Saint Georges’ School Bsalim: A Model of the Struggle of Lebanese Schools

Turn to the abyss! These words were said years ago about a sector considered one of the most crucial basic facilities for building societies. The Lebanese education sector has always formed a major lifeline and has been a factor for prosperity and progress, but today it is reaching rock bottom. This is a bitter reality that the educational institutions in the Middle East must now faceat the ional, especially following the outbreak of the economic and cost-of-living crises in the midst of the dangerous health conditions that were manifested by the Covid-19 pandemic.

His Holiness Pope Tawadros II, Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of St. Mark, received His Beatitude Patriarch Cardinal Mar Bechara Boutros Al-Rahi, Patriarch of Antioch and all the East for the Maronites, on Saturday, March 19, 2022, at the Papal Headquarters in Abbassiya, Egypt. His Holiness delivered a welcoming speech in which he stressed on the importance of the ecumenical event that the Church of the East will witness at the 12th General Assembly of the Middle East Council of Churches that will be held in Egypt from 16 to 20 May at the Papal Logos Center under the title of “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid” (Matthew 14:27).

A New Afforestation Campaign with the Middle East Council of Churches

Since the Middle East Council of Churches launched the international campaign “Season of Creation” for the first time in the region in September 2021, the Council’s was keen to promote environmental awareness and culture through its various projects. Therefore, MECC continued its environmental activity, especially with youth, and in partnership with Danmission organization and with its support. A new afforestation campaign was hence organized in the Lebanese town of Monteverde, on Saturday, March 19, 2022.

Weekly Prayer Towards the Feasts of Feasts

In preparation for the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, the family of the General Secretariat of the Middle East Council of Churches is uniting in weekly ecumenical vigils at the Council’s headquarters in Beirut. So the team members pass together the blessed season of Lent, which is one of the holiest periods awaited annually, raising their prayers with one humbled heart, praying to God the Father.

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 about the visit of the MECC Secretary General Dr. Michel Abs heading a delegation from the General Secretariat to His Holiness Catholicos Aram I, aiming at giving him an invitation from His Holiness Pope Tawadros II, to participate in the MECC 12th General Assembly. As for the message of Dr. Abs, it was entitled this week “Collateral Damage”.

Daños colaterales es el nombre que dan los implicados en las guerras a las personas que mueren, se queman o perecen bajo los escombros de sus casas. La denominación incluye también los daños infligidos o eliminados en las realizaciones de la vida de miles de personas. Incluye también los daños sufridos por civilizaciones enteras alcanzadas por las sociedades.

Sencillamente: daños colaterales... No, digamos daños marginales, y nadie se preocupa de ellos ni los nota.

A los lanzadores de misiles y cohetes no les interesan los que están en su camino por desafortunadas coincidencias.

Ningún sonido es más fuerte que el de la batalla. El rugido de las balas, el trueno de los cañones y los gritos de los aviones ensordecen todos los oídos y eclipsan los gritos de los niños, los gemidos de los ancianos y los lamentos de los asustados.

¿Por qué lo celebra el mundo?

Es cierto que el mundo celebra el Día de la Felicidad el 20 de marzo, pero ¿podemos encontrar la felicidad en un mundo herido, lleno de crisis y conflictos y cuyos habitantes sufren guerras, enfermedades, pobreza y hambre?

A pesar de esta situación, haremos hincapié en la felicidad y nos uniremos a las Naciones Unidas para celebrar el «Día Internacional de la Felicidad», que se añadió al calendario de días internacionales de la ONU.

Con este día, las Naciones Unidas reconocieron la relevancia de la felicidad y el bienestar como objetivos y aspiraciones universales en la vida de los seres humanos en medio de las dificultades que nuestro mundo está presenciando.

A días antes del «Día de la Madre», ¿quiénes son las Madres Santas?

«He aquí a tu madre», dijo Jesús en la cruz a uno de sus discípulos. Y desde ese «He aquí a tu madre» se ha convertido Ella en nuestra Madre, la Madre de la Iglesia y de toda la humanidad. Es la Madre del Señor y la Reina de la Paz. La Madre que soportó las constantes dificultades con paciencia y obediencia, superó el mal y eligió cultivar la santidad coronada por la compasión y la humildad, para convertirse en fuente de vida de la gracia y en fuente de esperanza.

En este mundo volátil, la Madre de Dios nos protege de todos los caprichos del mal, especialmente de una enfermedad que Su Santidad el Papa Francisco llama «orfandad espiritual», que nos asedia siempre que nos falta el sentimiento de pertenencia a la familia, al pueblo, a la tierra y a un solo Dios.

Un álbum de fotos de la XI Asamblea General de la MECC, celebrada entre el 6 y el 8 de septiembre de 2016 en Ammán, Jordania, bajo el título «Dad gracias al Señor porque es bueno, su misericordia es eterna» (Salmo 136, 1).

Collateral Damage is the name given by those involved in wars to people who are killed, burned, or perished under the rubble of their homes. The designation also includes the damages inflicted or eliminated on the lifespan accomplishments of thousands of people. It includes too damages incurred by whole civilizations achieved by societies.

Quite simply: collateral damage...No, say marginal damage, and no one cares about it or notices it.

The launchers of missiles and rockets are not interested in those who are in their way by unfortunate coincidences.

No sound is louder than the sound of the battle. The roar of bullets, the thunder of cannons, and the cries of planes deafen all ears and overshadow the screaming of children, the groaning of the elderly and the wailing of the frightened.

Why Is the World Celebrating It?

It is true that the world celebrates the Day of Happiness on the 20th of March, but can we find happiness in a wounded world full of crises and conflicts and which its people are suffering from wars, diseases, poverty and famine...???

Despite this situation, we will stress on happiness and join the United Nations in celebrating the world day of happiness, which was added to the UN calendar of international days. With this day, the United Nations recognized the relevance of happiness and well-being as universal goals and aspirations in the lives of human beings amidst the difficulties that our world is witnessing.

Days Before Mothers’ Day, Who Are the Holy Mothers?

“Behold, your mother” Said Jesus on the cross to one of his disciples. “Behold, your mother” … She has become our mother, the mother of the Church and of the whole of humanity. She is the Mother of The Lord and the Queen of Peace. The mother who endured constant hardship with patience and obedience, overcame evil and chose to cultivate holiness crowned with compassion and humility, to become a source of life of grace and a fountain of hope.

In this volatile world, the Mother of God protects us from all evil whims, especially from an illness that His Holiness Pope Francis called “spiritual orphanhood”, which besieges us whenever we lack the feeling of belonging to family, people, land, and one God.

You can find a photo album from the MECC 11th General Assembly, held between 6 and 8 September 2016 in Amman, Jordan, under the title of “Give thanks to the Lord for He is good, His mercy endures forever” (Psalm 136: 1).