Produced By MECC

Produced By MECC

Produced By MECC

His Holiness Pope Francis: The memory of the tragedy cannot be erased and is a source of peace and future prospects

The Supreme Pontiff Bore the Concerns of the Armenian People and all Who Have Been Subjected to Genocides and Massacres

Media of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC)

His Holiness Pope Francis, the Pope of Mercy and Humility, Father of the poor, the marginalized, and the destitute, carried the message of humanity and of every human being on this earth. He defended their rights and sought to preserve their dignity, being the voice crying out in the wilderness, seeking with every word and every step to prepare the way of the Lord so that He might make His paths straight.

He addressed many issues and concerns with hope, as a listening ear and a warm shelter for all the people who have suffered and continue to suffer due to tragedies, wars, conflicts, and disasters. With his compassionate smile, he transformed pain into hope and despair into reassurance... the reassurance in the constant presence of our Heavenly Father.

The Armenian cause was not forgotten by the Supreme Pontiff. He stood by the Armenian people with his Prayers, support, and Apostolic visit to Armenia. He was a source of strength, inspiration, and motivation to move forward in the search for justice.

First Anniversary of His Death

The General Coordinator of APECL Jeune in Lebanon Lawyer Roy Jreich in an Interview with the MECC Media:

"His Holiness gave youth his thoughts, heart and life. He listened to their challenges, concerns, hopes, and aspirations"

Exclusive: Media of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC)

"Walk in hope! Hope overcomes all weariness, every crisis and every worry. It gives us a powerful incentive to move forward, for it is a gift received from God Himself. The Lord fills our life with meaning, sheds light on our path and shows us its ultimate direction and goal."

This is what His Holiness Pope Francis wanted from youth in his message on the occasion of the 39th World Youth Day. He wanted them to embark on a journey as pilgrims, discover life through love, seek God’s face, and experience God's merciful embrace.

His Holiness Pope Francis, a friend of the youth and their greatest supporter, has accompanied them in many stages, celebrations, conferences, and gatherings. On every occasion, he encouraged them to strengthen their faith and face life's challenges with hope and perseverance. He was the one who called on them to seek happiness, without giving up, and to have the courage to replace fears with dreams.

Between these Papal encounters and events, many youth experiences from the Middle East and the world document the closeness of His Holiness to today's youth and the future leaders.

First Anniversary of the Death of His Holiness

Wednesday 22 April 2026 - 11am

At a students’ gathering at the Pontifical School of Theology at the Holy Spirit University of Kaslik (USEK) on Thursday, April 16, 2026, Father Dr. Antoine Al-Ahmar, Director of the Theological and Ecumenical Department at the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), presented the MECC publication "Towards a Common Date for Easter." Its content and objectives were explained, and the publication was distributed to all students.

This meeting coincided with an initiative by the Bible Society to distribute a collection of books specializing in Biblical Studies and Exegesis, in support of the students' academic and scholarly pursuits.

Attendees were His Eminence Archbishop Antoine Awkar, Maronite Patriarchal Vicar, Father Dr. Elias Hanna, Dean of the Faculty, Dr. Micheal Bassous, Secretary General of the Bible Society, as well as Professors, in a rich and fruitful atmosphere.

“Momentum”

17-4-2026

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 "The scene from the window of a Nation in Crisis".

You can check the issue via the following link: https://mailchi.mp/b1d79a1610d0/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 Socioeconomic Overview

Report: March 2026

As the war which was only hypothesized to last for a few days, drags on beyond a month, the regional economy takes a hit as energy prices increase. Inflation is affecting all ME countries, some more than others, while the rest of the world also feels the consequences of the aftershock. Analysts from different domains, warn of direr ramifications if this war continues for an extended period time. Already there is much displacement, destruction, and economic turmoil and further expansion of the war, which has a very high likelihood of happening, can incur unpredictable results the world may not be able to handle.

Produced By MECC

Produced By MECC

Professor Michel Abs

The Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC)

As the Lebanese, and the peoples of the Middle East more broadly, watch what is unfolding across their lands and look toward tomorrow with anxiety and apprehension, their eyes turn to the talks taking place in the United States. In the short term, the Lebanese hope these talks may halt the inferno that has continued to rain down upon them for more than a month, killing and wounding thousands, displacing a quarter of the population, and devastating vast areas in the south of the country and the suburbs of its capital.

Daily life in Lebanon has become a silent hell, and the Lebanese suffer bitterly in all its details, even though they have long been accustomed to hardship. They have grown used to the silence born of the acquired helplessness syndrome, having become convinced, after half a century of other people's wars on their land and through them, that nothing works any more and that their only choices are either adaptation or departure. So those who could leave have left, while those who remain endure in pain, waiting for better times in a posture of resignation before an imposed reality, until what was imposed has itself become an unquestioned fact.

Starting from the saying, "The wolf is not blamed for its aggression if the shepherd is the flock's enemy," one may say that the wolf has overstepped all bounds and persisted in its aggression because those entrusted with the people's fate and interests have themselves been the first to violate them, whether deliberately or through negligence. From the explosion of the Port of Beirut, whose investigation remains shrouded in ambiguity and concealment, to the looting of depositors' money from the banks and the bankruptcy of society as a whole; from the bankruptcy of the state and the ruin of its institutions to the corruption that has spread across every sector of public life and now threatens investment, growth, and progress in Lebanese society. Needless to say, this corruption afflicts many countries of the region and has extended beyond public institutions until it has become a popular culture that has produced its own "institutions," making it difficult even to confront, let alone contain. Corruption, betrayal, the collapse of the moral order, and the absence of accountability are the basic elements behind the erosion of our social, cultural, economic, political, and, of course, security defences…

Light of Hope | نور الرجاء

Join the Middle East Council of Churches to explore the role of words in building peace and overcoming hatred.
📅 Date: Wednesday, April 22, 2026
🕚 Time: 11:00 AM
📍 Platform: Via Zoom 🔗 Participation Link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/81513875879?pwd=QcWaW6ZhdMI9d707yZbQSKuKOKbe9c.1