The International Ecumenical Family Unites During the Season of Creation
How Did This Season Started?
The Middle East region will be celebrating an annual, international, environmental, Christian and Ecumenical season entitled “Season of Creation”…
During this season, the Ecumenical Christian family unites around one common goal. The season calls us all to Pray and work together for the care and preservation of God's Creation. The season extends from 1 September, the beginning of the “Season of Creation” and the Prayer days for the Creation, to 4 October, the end of the “Season of Creation” and the Feast of Saint Francis of Assisi, author of the Canticle of Creatures, and Patron Saint of environmental activists in the Catholic Church.
It is worth mentioning that the Middle East Council of Churches launched the “Season of Creation” for the first time in the Middle East in 2021 through a series of environmental activities and an awareness campaign to protect the creation, which it continues to implement throughout the year. This is in addition to the Arabic translation of the Season’s booklet, which is issued internationally, into different languages. Thus, Middle Eastern people can celebrate with the whole world the season’s activities, which are various annually. But when this season started?
Historically and in 1989, His Beatitude Ecumenical Patriarch Dimitrios I proclaimed the 1st of September as a day of Prayer for creation in the Orthodox Church. It was embraced by other major Christian European churches in 2001, and by His Holiness Pope Francis for the Roman Catholic Church in 2015.
In recent years, many churches have begun to celebrate the “Season of Creation” which is also known as “Creation Time”, through Prayers, celebrations, and various activities that bring us all together to work for the protection our common home, the Oikos of God. Hence, several statements from the past few years have called the faithful to observe this month-long season, such as those of the Catholic Bishops of the Philippines in 2003, the Third European Ecumenical Assembly in Sibiu in 2007 and the World Council of Churches in 2008.
As for this year, the “Season of Creation” theme is “Let Justice and Peace Flow” and its symbol is “A Mighty River”. Prophet Amos cries out “But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream!” (Amos 5: 24). Therefore, the season calls us to join the river of justice and peace and spread hope instead of despair.
In the two links below, you can find the “Season of Creation” 2023 guide in Arabic and English.
You can also share your thoughts, suggestions and experiences through the following hashtags:
#SeasonOfCreationME #MECC #SeasonOfCreation2023
موسم_الخليقة #مجلس_كنائس_الشرق_الأوسط#