The Full Lecture of Rt Revd Philip Mounstephen, in Beirut

Mesdames, messieurs, je veux juste commencer avec quelques mots en français par respect de la tradition de cette belle université. Monsieur le Recteur je vous remercie de votre accueil si chaleureux. C’est un grand honneur d’être là avec vous.

It is indeed a great pleasure and honour to be with you here in Lebanon today – for so many reasons. Some of there are more general; others more specific to the issue of Freedom of Religion or Belief which is so important to so many of us here today.

There are two general reasons why I’m delighted to be here today.

First, this is not my first time here, and the last time I was here I was so deeply impressed by what I found, specifically of the way in which the churches have responded to the refugee crisis – and I’m sure other faith groups have also responded significantly too. I was touched and moved by the generosity of spirit and the genuine hospitality I saw being exercised.

Answer at the Saint Joseph University’s Campus in Beirut

Rt Revd Philip Mounstephen Presents a Lecture On Religious Freedom and Persecuted Christians

At the joint invitation and organization of the Middle East Council of Churches, the Bible Society, and the Faculty of Religious Sciences at the Saint Joseph University (USJ) in Beirut, a lecture entitled “Why Our Religious Freedom Matters” was given by Rt Revd Philip Mounstephen, Bishop of Truro, and Author of the FCDO’s independent review of persecuted Christians. It was held on Thursday 13 October 2022, at Francois Basil auditorium in the Innovation and Sports Campus, at the Saint Joseph University. Attendees were representatives of concerned organizations and parties, priests and people interested in the topic at hand.

MECC Supports Women in Akkar

Despite the deplorable economic conditions hanging over the country, the Service and Relief – Diakonia Department, Beirut’s Office, at the Middle East Council of Churches, launched a project aiming to enhance women’s resiliency and improve their livelihood. As such, the department chose Akkar, one of the most neglected and poverty-stricken areas in the country, to implement the project that would promote women’s products and their sale. Three villages namely Andket, Bazbina and Chadra were taken into consideration.

It is October. The days are getting shorter and cooler. Breast Cancer Awareness Month is also being launched in the Palestinian Territories to raise public awareness of the issue and to offer screening services. With a grand opening ceremony in Ramallah, the Auguste Victoria Hospital, on whose compound the Central Office is located, together with the Mariam Foundation and the Palestine Museum, kicked off this month by turning the sky pink. A digital mammography clinic at the hospital will be through Palestine all month for early detection of breast cancer with the "Your Checkup - Your Life" awareness campaign, conducting mammography examinations and check-ups.

El 16 de octubre, día de la fundación de la Organización de las Naciones Unidas para la Agricultura y la Alimentación, también llamado Día Mundial de la Alimentación, esta organización se dedica a organizar eventos avanzados, ricos y bien preparados para sensibilizar sobre la alimentación, la seguridad alimentaria, la malnutrición, la hambruna, la migración rural y todo lo relacionado con estos fenómenos.

En un contexto relacionado, las estadísticas de los diversos sitios relacionados con el tema te abruman con los problemas que enfrentan los pueblos subyugados oprimidos, así como las clases subyugadas en los pueblos no subyugados, en términos de comida, bebida, vivienda, atención médica y otros asuntos relacionados... Las cifras estadísticas que muestran a millones de personas hambrientas, sin hogar y privadas de las mínimas condiciones de vida, así como el número de los que no tienen un mañana, que no conocen su destino y los que sufren problemas vitales, tanto físicos como psicológicos, llenan las páginas de las instituciones que se ocupan de sus asuntos y sus fotos en su desplazamiento, asilo y miseria consolidan la imagen del rostro inhumano de la humanidad y su afán por bailar sobre el dolor existente.

Son nuestros ancianos, nuestros antiguos robles, el almacén de nuestra memoria y el tesoro de nuestra sabiduría. Recurrimos a ellos en las calamidades, y por su opinión nos guiamos, ya que nos otorgan la experiencia, la sabiduría y la previsión que han pagado muy caro en su vida.

Los llaman los ancianos, y algunos los llaman los viejos, o amablemente los llaman de la tercera edad. Es el grupo más vulnerable, indefenso y marginado. Es la categoría que algunos piensan que no se necesita ni se necesitará, por lo que la descuidan y no se preocupan por ella.

Vemos a algunos de ellos deambulando por las calles, mendigando para despertar la simpatía de la gente. Algunos buscan comida en los contenedores de basura, otros se tiran en las camas de los centros de acogida para ancianos, como se denomina en el Líbano y en algunos países árabes, y otros deambulan por los restaurantes de comida caliente establecidos por algunas asociaciones, comen lo que pueden y esconden lo que pueden en una caja que han traído, para protegerse del mal del hambre durante dos o tres días. En cuanto al más afortunado de ellos, es el que consiguió durante su vida un trabajo con un plan de pensiones, por lo que estuvo a salvo del mal de la humillación, la necesidad y la falta de hogar, porque la indemnización recibida por el fin de sus servicios se agota a los pocos años de recibirla.

In the new issue of the weekly newsletter Momentum issued by the Communication and Public Relations Department of the Middle East Council of Churches, you can find the weekly message of the MECC Secretary General Dr. Michel Abs, which is entitled “On World Food Day: Humanity Between Schizophrenia and Hypocrisy”. It is written for the founding day of the Food and Agriculture Organization, and the World Food Day, on 16 October.

H.E. Rt Revd Philip Mounstephen: guaranteeing the religious freedom in Lebanon is good news for the country, the region and the world

Aiming at building Ecclesiastical bridges between the East and West, His Eminence Rt Revd Philip Mounstephen, Bishop of Truro, visited the offices of the Middle East Council of Churches’ General Secretariat in Beirut, on Thursday 13 October 2022. He was accompanied by a delegation from the Diocese in the UK, including Rachael Varney, Executive Assistant, David Fieldsend, International Affairs Adviser, and Revd Etienne Van Blerk, alongside Dr. Mike Bassous, General Secretary of the Bible Society. At MECC, Secretary General Dr. Michel Abs and a team from the Council's General Secretariat welcomed the delegation.

Decisions to Strengthen the Ecumenical Spirit

The Association of Theological Institutes in the Middle East (ATIME) held its General Assembly’s meeting online on Tuesday 11 October 2022. Attendees were ATIME’s President Archimandrite Dr. Jack Khalil, its Executive Secretary Father Dr. Michael Kanbar, and the Director of the MECC Theological and Ecumenical Department Father Dr. Antoine Al Ahmar, alongside the deans of the faculties and institutes, members in ATIME.

During the meeting, the participants discussed many topics and issues, which are following up on the “Season of Creation” project and ways to enhance and support it, and preparing for the environmental symposium which will be held in May 2023 in coordination with the MECC Theological and Ecumenical Department.

On the 16th of October, the founding day of the Food and Agriculture Organization, also called World Food Day, this organization is active in organizing advanced, rich and well-prepared events in order to raise awareness of food, food security, malnutrition, famine, rural migration and everything related to these phenomena.

In a related context, statistics from the various sites concerned with the subject overwhelm you with the problems faced by the oppressed subjugated people as well as subjugated classes in non-subjugated peoples, in terms of food, drink, housing, health care and other related matters...Statistical figures showing millions of people that are hungry, homeless and deprived of the minimum conditions of life as well as of the number of those who have no tomorrow, who do not know their fate and those who suffer from life problems, both physical and psychological, fill the pages of the institutions concerned with their issues and their pictures in their displacement, asylum and misery consolidate the image of the inhumane face of humanity and its eagerness to dance on existing pain.

Wednesday 19 and Saturday 22 October 2022

Let us participate together and via SAT7 in the rerun of the Ecumenical Prayer Service on the occasion of the “Season of Creation” closing, on Wednesday 19 October 2022 at 10 pm Beirut time, and Saturday 22 October 2022 at 5 pm Beirut time.

Noting that the Prayer was organized by the Middle East Council of Churches, and was held under the patronage and presidency of His Beatitude Patriarch Cardinal Mar Bechara Boutros Al-Rai, Maronite Patriarch of Antioch and all the East; at the Church of the Patriarchal Edifice in Bkerke, Lebanon, on the eve of the Feast of Saint Francis of Assisi, on Monday 3 October 2022.