Opening of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity”
An Ecumenical Prayer Service in the Presence of the Heads of the Middle East Churches
In the Saint Georges Church for the Assyrian Orthodox Church of the East in Sed El-Bauchrieh - Lebanon
The “Week of Prayer for Christian Unity” was launched in the Middle East and the world, as it was inaugurated in the East in a Prayer service held on Sunday 21 January 2024, hosted by the Saint Georges Church for the Assyrian Orthodox Church in the East, in Sed El-Bauchrieh – Lebanon. It was part of the celebrations organized in Lebanon by the Episcopal Committee for Ecumenical Relations at the Council of Catholic Patriarchs and Bishops in Lebanon, in partnership with the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC).
Attendees were His Holiness Mar Awa III, Catholicos-Patriarch of the Assaryan Church of the East, represented by His Eminence Bishop Mar Abars Youhana, Bishop of the Diocese of Dohuk and Nineveh for the Assyrian Church of the East, His Beatitude Patriarch Cardinal Mar Bechara Boutros Al-Rai, Maronite Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, His Beatitude Patriarch Mor Ignatius Youssef III Younan, Syriac Catholic Patriarch of Antioch and MECC Honorary President, His Holiness Patriarch Mor Ignatius Aphrem II Patriarch of Antioch and All the East and Supreme Head of the Universal Syriac Orthodox Church and MECC Honorary President, represented by His Eminence Archbishop Mor Clemis Daniel Kourieh, Syriac Orthodox Archbishop of Beirut, His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the Armenian Church, Holy See of Cilicia and MECC Honorary President, represented by Father Stephanos Pashayan, Reverend Dr. Habib Badr, President of the National Evangelical Union in Lebanon and MECC Honorary President.
Participants were also Bishops and Priests from different Church Families, alongside Dr. Laure Abi Khalil, representing the MECC Secretary General Dr. Michel Abs, political and official personalities, parishioners and believers from all Churches.
Following an opening speech addressed by Father Tanios Khalil, Dean of the Faculty of Theology at La Sagesse University in Lebanon, and Member of the Episcopal Committee for Ecumenical Relations for the Council of Catholic Patriarchs and Bishops, the Service included the Ecumenical Prayer from the “Week of Prayer for Christian Unity” booklet for this year, which is entitled “You shall love the Lord your God... and your neighbour as yourself” (Luke 10:27), and His Eminence Bishop Mar Abars Youhana read the Parable of the Good Samaritan. This is in addition to readings, meditations, and hymns according to the ritual of the Assyrian Orthodox Church of the East performed by the Church choir.
During the Service, His Beatitude Patriarch Cardinal Mar Bechara Boutros Al-Rai delivered a Sermon entitled “Go and do likewise” (Luke 10: 37), in which he stressed that there is an urgent need for love and mercy in hearts amid disagreements and divisions. He also spoke about the theme of this year's Week of Prayer, and mentioned that the Word of God needs pure hearts open to love, minds open to truth, and wills open to goodness, in order to produce abundant fruits in the Church and society. The Word of God is received and understood through works of mercy.
His Beatitude added that love is translated into acts of mercy towards any person, even if he or she is an enemy. With Christ, hostility fell and a culture of love and mercy entered human history. He continued and said that this is our Christian culture and civilization that we live and spread as we live in our Eastern environment. This is where God has created us to bear witness to love and mercy in the face of all the hostilities, hatred, divisions, and wars we are witnessing. Yes, love is heroism and mercy is heroism, and anything else is weakness.
For his part, His Eminence Bishop Mar Abars Youhana addressed a speech on behalf of His Holiness Mar Awa III, in which he welcomed Their Beatitudes the Patriarchs, Their Eminences the Bishops, the Priests and the attendees. He also expressed his joy at hosting this occasion in the Church of Saint Georges of the Assyrian Orthodox Church of the East. He stressed the importance of Christian unity, as he prayed on the intention of achieving unity of hearts among all Churches, regardless of their diversity, through mutual love.
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, also delivered a speech in which he talked about the necessity of praying together and living the spirit of love and brotherhood among the Churches, away from all divisions. In addition, he stressed the desired and expected spirit of unity, for which the Lord Jesus prayed on the night of his death as a ransom for all of humanity.
During the Prayer, the believers united with the Heads of the Churches in Prayer and sang together in one heart, with fraternity and hope, on the intention of unity and for peace in the Middle East and the world.