On the commemoration of the Assumption of His Patron Saint the Apostle John the Evangelist and Theologian

On the commemoration of the Assumption of the Apostle John the Evangelist and Theologian, Patron saint of His Beatitude Patriarch John X, Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, the thirteenth of the Holy Pure Apostles, and the President of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) for the Orthodox family, the Secretary General Professor Michel Abs, extends, in the name of the MECC family, his warmest congratulations to His Beatitude, asking the Lord to grant him more graces and bless his service and contributions in the field of the Lord.

The Middle East Council of Churches also wishes His Beatitude many years with the power of the Holy Spirit, and continued health and holiness in his Pastoral mission so that he may remain a faithful Leader of the Holy Church and a model in his love for Christ.

Produced by MECC

and Member of the MECC Executive Committee

at the MECC Partners Meeting - September 2025

at the MECC Partners Meeting - September 2025

Ninth Episode About His Participation in the The VIII Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions _ Kazakhstan

Prepared and Presented by the Journalist Lea Adel Maamary

Produced by MECC

Video - His Holiness Pope Tawadros II: Love in the Epistles of Saint Paul

A Documentary that Sheds Light on the Church of Saint Thecla in the Town of Ain al-Sindyana, Metn - Lebanon

Produced by the Middle East Council of Churches

“Ecumenical Horizons” is a weekly program that features spiritual, cultural, intellectual, educational, youth and environmental topics.

Video - His Beatitude Patriarch Cardinal Mar Bechara Boutros Al-Rai: The Parable of the Sower

at the MECC Partners Meeting - September 2025

Video - His Beatitude Patriarch Mor Ignatius Joseph III Younan: The Cross is the Power of God

An Episode Within the "Community Knowledge" Series

“Momentum”

19-9-2025

This issue includes reports, videos, news, articles, and a full coverage of the latest developments of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), as well as the Church, Ecumenical, and social events…

This is in addition to the weekly word of the MECC Secretary General Professor Michel Abs which is entitled in this issue “An Oasis of Hope in the Desert of Despair”. It is the word he delivered at the Workshop on the Humanitarian–Development–Peace Nexus- Organized by MECC in Jordan between 15 and 16 September 2025.

You can check the issue via the following link: https://mailchi.mp/d5aed8eab078/momentum-mecc-weekly-newsletter.

You can also subscribe to the Momentum Newsletter via the following link: https://mecc.us14.list-manage.com/subscribe?id=fd3381352a&u=1db32cafe9ea32b38eb90480a.

Professor Michel Abs

The Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC)

Since ancient times, our region, what some call the Middle East, but which we call the Antiochian East, or the Arab East, has been in constant turmoil with no apparent end. From before recorded history, this land has suffered invasions and waves of displaced peoples, turning it into a highly diverse, and at times discordant, mosaic. This has deeply affected the quality of life, human and cultural relations, and inevitably, politics.

Our region, often labeled the “cradle of civilization” or the “cradle of Christianity,” has faced crisis after crisis, differing in scope and cause, but always with profound consequences. It is nearly impossible to find another place with such ancient heritage and diversity of religions and ethnicities, which, while rich, have often cast a shadow over people’s lives, aspirations, and hopes.

This is a region of conflicts par excellence, where international and local rivalries are settled, leaving it perpetually fragile, dependent on scraps of global agreements, with destructive impacts on all aspects of its peoples’ lives…