Catholic Information Center

Your Eminences, Holy Fathers, honorable presence

Today we begin the second half-century of the life of the Middle East Council of Churches, this institution that formed lieu of togetherness and interaction between the churches of the cradle of Christianity, where happened the annunciation of the coming of the Lord, the birth, the preaching, the crucifixion, and the resurrection, completing His message of salvation to humankind.

The MECC has gone through many stages, and its roots go back to the year 1929, when it was an institution then called the Christian Council for the Near East. It gradually transformed into the Near East Council of Churches (NECC) in 1964, then the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) in 1974, where it took its current constitutional and organizational shape and remained as such with some modifications in the organizational structure, but nothing has changed in essence.

The MECC stems from the ecumenical faith and thought, where there is mutual recognition between the church(es) regarding distinct theological trends and liturgy, and where there is mutual acceptance, growing partnership, deepening interaction, and common fateful aspirations.

Middle East Socioeconomic Overview

Report: December 2023

With the end of the fragile ceasefire in Gaza, began a new round of violence. As such, the news of the murder of hundreds of civilians who are not part of the fight, returned to be the talking point of every major media outlet operating in the region. Moreover, the ‘emergency’ transfer of deadly munitions to the occupier although it has no shortage of deadly weaponry its arsenal; illegal phosphorous rounds are also being used with impunity and without remorse. The sad fact of the matter is that some Western nations who have been championing human rights over a sizable period of time, are either refraining to offer explanations to the inhumane actions or timidly calling-out the Occupier’s aggressive actions in Gaza. Hopefully, the leaders of the Western world will muster the courage to speak up for what is right and begin denying the Oppressor the resources it uses to wage war.

Organized by the Episcopal Committee for Ecumenical Relations in Lebanon in Partnership with the Middle East Council of Churches

The “Week of Prayer for Christian Unity” begins around the world on 18 January and ends on 25 January every year. It is an Ecumenical station during which we Pray and sing together praising our Lord Jesus through a special booklet, which is entitled this year “You shall love the Lord your God... and your neighbour as yourself” (Luke 10:27).

As is customary every year, Christians around the world participate in celebrations during which they meet from various Church families to unite together in Prayer on the intention of a unity they long for.

In this context, we issue in Arabic the program of celebrations in Lebanon for this year’s Week of Prayer, which is organized by the Episcopal Committee for Ecumenical Relations in partnership with the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), so that together we may achieve the message of building bridges and bridging distances.

On the Occasion of the “Week of Prayer for Christian Unity” and the Fiftieth Year of the MECC Founding

Together we unite in Prayer and praise to the Lord Jesus Christ through music and singing! Together we work towards a unity that has been awaited for decades!

Participate with us in the Ecumenical musical event “Beirut 2024”, on Saturday 20 January 2024, at 5 pm Beirut time, in the Forum de Beyrouth.

An event which will be held on the occasion of the “Week of Prayer for Christian Unity” and the Fiftieth Year of the founding of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC).

The invitation is public, and you can reserve your tickets for free through the following link:

www.beirut2024eme.com

MECC Invites You to the Ecumenical Musical Event “Beirut 2024”

Saturday 20 January 2024, 5pm Beirut Time - At the Forum de Beirut

On the occasion of the “Week of Prayer for Christian Unity” and with the launching of the Fiftieth Year of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC)’s Founding, MECC has the honor to invite you to participate in the Ecumenical Musical Event “Beirut 2024”, on Saturday 20 January 2024, at 5pm Beirut Time, in the Forum de Beyrouth.

This event constitutes a spiritual Ecclesiastical meeting to praise our God Jesus Christ, and will be performed by an Ecumenical choir and orchestra that includes more than 300 choristers and musicians, Clergy and lay people from various Church Families. Noting that this meeting includes hymns and Prayers from various Churches and musical traditions and rituals.

The invitation is public and you can reserve your tickets for free through the following link:

www.beirut2024eme.com 

Celebrates the “Week of Prayer for Christian Unity” and Participates in an Ecumenical Musical Event

The Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), Communication and Public Relations Department, have now issued its online Ecumenical calendar for the month of January 2024. 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.

Launch in a Press Conference the “Week of Prayer for Christian Unity” 2024

And Announce the Fiftieth Year of the MECC Founding and the Ecumenical Musical Event that Will Be Held in Beirut

At the invitation of His Eminence Archbishop Youssef Soueif, Maronite Archbishop of Tripoli and President of the Episcopal Committee for Ecumenical Relations at the Council of Catholic Patriarchs and Bishops in Lebanon, and on the occasion of the “Week of Prayer for Christian Unity” and the fiftieth year of the founding of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), the Catholic Information Center, in partnership with MECC, held a press conference on Tuesday 9 January 2024, at the Center’s headquarters in Beirut. During the conference, the “Week of Prayer for Christian Unity” 2024 was launched, in addition the program for the MECC Jubilee Year was presented, and the Ecumenical musical event that will be held for the occasion in Beirut, on Saturday 20 January 2024, was announced.

The MECC Secretary General Dr. Michel Abs Participates in the Prayer

On the occasion of the blessed birth of our Lord Jesus Christ, and in place of its customary reception, the Union of the Armenian Evangelical Churches in the Near East (UAECNE) held a Prayer Service on Saturday 6 January 2024, at the First Armenian Evangelical Church, Beirut. The Prayer was held on the intention of the Armenians of Artsakh and all Armenia, the Churches of Palestine and the entire Palestinian people, Lebanon, its government and people, and also for the sake of the countries and peoples of the Middle East and the world who suffer from wars, violence, displacement, deprivation, instability and injustice of every kind.

Participants were the Representative of the Ambassador to Armenian in Lebanon, the Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) Dr. Michel Abs, along with Armenian Evangelical Pastors and Parishioners. They all raised their Prayers with one heart and contrite spirit to the Almighty God, for the peace of the suffering world for which the Savior was born in Bethlehem.

Launching of Its Jubilee Year, the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity

And the Ecumenical Musical Event that Will Be Implemented in Beirut

With the launching of the fiftieth year of its founding, the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) will participate in a press conference at the Catholic Media Center in Lebanon, on Tuesday 9 January 2024, at 11 a.m. Beirut time. During the conference, the launching of the “Week of Prayer for Christian Unity” 2024 will be announced, and bears this year the title “You shall love the Lord your God... and your neighbour as yourself” (Luke 10:27). As well as, MECC will presents the program of its Jubilee Year (1974-2024), and announces the Ecumenical musical event that will be held for the occasion in Beirut, on Saturday 20 January 2024.

The conference includes many speeches that will be delivered by His Eminence Archbishop Youssef Soueif, President of the Episcopal Committee for Ecumenical Relations at the Council of Catholic Patriarchs and Bishops in Lebanon, Dr. Michel Abs, the Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches, Mr. Marc Merhej, the Organizer of the Ecumenical musical event, and Father Tanios Khalil, Dean of the Faculty of Religious and Theological Sciences at La Sagesse University in Lebanon.

Towards the Fifty-Year Jubilee of the MECC Founding

The Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches Dr. Michel Abs, heading a delegation from the Council, visited Reverend Dr. Paul Haidostian, President of the Union of the Armenian Evangelical Churches in the Near East, President of Haigazian University in Lebanon, and President of the Middle East Council of Churches for the Evangelical Family, on Friday 5 January 2023, at the Haigazian University’s campus.

The MECC delegation included the Associate Secretary General Mrs. Seta Hadeshian, the Director of the Lebanon’s Office at the MECC Diakonia and Social Service Department Ms. Nina Hallak, the Executive Assistant to the Secretary General Mrs. Caroline Haddad, and the MECC Human Resources Senior Officer Mrs. Roula Saliba.

The Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) seeks, through its various humanitarian, educational and social programs, to preserve human dignity and rights, in addition to standing by the weakest and neediest groups and amplifying the voice of the marginalized and oppressed people. In this context, the Middle East Council of Churches had launched a series of monthly seminars on various social issues, within the framework of the “Human Dignity Project” - “Dialogue and Social Cohesion-Social Capital Rehabilitation”.

A delegation from the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) visited His Beatitude Patriarch Cardinal Mar Bechara Boutros Al-Rai, Maronite Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, at the Patriarchal Edifice in Bkerke, Lebanon. The delegation included the Director of the MECC Theological and Ecumenical Department Father Dr. Antoine Al Ahmar, and the Coordinator of the Ecumenical Musical Event in which MECC will participate Mr. Marc Merhej.

The meeting was also attended by His Eminence Archbishop Youssef Soueif, Maronite Archbishop of Tripoli and President of the Episcopal Committee for Ecumenical Relations at the Council of Catholic Patriarchs and Bishops in Lebanon, and His Eminence Archbishop Antoine Bou Najem, Maronite Archbishop of Antelias.

In the new issue of the weekly newsletter Momentum issued by the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), Communication and Public Relations Department, you can find two editorials from the MECC Secretary General Dr. Michel Abs. The first one is entitled “Childhood, dignity and future challenges” and it was the speech he delivered at the seminar organized by MECC under the title “Protective Policies for Childhood Dignity”, on Thursday 28 December 2023. The second one is entitled “Ecumenical immunization of vulnerable areas... and the homeland”, and it was the speech he delivered at the Ecumenical Prayer held by Télé Lumière and Noursat, on the intention of peace in the South of Lebanon, at the Saint Maron Church – Bauchrieh, Lebanon.

1- Childhood, dignity and future challenges

2- Ecumenical immunization of vulnerable areas... and the homeland

Newborn children of unknown parents, school dropouts, street children, child labor, child abuse, child murder, child trafficking, and the list may be long, and if it indicates anything, it indicates the magnitude of the challenges and burdens placed on our countries and civil society to control and correct the state of childhood in our region.

Statistics indicate, at all levels, the presence of serious indicators that do not bode well for a promising future for our societies, coupled with projects, programs, activities, and institutions aimed at responding to the challenges before us.

What we aspire to may be a small part of what is required to secure an appropriate framework for a wide segment of our coming generations, knowing that if we secure this part, we will still be far from securing the requirements of producing adequate coming generations capable of taking upon themselves the future of a society and the aspirations of a nation.

In conjunction with Christmas, and amidst the harsh developments that the South of Lebanon is suffering from, causing harm to families and towns, and in light of fears of how the situation will evolve in the next stage, Télé Lumière-Noursat TV station held an Ecumenical Prayer lead by a group of Bishops and Priests from all Churches, on the intention of peace in the South of Lebanon, in Saint Maron Church – Bauchrieh.

Participants in the Prayer were also the General Manager of Télé Lumière and the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Noursat Mr. Jack El Kallassi, and the Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches Dr. Michel Abs, Télé Lumière - Noursat Family.

The Service began with a welcome speech addressed by the Director of Nour Al Chark Media Channel Marie-Therese Bacha Hnein, which was followed by some reflections delivered by their Eminences the Bishops and the Priests, reflecting love, peace, harmony, and the rejection of violence, fundamentalism, and extremism.

“You shall love the Lord your God... and your neighbour as yourself” (Luke 10:27). With this Bible verse, the team of the General Secretariat of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) gathered in a Christmas Spiritual Retreat, held at the Near East School of Theology in Ras Beirut.

Participants in the Retreat were Reverend Dr. Paul Haidostian, President of the Union of the Armenian Evangelical Churches in the Near East, President of Haigazian University, and President of the Middle East Council of Churches for the Evangelical Family, Dr. George Sabra, President of the Near East School of theology in Beirut, Reverend Dr. Rima Nasrallah, Environmental Advisor at MECC, Dr. Michel Abs the MECC Secretary General, Father Antoine Al Ahmar, Director of the Theological and Ecumenical Department, and the teams of the General Secretariat of the Middle East Council of Churches and the Near East School of Theology.

Preparations for the Ecumenical Musical Event in 2024

A delegation from the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) visited His Beatitude Patriarch Mor Ignatius Youssef III Younan, Syriac Catholic Patriarch of Antioch, on Thursday 28 December 2023, at the headquarters of the Patriarchal See in Al Mathaf - Beirut. The delegation included the Director of the MECC Theological and Ecumenical Department Father Dr. Antoine Al Ahmar, and the Coordinator of the Ecumenical Musical Event that MECC will hold in 2024 Mr. Marc Merhej

The meeting was attended by His Eminence Bishop Mathias Charles Mrad, the Patriarchal Vicar of the Eparchy of Beirut, Monsignor Habib Mrad, the General Patriarchal Economus and Patriarchal Secretary, and Father Karim Kalash, the Assistant Secretary of the Patriarchate.