Awareness Sessions for the MECC General Secretariat’s Team

How Can We Fight this Disease?

“Cholera is a crime and a serious and deadly disease caused by infrastructure breakdown and pollution resulting from sewage water,” emphasized Dr. Sameer Shleweet, a gynecologist, gender-based violence and CMR trainer, and a humanitarian activist, especially in the MECC Service and Relief – Diakonia Department, Beirut office, during an awareness session held for the MECC General Secretariat’s team, on Tuesday 25 October 2022. However, in Lebanon and many countries, it became difficult to develop infrastructure due to other priorities imposed on governments as a result of local and international crises. Hence, personal prevention is very important to face cholera together and prevent its outbreak.

United in Prayer with His Family

On the Forty days’ memory of Late Gabi Habib, former Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches, the MECC General Secretariat’s team, headed by the Secretary General Dr. Michel Abs, held a special Prayer service on the intention of his soul, asking God to raise him to share the glory of the risen Christ. Habib’s small family, his wife Kathy and two daughters Maria Gabriel and Anna Sophia, participated in the Prayer which was made on Tuesday 25 October 2022 at the MECC headquarters in Beirut.

Dr. Michel Abs: Gabi Habib was able to promote MECC to a prominent international status and became, as Secretary-General, a distinguished symbol in the ecumenical world forums

On the Forty days’ memory of Late Gabriel Gergi Habib, the former Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches, a Mass and Requiem were made for him on Sunday 23 October 2022, at the Saint George Greek Orthodox Cathedral, Downtown Beirut, with the participation of his family and their relatives, as well as the MECC family, represented by the Secretary General Dr. Michel Abs.

At the end of the Requiem, Dr. Abs delivered a speech entitled “Gabi Habib, a journey of faith and struggle”, in which he remembered Habib, as Secretary General, colleague and friend, praising his ecclesiastical and professional career and his dedication to serving the ecumenical movement and its development.

H.E. Senator Nasser J. Judeh, Former Minister of Jordan Foreign Affairs: The Kingdom is still providing a safe shelter

Secretary General Mr. Rudelmar Bueno de Faria: We condemn the economic sanctions imposed on countries such as Syria

The Middle East Committee of the Act Alliance Forum held its first annual meeting following the outbreak of the Corona pandemic, on Sunday 23 October 2022, in Amman. Attendees were 27 participants from Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq, Palestine and Egypt, representing local, regional and international organizations members of ACT Alliance. Noting that ACT includes more than 144 members from Evangelical and Orthodox humanitarian and development organizations worldwide, as well as the Middle East Council of Churches, which was the coordinator for the Administrative Committee of the Middle East and North Africa Forum for this year.

Desde el final de la Segunda Guerra Mundial y el cambio de giro de los países vencedores para alimentar pequeñas guerras que mantengan encendidos los fuegos en diferentes partes del mundo, sin comprometer la paz mundial y sin molestar a las naciones prósperas, la gente no ha sentido la fatídica amenaza que siente hoy a la luz de la guerra en curso en Europa.

Digo Europa, y no digo Ucrania, porque todo el mundo sabe —tanto el politólogo como el lector ordinario de periódicos— que una guerra de este calibre, en este lugar concreto y en este momento, no puede considerarse como una guerra local o un conflicto entre dos Estados, limitado en el tiempo y en el lugar.

La guerra que se encendió en Europa, que puede perjudicar la vida de Europa, como mínimo, y puede llevar a la destrucción de su hermosa civilización —¡Dios no lo quiera!— es sólo el punto de culminación de pequeñas guerras frías que se libran en cualquier parte del mundo, donde se encuentran los intereses estratégicos vitales de los llamados «grandes» países como base de la energía mundial.

Como parte de su gira por el Líbano, Su Eminencia el Obispo Dr. Udo Bentz, Presidente del Grupo de Trabajo en el Oriente Medio de la Conferencia Episcopal Alemana, visitó las oficinas de la Secretaría General del Consejo de Iglesias del Oriente Medio en Beirut, el lunes 17 de octubre de 2022, acompañado por el Dr. Daniel Legutke, Secretario del Grupo de Trabajo. El Secretario General del MECC, Dr. Michel Abs, dio la bienvenida a la delegación en el Consejo y al Director del Departamento Teológico y Ecuménico del MECC, Padre Dr. Antoine Al Ahmar.

Respuesta en el Campus de la Universidad Saint Joseph en Beirut

El Reverendo Philip Mounstephen presenta una conferencia sobre la libertad religiosa y los cristianos perseguidos

Por invitación y organización conjunta del Consejo de Iglesias del Oriente Medio, la Sociedad Bíblica y la Facultad de Ciencias Religiosas de la Universidad San José (USJ) de Beirut, se impartió una conferencia titulada «Por qué importa nuestra libertad religiosa», a cargo del reverendo Philip Mounstephen, obispo de Truro, y autor del estudio independiente de la FCDO sobre los cristianos perseguidos. Se celebró el jueves 13 de octubre de 2022, en el auditorio Francois Basil del Campus de Innovación y Deportes, en la Universidad San José. Asistieron representantes de organizaciones y partidos afectados, sacerdotes y personas interesadas en el tema en cuestión.

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 an invitation to attend a round table it organizes under the title "Women and Human Dignity", on Thursday 27 October 2022, at the headquarters of the General Secretariat in Beirut. You can participate in it via the following Zoom link: https://tinyurl.com/2jb2y9vy, or live on the MECC Facebook page. As for the weekly message of the MECC Secretary General Dr. Michel Abs, it is entitled “The Fragile Global Peace”, in which he tackled the danger that people and the world are facing in light of the war in Europe.

As of the end of World War II and the shifting of the turning of victorious countries to fueling small wars that keep fires burning in different parts of the world, without compromising world peace and disturbing the affluent nations, people have not felt the fateful threat that they feel today in the light of the ongoing warfare going on in Europe.

I say Europe, and I do not say Ukraine, because everyone knows- the political scientist as well as the ordinary newspaper reader- that a war of this caliber, in this particular place and at this time, cannot be considered as a local war or a conflict between two states, limited in time and place.

The war that was kindled in Europe, which may harm Europe's life to say the least, and may lead to the destruction of its beautiful civilization - God forbid - is only the culmination point of small, cold wars raging in any part of the world, where the so-called "great" countries’ vital strategic interests lie as a basis of world-wide energy.

As part of his tour in Lebanon, His Eminence Bishop Dr. Udo Bentz, Chairman of the Working Group in the Middle East of the German Bishops’ Conference, visited the offices of the Middle East Council of Churches’ General Secretariat in Beirut, on Monday 17 October 2022, accompanied by Dr. Daniel Legutke, Secretary of the Working Group. The MECC Secretary General Dr. Michel Abs welcomed the delegation at the Council and the Director of the MECC Theological and Ecumenical Department Father Dr. Antoine Al Ahmar.

The Service and Relief Department – Diakonia, at the Middle East Council of Churches, Syria’s Office, organized a graduation ceremony for the participants of the vocational trainings that were implemented in Tafas. An exhibition was organized in Saidat Al Bishara Church in Dara’a governorate where the production of trainees was presented.

The three-day exhibition included the productions of 150 trainees in the Vocational Trainings in different specializations: tailoring, electronics repair, mobile repair, dairy production, men and women hairdressing.

In the ceremony, all graduates received kits including the tools needed to start working or launch their own business.

A Round Table at the Invitation of the Middle East Council of Churches

Thursday 27 October 2022, at 10:15 am

As part of its monthly series of seminars, the Middle East Council of Churches invites you to a round table it organizes under the title "Women and Human Dignity", on Thursday 27 October 2022, at the headquarters of the General Secretariat in Beirut. You can participate in it via the following Zoom link: https://tinyurl.com/2jb2y9vy, or live on the MECC Facebook page.