The Armenian Catholic Church celebrated the ceremony of appointment of His Beatitude Catholicos Patriarch of Cilicia for the Armenian Catholics Raphael Bedros XXI (Peter) on the morning of Sunday October 24, 2021 at St. Gregory the Illuminator Cathedral - St. Elias for the Armenian Catholics, Dabbas square, Beirut, Lebanon.

Archbishop Abdel Sater:

“The primary goal of a Christian missionary is to introduce everyone to the love of God for them”

On World Mission Sunday, Maronite Archbishop of Beirut HE Mrg. Boulos Abdel Sater called for a Mass on Sunday October 24, 2021 at St. George’s Maronite Cathedral in Beirut. Officials from different professional sectors participated in carrying the message to the world, especially journalists, media professionals, judges, lawyers, doctors, and engineers... The Communication and Public Relations Department of the Middle East Council of Churches participated in the Mass alongside the Head of Department Mrs. Huguette Salameh.

Survived Destruction and Got Back to Life

The restoration activities have been completed in Lady of Annunciation Church affiliated to the Latin Church in Aleppo Governorate. The activities included the basement of the Church, which will be used to implement programs and projects aiming at serving and developing the local community in Aleppo.

Believing that education and knowledge are the optimal solution for rebuilding society, MECC rehabilitated classrooms for students in addition to vocational training halls to train and enable youth to enter the labor market.

The final video of the “Season of Creation” 2021 video series stresses on the need to keep the flame of hope alive in our hearts in order to defy all life difficulties, as well as on the importance of restoring our true identity, which is created in the image and likeness of God.

Entre la conspiración y la firmeza

Vivimos en una zona geográfica culturalmente civilizada que ha sufrido tantas crisis y ha sido designada con una plétora de nombres tan grande que ha perdido su identidad.

Algunos lo llaman «Levante», otros «Levante árabe», otros «Creciente fértil» y otros «Souristán». Todos estos apelativos se refieren a una región de diversas etnias, profundamente dividida, abundante en conflictos, que en su historia ha estado expuesta a lo que ninguna otra región del mundo ha estado expuesta en términos de invasiones y calamidades. La geografía ha jugado en contra de la historia de esta región y de la estabilidad de sus pueblos y civilizaciones.

La Fundación One Voice organizó una mesa redonda titulada «One Voice Lebanon, the Homeland of Man» (One Voice Líbano, la patria del hombre) el sábado 16 de octubre de 2021 en el Monasterio de Nuestra Señora de El-Bir – Bqenaya, Líbano. El Secretario General del Consejo de Iglesias del Oriente Medio, el Dr. Michel Abs, participó como ponente junto con el Padre Prof. Georges Hobeika y el Dr. Paul Jalwan.

The new issue of the weekly newsletter Momentum issued by the Communication and Public Relations Department of the Middle East Council of Churches, presents the news of the MECC Secretary General Dr. Michel Abs’ participation as a speaker in a seminar organized by the One Voice Foundation, entitled “One Voice Lebanon, the Homeland of Man”. As for the weekly message of Dr. Abs, it was the lecture he delivered during the seminar entitled “The Antiochian Levant: People, Identity and Society Between conspiracy and steadfastness”.

Between conspiracy and steadfastness

We live in a culturally civilized geographic catchment area that has undergone so many crises and has been designated with such a great plethora of names so that it has lost its identity.

Some call it the Levant, and some call it the Arab Levant, and some call it the Fertile Crescent, and some others ‘Souristan’. All these appellations refer to a region of diverse ethnicities, deeply divided, abundant in conflicts, which in its history has been exposed to what no other region of the world has been exposed to in terms of invasions and calamities. Geography has played against the history of this region and the stability of its peoples and civilizations.

The One Voice Foundation organized a panel discussion entitled “One Voice Lebanon, the Homeland of Man” on Saturday, October 16, 2021 at the Monastery of Our Lady of El-Bir – Bqenaya, Lebanon. The Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches Dr. Michel Abs participated as a speaker along with Father Prof. Georges Hobeika and Dr. Paul Jalwan.

Dr. Abs delivered a detailed presentation entitled " The Antiochian Levant: People, Identity and Society Between conspiracy and steadfastness".

The importance of Praying, especially on the intention of the earth, nature and the divine blessings, in a video. It calls us to Prayer for the COP26 UN Climate Change Conference that will be held in November 2021 in Glasgow, Scotland.

Report: 20 October 2021

Despite the significant improvement in epidemiological situation in regards to corona, the virus is still being recorded at sizable levels. The vaccination drive is slowly improving but remains to be low.

Como parte del programa de apoyo psicosocial, el Departamento de Servicio y Ayuda – Diakonia, oficina de Beirut, del Consejo de Iglesias del Oriente Medio, organizó 6 sesiones de formación con el objetivo de acompañar a los grupos más vulnerables a superar las dificultades y el estrés diarios.

Un grupo de mujeres participó en las sesiones. Observando que luchan con problemas de salud mental de todo tipo y gravedad debido a la soledad.

y las familias de las víctimas de la explosión de Beirut en el LIQAA

Un grupo de familias de las víctimas de la explosión de Beirut del 4 de agosto de 2020, especialmente las familias de los 10 mártires del Cuerpo de Bomberos de Beirut, respondieron a la invitación del Departamento Teológico y Ecuménico del Consejo de Iglesias del Oriente Medio para participar en el programa de curación de traumas y asesoramiento espiritual, mediante una reunión celebrada los días 15, 16 y 17 de octubre de 2021 en el Centro «Liqaa» de Rabweh – Líbano.

Supera las Repercusiones de la Guerra

El MECC finalizó las actividades de restauración en la «Escuela Secundaria Privada Siria» de Alepo, afiliada a la Iglesia Ortodoxa Armenia.

El MECC, en cooperación con la organización «Churches Together» de los Países Bajos, está rehabilitando establecimientos religiosos y sociales que resultaron dañados por la guerra de Siria.