Report: 26 May 2021

The rate at which people are getting infected by corona has substantially decreased thanks to the timely vaccine rollout.

Within the work for Christian unity and testimony to the Gospel by building bridges and rounding the distances between Churches, a goal the Middle East Council of Churches has been striving to achieve since its establishment in 1974, His Eminence Metropolis of Tanta Nicolas Antoniou wrote on his Facebook page an explanatory paragraph entitled "Isn’t the Orthodox Church a Catholic One?".

His Voice Lives On

Elias El Khoury, the person to the left in the picture, is one of the many who fell victim to the blast of August 4 2020. Abou Chamat, his friend in the same picture, claims that they released two songs on music-streaming service Anghami shortly before the devastating explosion. 10 months after the tracks' release, the platform verified El Khoury’s account during this month.

Christ is risen,

This afternoon, His Beatitude Krikor Pedros XX, Catholicos of the Armenian Catholic House of Cilica, passed away at the age of 88 years old. His Beatitude was a member of the Council of the Catholic Patriarchs of the East and the most prominent supporter of the Ecumenical Movement and the Middle East Council of Churches.

And an Invitation to Media Professionals as Witnesses of the Truth

On the 55th World Media Day that the Second Vatican Council has designated in the Catholic Church since 1966 to honor media and media professionals, the Episcopal Media Committee and the Catholic Media Center in Beirut called for a ceremonial mass on Thursday May 20, 2021 at the Church of the Cross of the Monastery of the Savior, Jeita - Lebanon.

Syria and Lebanon

Humanitarian Update

Reporting period: from 17 to 24 May 2021

Secretary General Dr. Michel Abs:

In our Churches and subsequently at MECC, we resist with love and with constructive deeds

On Thursday May 20, 2021, the Middle East Council of Churches’ Department of Service for Palestinian Refugees held an online meeting via Zoom with its partners from international and regional organizations and institutions, during which the Secretary General Dr. Michel Abs addressed a speech to the attendees renewing the MECC support to the wounded and persecuted Palestinians.

It is happening now on the land of Palestine, the killing machine has broken all boundaries to destroy people, soul and stone- does it have a frontlet in the first place?... the killing machine,

It is happening now on the land of Palestine that human hate has reached its limits and it springs up to hit people left and right,

It is happening now on the land of Palestine that the child-killers have not yet been satiated by watching their weak body parts.

The “Restoration Fund for rehabilitation of faith-based social services & religious infrastructure damaged during the crisis in Syria” program was launched by the Middle East Council of Churches with the support of the international humanitarian organization Kerk in Actie.

Honorary Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches Dr. Gerges Saleh:

“To commit to Christian principles and human values is to form ideal Christian families in society”

The Middle East is facing today a daily worsening stifling wave of crises and disagreements as many social changes have been imposed on different levels during an era that has become tainted with spite, violence, hatred and injustice... This era left the family’s fate to the unknown, forcing it to face family ties threatening challenges that negatively affect education and the preservation of human values.

Report: 19 May 2021

With the decrease of new corona infection rates and the proliferation of the vaccine, the ME is increasingly easing restrictions.

"This department is a space for Christian service and love in a world of persecution and hatred"

On Friday May 14, 2021, the Middle East Council of Churches’ Department of Service for Palestinian Refugees Executive Committee held its regular meeting online via Zoom. The Secretary General of the Council Dr. Michel Abs addressed the committee, saying: " This department is a space for Christian service and love in a world of persecution and hatred."

Repairing Sursock Museum

In an effort to repair what the August 4 blast damaged, a memorandum of understanding (MOU) was signed between Italy and UNESCO to renovate one of Beirut’s most famous museums. The project which is worth €1 million, comes under UNESCO’s Li Beirut initiative, which aims to repair schools, heritage buildings, museums and galleries damaged in the Beirut blast.