MECC
Video - Leaders and Positions
His Holiness Pope Tawadros II at the Church of St. George the Martyr in Khomaraweya
12-11-2025
His Beatitude Patriarch Raphaël Bedros XXI Minassian Presides Over the Thanksgiving Mass for the Canonization of Bishop Ignatius Maloyan
The MECC Secretary General Professor Michel Abs Participates in the Mass
On the occasion of the Canonization of Bishop Ignatius Maloyan, His Beatitude Patriarch Raphaël Bedros XXI Minassian, Catholicos Patriarch of the Armenian Catholic Church of Cilicia, and President of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) for the Catholic Family, presided over the Thanksgiving Mass, on Saturday, November 15, 2025, at the Basilica of Our Lady of Lebanon in Harissa.
The Mass was attended by His Beatitude Cardinal Mar Bechara Boutros Al-Rai, Maronite Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, His Beatitude Patriarch Joseph Absi, Greek Melkite Catholic Patriarch of Antioch and All the East and Honorary President of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), His Beatitude Patriarch Mor Ignatius Joseph III Younan, Syriac Catholic Patriarch of Antioch and Honorary President of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), His Excellency Archbishop Paolo Borgia, Apostolic Nuncio to Lebanon, as well as Bishops, Superiors General, Priests, and Deacons.
Participants were also the Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) Professor Michel Abs, and Members of the MECC Executive Committee Monsignor Habib Mrad, Lawyer Professor Ibrahim Traboulsi, and Professor Jean Salmanian, and political and official figures, Ministers and Deputies, Religious, military, and social Leaders; and a large congregation of the faithful.
Following the reading of the Holy Gospel, His Beatitude Patriarch Minassian delivered a Homily for the occasion.
The Middle East Council of Churches and “Danmission” Organization Contribute in Promoting Mental Health Among Women in Lebanon
As part of the ongoing psychosocial support (PSS) project implemented by the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), through its Diakonia and Social Service Deparrment, Lebanon’s Office, in cooperation with the “Danmission” organization, and their joint mission to inspire change within our society, support sessions were held for 2 groups of 24 women to promote emotional healing, social cohesion, and personal empowerment.
The beneficiaries attended throughout October and September, 6 sessions that offered a safe and supportive space for participants to express emotions, share experiences, and strengthen self-awareness and confidence. Through interactive discussions on communication, conflict resolution, and self-care, participants explored ways to rebuild trust, manage stress, and reconnect with their communities.
The Monastery of Saint Maron in Annaya, the Shrine of Our Lady of Lebanon in Harissa, and the Sisters of the Cross Hospital
Three Historical Sites that His Holiness Pope Leo XIV Will Visit as Part of His Program in Lebanon
What Are their Significance and the Stations They Have Passed Through?
Media of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC)
The countdown to the hopeful encounter has begun! From the Vatican, His Holiness Pope Leo XIV carries his peace to Lebanon, which awaits him with longing and faith. The Holy Father comes to the Land of the Cedars for a historic visit, one for which the Lebanese are preparing with hearts full of joy and Prayer.
The visit of His Holiness Pope Leo XIV, under the motto "Blessed Are the Peacemakers," is a sign of hope in a time when Lebanon is experiencing difficult circumstances. A visit that will confirm that the light of Christ truly dispels worldly darkness.
As the anticipated date draws near, Church, security, and logistical preparations are in full swing to ensure the Pope's arrival in Lebanon between November 30 and December 2.
The Pope's program in Lebanon includes several stations where he will unite with the Lebanese people in Prayer for peace, justice and truth and righteousness, and for all humanity on this earth. What is remarkable about his program is his visit to the Shrine of Saint Charbel in the Monastery of Saint Maron in Annaya, the Shrine of Our Lady of Lebanon in Harissa, and the Sisters of the Cross Hospital in Jal El Dib. Three sites that hold within their walls a rich history of faith, service, and love.
No End to Violence
Middle East Socioeconomic Overview
Report: October 2025
Despite the US announcing a ceasefire in Gaza, to this day, multiple violations are being recorded. The occupier continues to bomb targets while inflicting hundreds of civilian casualties. The US is trying to maintain an image that it is the one making sure that deal works and that it is one in charge. However, it fails to contain the actions of the occupier which continues to strike with impunity throughout Gaza. As its hunger for blood continues without any relevant resistance, this begs the following question: Will the bloodshed end in Gaza or will it expand to include other areas?
Video - Intervention of the Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) Professor Michel Abs About the Council of Nicaea
Within the "Second Angle" Program on SAT7 TV Channel
The Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) Issues Its Weekly Newsletter
“Momentum”
14-11-2025
This issue includes reports, videos, news, articles, and a full coverage of the latest developments of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), as well as the Church, Ecumenical, and social events…
This is in addition to the weekly word of the MECC Secretary General Professor Michel Abs which is entitled in this issue “Middle East Council of Churches: A Haven of Dialogue and Reconciliation”. It i the word that he delivered at the celebration commemorating the sixtieth anniversary of the document "Nostra Aetate", held on Saturday, November 8, 2025, at the Maronite Patriarchal Edifice in Bkerke, Lebanon.
You can check the issue via the following link:
https://mailchi.mp/b89c6082499a/momentum-mecc-weekly-newsletter.
You can also subscribe to the Momentum Newsletter via the following link:
https://mecc.us14.list-manage.com/subscribe?id=fd3381352a&u=1db32cafe9ea32b38eb90480a.
Middle East Council of Churches: A Haven of Dialogue and Reconciliation
Professor Michel Abs
Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC)
When, in a blessed time in the history of the Antiochian Levant, a group of visionary men gathered to establish a unifying Christian institution based on ecumenism, the Lord was among them, and Nostra Aetate was present among them through the Holy Spirit, their guide. They produced a vision that later proved to be far-reaching, with long-lasting effects.
In the preamble to the constitution of this dialogical and unifying institution, firstly on the Christian level, they wrote that the goal of the MECC is to deepen spiritual fellowship among the Churches of the Middle East and to unify their word and their efforts, contributing to the work for the unity of the Churches and bearing a living evangelical witness aimed at spreading the message of salvation and reconciliation in the Lord Jesus Christ, love, peace, and justice in the region and among its peoples.
From the beginning, the principles of dialogue and reconciliation were central in the minds of the founding fathers, not only among Christians, but also, explicitly, among the peoples of this region, which has been boiling for centuries and has yet to find any lasting stability.
Later, in outlining the Council’s methods for achieving these declared objectives, expressions were used that dispelled doubt and affirmed conviction—words such as dialogue, fostering the spirit of partnership, ecumenical awareness, understanding of member-church traditions, mutual enrichment, active participation in prayer, cooperation and joint humanitarian service, the pursuit of justice, the defense of human rights, and the strengthening of the Christian presence to ensure steadfastness in freedom, peace, and equality in citizenship, rights, and duties.
