MECC
Homily of His Beatitude Patriarch John X At the Divine Liturgy for the Consecration of the Church Our Lady of Joy in Zahle
May 18, 2025
(It was delivered on his behalf by Archimandrite George Yacoub, Abbot of the Patriarchal Monastery of Our Lady of Balamand)
The venerable Church of Christ surpasses in glory the upper firmament, not that it surpasses the radiance of visible light, but because it carries the Divine Sun of Justice that does not set.
Its rays shine with the words of the Spirit day and night in a befitting manner.
By these God enlightens the eyes of the soul, saying, “Let there be light.”
He is the Life and Resurrection of all.
Your Eminences,
Dear friends,
I have found no words more eloquent than these, spoken 1,500 years ago at the dedication of the Church of Holy Wisdom (Hagia Sophia) in Constantinople, to describe this holy church that is being planted today in the heart of Zahle by the right hand of God Most High. It is meant to radiate in splendor over Zahle, Lebanon, the East, and around the globe, saying to the world: We are the children of this East, with all our denominations, planted like olive trees. We are the makers of its history and the farmers who planted its cedars and olives. We are those who planted its cedars and olive trees. We are in this land as sprouts of the Creator of the cedars and the Maker of the olive trees.
We come from the lights of the One who said: “Let there be light.” This is the message of this church, which reflects in the golden domes, the golden hearts of its faithful, and the pure heart of its founder, Bishop Niphon Saikaly. We come from the radiance of its light because it bears the radiance of the Sun of Justice. We come from its joy, which reflects the joy of the myrrh-bearers at the sight of the empty tomb. We come from the Church of Antioch, steeped in history, rooted in the moment, and looking ahead with eyes that put their hopes solely in the Lord of Glory…
The Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) Professor Michel Abs Participating in a Ceremony
On the Occasion of the Inauguration of Our Lady of Unexpected Joy Church in Zahle
The Journalist Lea Adel Maamary, the Media Officer, the Coordinator of the Church and Media Relations, and the Director of the Platform of the Word at the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC)
Hosts the Ceremony of the Inauguration of Our Lady of Unexpected Joy Church in Zahle
The Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) Professor Michel Abs Participates in the Inauguration
Of the Church of Our Lady of Unexpected Joy and the Metropolitan Niphon (Saikali) Museum in Zahle
From Rome: The Holy Mass Marking the Beginning of the Pontificate of Pope Leo XIV
Exclusive Photos for the Media of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC)
Succession of Ecumenical Generations
Professor Michel Abs
The Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC)
Christ is Risen!
In the year one thousand seven hundred after the Council of Unity, Your disciples, O Lord, have come in great numbers from every corner of the land of your incarnation, bearing witness to their unity and the strong bond that unites them, founded on the salvific faith that saves humanity from evil and sin.
Indeed, we, in the ecumenical body that brings together your Church in the Middle East, have united the faculties that teach your theology into a league that has taken upon itself the mission of uniting your Church in its own way, without erasing the unique diversified manifestations of your Church.
In the Association of Theological Institutes in the Middle East (ATIME), established by the Middle East Council of Churches, which has been a witness to the unity of your Church for over half a century, we are preparing generations inspired by unity in vision and method.
"That they may all be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me." (John 17:21)
In Your name we have gathered, and continue to gather, living together a youthful, academic, theological experience, through which we prepare to enter the world of ecumenism, where we are called to work together to spread the faith that has saved humanity.
Through ATIME, future ministers learn how to work together, how to become united in vision and purpose, while each of us maintains the specific characteristics of the Christianity embraced by our civilization or nation. This creates a sense of appreciation for the components of a colleague’s faith and fosters brotherhood in faith.
The Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) Professor Michel Abs, And Many Guests, in a Special Episode of the "Initiatives" Program
About the Inauguration of the Church of Our Lady of Unexpected Joy in Zahle
Via Voice of Van Radio
The Episode Is Prepared and Presented By the Journalist Lea Adel Maamary
The MECC Secretary General Professor Michel Abs Receives
A Delegation from the United Church of Canada
As part of strengthening the partnership between the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) and the United Church of Canada (UCC), the MECC Secretary General Professor Michel Abs received a delegation from the UCC, including M Chorney, Mark Laird, Larissa Kanhai, and Wendy Gichuru, at the MECC headquarters in Beirut, in the presence of the General Secretariat team.
During the meeting, the attendees talked about the latest developments of the circumstances that the Middle East is passing through, as well as the challenges and urgent needs of its people amidst the crises they are facing. They also discussed the activities of the Middle East Council of Churches and its most prominent programs being implemented at various Theological, Ecumenical, humanitarian, social, and media levels.
Moreover, both parties discussed ways to develop cooperation between them for better coordination on future projects.
It is worth noting that the visit of the United Church of Canada delegation to the Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches Professor Michel Abs, is part of their tour they are holding in the region.
More Tariffs, More Turmoil
Middle East Socioeconomic Overview
Report: April 2025
Donald Trump’s imposition of Tariffs on the world in an attempt to close the United States' trade deficit. Unfortunately, this included the Middle East and North Africa, and therefore will have negative repercussions on the trade of these countries. Countries in the region were divided into two categories: Low and High tariffs. Countries in the High category include Algeria, Iraq, Occupied Palestine, Jordan, Libya, Syria and Tunisia. As for countries in the low category include, Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Kuwait, Lebanon, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Turkey, the UAE and Yemen. It will be quite interesting how countries will react to this move and what policies or new course of actions they will undertake.
The Family Is in Danger and Its Rescue Is Urgent
On Its World Day, Major Challenges Burden the Family
The Church Accompanies It
Exclusive: Media of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC)
Amidst international developments, the Middle East is experiencing crises, divisions, and conflicts that have imposed many social changes, negatively impacting family life and its growth its societies. In fact, this year's International Day of Families, which falls on May 15th of each year, bears a high level of injustice, violence, and hate speech...
Today, families face many challenges that impose repercussions on home education and the preservation of human values, which places them facing an uncertain future. Consequently, families are facing a wave of complexities that cast a shadow over their lifestyles and the interactions of their members.
A dangerous reality that families are facing today... a bitter truth we cannot ignore! The solution? Stand still.