On the 29th of May, 568 years will have passed since the fall of Constantinople, the new Rome, which succumbed in 1453 as a result of previous wars that consumed it as well as to a severe siege that has been described as the harshest siege in history as it destroyed its ability to withstand and to survive.

The martyr city, Constantinople, had led the Christian world for more than a thousand years, it has housed Ecumenical Councils and has been described as the beacon of the world, the capital of faith and the center of civilization and culture.

The Middle East Council of Churches: An Ecumenical History and a Platform for Unity, Witness and Service

What happened during the first founding meeting between 28 and 30 May, 1974? (1)

Amidst tremendous fluctuations and crises of many levels, the Middle East witnessed the beginning of a new Christian phase in 1974 vibrant with efforts and negotiations to unify the voice of the Church under one banner that unites all the Churches of the East within the framework of a comprehensive ecumenical message calling for the acceptance of others and the preservation of the diversity that characterizes every ecclesiastical family.

Behind the Middle East Council of Churches logo lies an Ecumenical Humanitarian and Historical organization seeking, since its foundation in 1974, to work for Christian unity, the testimony of the Bible and serving humanity in different fields. But do you know the exact meanings that this oval logo symbolizes and what its connotations are?

The Middle East Council of Churches is here to help affected small businesses get back on their feet

Ten months after the Beirut port explosion, Lebanese people are still suffering from its catastrophic repercussions that turned their lives upside down during a mixture of crises, especially the economic crisis burdening them. Their wounds have not healed yet and their needs are still dire at many levels.

The August 4 disaster did not leave one sector untouched, destruction affected small companies in Beirut whose owners are barely making ends meet.

Secretary General Dr. Michel Abs was the guest of the humanitarian organization “United Church of Christ” in the United States, in an international webinar entitled "The Middle East in Transition, and the Future and Role of its Christians", during which he shed the light on the Christian presence in the region, and the challenges they are facing amid the various crises and conflicts in its countries.

Report: 16 to 25 May 2021

Apart from Egypt, the region is still tumbling on as pre-covid economic problems deter countries from launching a full recovery campaign. Anti-corruption slogans are being used by officials to rally people behind them. So far, they have proven to be nothing more than a theatrical performance. Meanwhile, war raged in Palestine, inflicting massive damages to property and infrastructure, and resulting in more displaced people and socioeconomic burdens.

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.