She is the woman, the mother, the sister, the wife, the daughter, the friend and the companion, and all the names of safety are given to her.

She is the security of man and humanity who were criminals to her for hundreds of years, so they robbed her of what she has and denied her what she is, just because they are stronger than her and because the jungle bequeathed society the predominance of the strongest and its domination of what it deserves and what it does not deserve.

She is patience, steadfastness, and endurance of the intolerable in order to preserve the one she loves.

She is the silent, prudent, long-suffering who embraced the makers of human history.

In her deep they were carried and, on her hands, they grew up, and on her melodious voice they fell asleep - or on her stories, those who drew the lines of civilization.

She is the foundations that hold the structure of human life, the hidden foundations that man rarely remembers.

Round Table Organized by the Middle East Council of Churches

Secretary General Dr. Michel Abs: woman is the foundations that hold the structure of human life. Jesus Christ charted the course for restoring dignity to women

As part of its monthly seminars, the Middle East Council of Churches organized a round table entitled "Women and Human Dignity", on Thursday 27 October 2022, at the General Secretariat’s headquarters in Beirut, with a hybrid participation of speakers from Lebanon, Egypt, Palestine and Jordan.

During the two sessions of the round table, from 10am to 2pm, the interventions focused on the human rights and political challenges of women in the Middle East, and was attended by university professors, specialists and students in the MECC offices and online.

The Communication and Public Relations Department at the Middle East Council of Churches have now issued its online Ecumenical calendar for the month of November 2022. It includes the Ecclesiastical and Liturgical feasts of the various families of Churches in the Middle East. In addition to international days identified by the United Nations, and which are related to the MECC identity and its spiritual and human mission.

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.