The Middle East Council of Churches expresses its condolences to the Vatican, to Pope Francis, to the Catholic Church, and to the MECC churches for the passing away of one of the great theologians of our time, intellectual, academic, policy maker and Pope, Benedict XVI who led the Catholic Church for eight years. We pray for his soul to rest in peace.

"Dignity, Freedom and Justice"

An Intellectual Seminar at the Invitation of MECC and the Regional Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights

Save the Date!

Wednesday 11 December 2022, at the headquarters of the MECC General Secretariat and via Zoom, 9:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Towards the 75th anniversary of the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Middle East Council of Churches, in partnership with the Regional Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, is honored to invite you to an intellectual seminar entitled "Dignity, Freedom and Justice". It will be held on Wednesday 11 January 2023, from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., at the headquarters of the MECC General Secretariat in Hamra, Beirut, Makhoul Street, Deeb Building, 3rd floor. You can click here to check the location.

You can also participate in the seminar via Zoom through the following link: shorturl.at/y2345. As well as, it will be broadcasted live on Télé Lumière and Noursat, and on the MECC Facebook page.

The Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches Dr. Michel Abs headed a delegation from the MECC General Secretariat, in a visit to His Beatitude Patriarch Raphaël Bedros XXI Minassian, Catholicos Patriarch of the Armenian Catholic Church of Cilicia, and MECC President for the Catholic Family. The visit was held on Monday 26 December 2022, at the Armenian Catholic Patriarchate in Achrafieh, Beirut.

The delegation included the MECC Associate Secretary General Mrs. Seta Hadeshian, and the Director of Theological and Ecumenical Department Father Dr. Antoine Al Ahmar.

Merry Christmas from the MECC General Secretariat

Video - Christmas Message 2022 from the MECC Secretary General Dr. Michel Abs

Tell me, O manger, what happened that night when the Word was incarnated?

I swear to you by Him, by His wounds, and by His bleeding on the cross. Tell me, what happened on that enduring night?

Humble, incarnated and transformed into one of us, and settled in the most humble and poor places.

The Sun of Righteousness came down to us and chose to teach us a lesson about His birth: that the Son of Man has no place to lay His head.

With a simple cloth, his mother wrapped Him and laid Him in the manger, although she was the one who knew who He was.

And Celebrates the “Week of Prayer for Christian Unity” During this Month

The Communication and Public Relations Department at the Middle East Council of Churches have now issued its online Ecumenical calendar for the month of January 2023. 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.

Noting that January includes one of the most important international Ecumenical occasions. It is the “Week of Prayer for Christian Unity”, which MECC celebrates it in the region and with the world, between 18 and 25 January, every year.

At the end of 2022, it seems that the Middle East is breathing its last breath due to the exacerbation of the economic, social and living crises... and the ME people are being exhausted due to the daily pressures. Hence, the Middle East Council of Churches is keen to preserve human dignity, and seeks to sow hope in the hearts of the exhausted people through its various humanitarian programs. MECC is trying to support the most vulnerable groups in order to empower them and convince them that the will of life is stronger.

The MECC’s office in Jordan organized several programs related to various social sectors. The Council implemented a training course on the art of sewing, which it had launched in cooperation with the Rum Orthodox Church.