for the message of the Secretary General Dr. Michel Abs, it was entitled this week “A Speech on Hatred”.

How I hate you, you who are other than myself,

How I wish you were not there, for you take from my space and drink from my water and breathe from my air,

Your existence is not legitimate in my opinion, as you are one of the mistakes of history and nature.

You are a coincidence that I wish had not happened.

What brought you from nothingness into existence, you who do not resemble me?

Your color is different from mine, as is the shape of your ears, lips, eyes, and hair color,

The way you sit and walk and all of your bodily gestures I find abhorrent.

The Middle East Council of Churches organized an online discussion on Anti-Racism and Anti-Segregation, today, Wednesday, March 30, 2022, in the presence of the MECC Secretary General Dr. Michel Abs and the participation of Dr. Atef Kobrosi and Dr. Safa Rafka.

The meeting started with an opening note by Dr. Michel Abs, in which he shed light on facing racism and eliminating discrimination in all its types in order to spread the values ​​of peace, love and brotherhood.

The Communication and Public Relations Department at the Middle East Council of Churches have now issued its online Ecumenical calendar for the month of April 2022. It includes the Ecclesiastical and Liturgical feasts of the various families of Churches in the Middle East. In addition to international days identified by the United Nations, and which are related to the MECC identity and its spiritual and human mission. Noting that the remaining months of the year will be published consecutively.

The Service and Relief Department - Diakonia, Beirut office, at the Middle East Council of Churches, implemented a Women Empowerment program in cooperation with the municipality of Kfartebnite, South Lebanon. The program aimed at supporting women and developing their capabilities through their participation in training courses during which they learned new skills.

The video gives more details about the program and presents the expectations of the participants.