President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi to the heads of the Eastern Churches: Christian Brothers in all Arab Countries Are an Integral Part of the Fabric of Arab Society

The Middle East Council of Churches continues its 12th General Assembly today, Tuesday 17 May 2022, under the title "Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid" (Matthew 14: 27), held at the Papal Logos Center in Wadi El Natrun in Egypt, with the generous hospitality of His Holiness Pope Tawadros II, Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of St. Mark. On the second day, the participants discussed the reality of the Christian presence in the Middle East and the most prominent threats to its existence, stressing the importance of their role in the region.

The report presents the opinions of some participants in the MECC 12th General Assembly. They all called on to cling to hope, because with God we do not fear or be discouraged, and stressed on the importance of solidarity and building bridges with the others. The video was prepared by the MECC Communication and Public Relations Department in cooperation with the Media Center affiliated to the Coptic Orthodox Church in Egypt.

In the report, you can find the activities and meetings of the second day of the MECC 12th General Assembly. The video was prepared by the MECC Communication and Public Relations Department in cooperation with the Media Center affiliated to the Coptic Orthodox Church in Egypt.

Photos by Morcos Ishac, Photographer of His Holiness Pope Tawadros II

Watch the Highlights of the First Day

The report presents the highlights of the opening of the MECC 12th General Assembly under the theme of “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid” (Matthew 14:27), at the Papal Logos Center in Wadi El Natrun in Egypt. The video was prepared by the MECC Communication and Public Relations Department in cooperation with the Media Center affiliated to the Coptic Orthodox Church in Egypt.

The report presents a brief overview about the Papal Logos Center in Wadi El Natrun in Egypt, this historical place where the MECC 12th General Assembly is being held, hosted by His Holiness Pope Tawadros II, Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of St. Mark. The video was prepared by the MECC Communication and Public Relations Department in cooperation with the Media Center affiliated to the Coptic Orthodox Church in Egypt.

The Church of the East Denounces All Conflicts and Wars and Calls On the Christians of the Region to Cling to hope

“Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid” (Matthew 14:27)

The Middle East Council of Churches launches its 12th General Assembly, on Monday, May 16, 2022, under the title of “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid” (Matthew 14:27) at the Logos Papal Center in Wadi El Natrun, Egypt, with the generous hospitality of His Holiness Pope Tawadros II, Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of St. Mark, and with the support of the Evangelical Church in Egypt. The Assembly is attended by representatives of 21 Churches from the Middle East. They all stressed on the importance of renewal and attachment to hope and to our faith in Jesus Christ, because with His presence we are neither afraid or discouraged. As well as, they stressed on the need to cling to our East and Land, the Cradle of Christianity.

The martyrdom of Sherine Abu Aqleh is a shocking re-affirmation of the right of the Palestinian people to establish their state, with Jerusalem as its capital

With shock and great sadness, the Middle East Council of Churches headquartered in Beirut and the Ecumenical Palestinian organizations and members of the ACT Alliance working in Palestine and the region received the news of the assassination of the prominent television correspondent, Ms. Shereen Abu Aqleh. As she was engaged with her professional journalistic work, she was fell assassinated by a bullet fired from Israeli occupation forces in Jenin, in the Northern West Bank.

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 press release including details about the launching of the MECC 12th General Assembly on Monday 16 May 2022, with the hospitality of His Holiness Pope Tawadros II, Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of St. Mark, at the Papal Logos Center in Wadi El Natrun, Egypt.

This is the theme of the Twelfth General Assembly of the Middle East Council of Churches, held for the first time in Egypt, as the Council is overseeing its fiftieth anniversary.

From all the corners of the globe, we meet to the land of the See of St. Mark, renewing the covenant on communication and solidarity in faith, love and service.

Spiritual leaders, partners and delegates of international institutions, local partners and workers in the Council's institutions, are all coming to hear what the Ecumenical Stronghold in the Middle East has to say to them.

They are all coming to tell us their concerns and to hear our plans and aspirations.

Monday 16 May 2022

Hosted by His Holiness Pope Tawadros II

The Middle Eastern Churches Will Meet in a Historical and Ecumenical Event

New Hope Under the Title of “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid” (Matthew 14:27)

Under the title of “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid” (Matthew 14:27), the Middle East Council of Churches kicks off its 12th General Assembly on Monday 16 May 2022, focusing on many issues related to the Middle Eastern Christians, their challenges, aspirations and strength of their presence in unity. Participants from the MECC four Church families will define a future vision that guarantee the consolidation of the ecumenical spirit and the achievement of the most important humanitarian and social goals among all the people of the region.

And Its 12th General Assembly Will Be Held This Month

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. The most prominent Ecumenical event for this month will be the MECC 12th General Assembly, which will be held between May 16 and 20, 2022, under the title of “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid” (Matthew 14:27), with the generous hospitality of His Holiness Pope Tawadros II, Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of St. Mark, at the Papal Logos Center in Wadi El Natrun in Egypt.

A Message of Peace and Love

Under the theme of “the essential of our life, grant us today”, 800 young men and women from different Churches in Syria, aged between 18 and 25 years old, participated together in an ecumenical youth meeting in cooperation with the French community “Taizé”. This meeting was held for the first time in Syria and lasted for 3 days at the Jesuit Fathers Monastery in Homs Governorate.

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 the MECC Annual Report 2021. As for the message of the Secretary General Dr. Michel Abs, it was entitled this week “Against Wind and Waves: Challenging the challenges”, and was published as the introduction of this report.

As well as, the issue presents an Arabic report about the ecumenical meeting organized for the Syrian Youths in Homs, under the theme of “the essential of our life, grant us today”.

It seems that every new year that dawns on the Middle East-as well as on Lebanon too as it is part and parcel of it- is destined to be worse than its predecessors at all levels, political, safety-wise, economic, social and environmental, all of which reflect mounting despair among people constantly living a decline in their standard of life as well as in a decline in the extent of their aspirations and in the prospects to their future.

Therefore, whenever we bid farewell to a year, we wonder to what extent the next year will be worse and at what level.

The year 2021 was just one of the lean years that passed over the greater part of the Middle East, as it was subject for decades to attempts at destruction, dismantling, impoverishment, displacement, and emigration.

Report: April 2022

As the war in Ukraine rages, food and energy prices are increasing in the Middle East and in the rest of the world. If it were not from some reform policies being enacted, the region’s food security would be in worse conditions. However, the region is suffering from inflation and unemployment is still recording substantial numbers. While the conflict in Eastern Europe have yet to simmer down, it is time for the nations of the ME region to enhance cooperation with one another to achieve common good.

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