A Gathering of Love in Egypt and His Holiness Pope Tawadros II Inaugurates the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity in Egypt
His Holiness Congratulates the Middle East Council of Churches on Its Fiftieth Year and Praises Its Role
Cairo, 13-3-2024
Under the theme “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself’” (Luke 10:27)” the Prayer for Christian unity was held in the Church of Church of the Great Martyr Saint George and Anba Ebram - Heliopolis - Cairo, at the invitation of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), in cooperation with the Egypt Council of Churches.
The Prayer was presided over by His Holiness Pope Tawadros II, Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of St. Mark, with the participation of the Heads of Churches in Egypt, the Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches Dr. Michel Abs, Secretary General of the Egypt Council of Churches Reverend Yachouh Yaacoub, Bishops, Priests, Pastors, Nuns, and Believers.
At the beginning of the Prayer, a speech was delivered by Father Sergios Sergios, the General Agent of the Patriarchate, in which he welcomed everyone and spoke about the history of the Church’s building from the year 1958 till today.
Then, a speech was addressed by His Eminence Bishop Bishoy Helmy, the Associate Secretary General of the Coptic Orthodox Church in the Egypt Council of Churches, in which he spoke about the history of Church unity, stressing that the Week of unity had made achievements, and that Churches in Egypt had made progress on many issues despite that the road to the desired unity is still long. Therefore, it requires constant Prayers at all times so that everyone may be one. He congratulated the Middle East Council of Churches on the Fiftieth Year of its Founding, and the Egypt Council of Churches on the Eleventh Year of its Founding as well.
After that, Dr. Michel Abs, the Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches, delivered a speech, at the beginning of which he presented a word of love and condolence to His Holiness Pope Tawadros II, to the Church, and to the families of the three monks who were martyred in South Africa. It was entitled “Christians, Persecution and Freedom,” in which he said:
“From the trial, the flogging, the road to Calvary, the crucifixion, and the Resurrection, to throwing Christians as food to predators, to uprooting them from their homes, the line is one, straight, without any snaking or ambiguity in understanding its path or its interpretation.
The history of Christianity, from its inception and through its rise, is a path fraught with dangers, sacrifices, and testimony on the path to resurrection. The purest testimony is blood testimony.
In the footsteps of the Incarnate Lord, who redeemed us with His coming, Christians continue to walk in all areas of their spread. They heal wounds and being hurt by many. They spread knowledge and are assassinated by the ignorant. They enshrine freedom and are stabbed by those who practice slavery. They light up the night of the world and darkness comes to destroy them.
When this night will be over?
The three monks killed in South Africa form an additional laurel wreath in the path of spreading the message of love and peace.
We cannot say to their Church, families, society, or to humanity except: Christ is risen.”
Then Dr. Michel Abs delivered his speech dedicated to the occasion, entitled “Fifty,” in which he said:
“‘When the day of Pentecost came, all the apostles were together in one place” (Acts 2:1).’
This verse is the slogan adopted by the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) on its fiftieth anniversary. The slogan was designed by the MECC team, in collaboration with the Council’s Communication Department, in a way that merges the fiftieth year of foundation with the Council’s well-known slogan. To this, the verse, the logo, and four stars were added, representing the four families that make up the MECC.
It was a blessed day when the pledge of allegiance to the Master was made on the island of Cyprus, the Star of the Mediterranean, in May 1974. It was then that it was announced that an agreement had been reached to strengthen relations between its components, in an institution unanimously called the Middle East Council of Churches. This period was the culmination of a decades-long process during which a large group of church leaders and faithful, who yearned to see a common Christian action, called for ecumenical action, exerted tireless efforts.
At that time, those in charge realized the seriousness of what they were undertaking. Thus, they employed their energy and expertise in organizing this emerging and promising organization, and devoted their time to work on everything that ensures its continuity and success. The first Secretary-General was from Egypt, from the land of the Nile, from the house of the Holy Family.
Initially, the Council included three ecclesiastical families. Then, in the nineties, the fourth family joined the Council, and it became composed of Eastern Orthodox, Orthodox, Evangelical, and Catholic families.
During the period since its founding, the MECC has undergone many stages and transformations at the level of programs, concerns, and organizational structure. It was affected during this period by regional and international transformations that had an impact on it. However, it was able to continue thanks to its curators, including presidents, secretaries-general, and faithful engaged persons.
In terms of organizational structure, the Council consists of a General Assembly that meets every four years, or when necessary. The Assembly’s role is to receive and discuss reports on achievements, approve future directions submitted by the MECC team after consultation with the competent committees, and after the approval of the Executive Committee. It also elects an Executive Committee and a Secretary-General for the following four years. The Executive Committee, in turn, appoints three Associate Secretaries-general from the three ecclesiastical families that are not the secretary-general’s family. In the past three years, the Council has witnessed a restoration of the historic role of the associate secretaries-general, in the context of establishing a decision-making system with the broadest consultation and participation.
In its fiftieth year, the Council is an advanced institution at the level of programs. It deals with a variety of needs, starting with emergency relief, to development projects that include vocational training and support in the field of crafts, agriculture, and other areas necessary to secure income for the neediest families. Its programs also include rights education, health education, trauma recovery assistance, and environmental protection. It organizes seminars on human dignity, social dialogue, and other means of building social capital. In addition to all this, the MECC has been concerned with the restoration of church buildings and institutions, and the restoration of houses damaged by the earthquake that struck the region last year. It is worth mentioning that there are many projects in preparation that will soon be launched. In all this, the MECC embodies the Good Samaritan values and example.
In its fiftieth year, the Council is also an advanced institution in terms of organization and administration. It is building its human capacities through training and education, and at the same time, it is developing its administrative and financial methods through the development and renewal of its internal procedural processes. This is in line with global trends in the field of organization and management of Faith-Based and Non-Governmental organizations – FBOs and NGOs- and in response to the requirements of sister international bodies. At the same time, its accounting system is being renewed to increase speed and effectiveness in financial and accounting work, aiming to achieve high financial efficiency.
In both, the programmatic and the administrative-financial areas, the MECC demonstrates high effectiveness and transparency. This has earned it high credibility with international partners, both ecclesiastical and secular, as evidenced by their eagerness to collaborate with us and prioritize us in their programs and projects.
This has led to the formation of a new institutional culture within the Council, which has seen some decline in the past, due to changes at the level of the team. We all know that organizational culture finds its guarantee and continuity in the individuals who embody it and carry its historical memory.
Today, the Council is present in four countries of the Middle East and is eager to return to countries where it was previously present. Our churches have never withheld hosting or support from the Council, a fact that is widely known, especially among our international partners.
Your Holiness, Your Beatitude, Your Eminence, and Reverent Pastors,
This is the status of your Council in its fiftieth year. If congratulations are in order, they are from us to you, for continuing together in this institution for half a century despite the difficulties experienced by both the region and the institution.
The ecumenical spirit is manifested by your presence together. The most recent manifestation of this was in May 2022, when a general assembly was held at the Papal Logos Center - Anba Bishoy Monastery, in Wadi El-Natroun, after an absence of six years due to the pandemic. This twelfth general assembly marked the culmination of the first fifty years of the Council’s existence.
This ecumenical spirit, and the ecumenical culture derived from it, is on an advanced path, with momentum. While it may change depending on certain circumstances, it has definitely not experienced any setback.
As for the fiftieth year, also known as the Golden Jubilee, the Executive Committee emphasized that it should be a year of evaluation, reflection, and foresight, devoid of ostentation or any manifestations that we do not find appropriate. Thanks to the Lord who manages matters, the MECC team was already reflecting in this direction, and so it has been.”
Dr. Michel Abs ended his speech saying “In all this, in order to serve humanity in the name of the Savior, we ask for your blessings and support, so that the Lord may take care of us and help us to perform the best service.”
Afterwards, the Secretary General of the Egypt Council of Churches Reverend Yachouh Yaacoub delivered a speech in which he stressed that the “Prayer of unity requires perseverance and participation and that its manifestation gives a beacon to the world.” He also mentioned the activities implemented by the Egypt Council of Churches.
Then, there a speech was addressed by the Honorary Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches Dr. Gergis Saleh, in which he spoke about the slogan of the Week of Unity for the year 2024, that was chosen at a time when the world and the Middle East are suffering from wars and crises. Therefore, this slogan came to urge us to move towards Prayer and working together in mutual love.”
He also talked about the Middle East Council of Churches and the Twelfth General Assembly that it held in 2022 at the Pontifical Logos Center - Anba Bishoy Monastery in Wadi Al Natroun, hosted by His Holiness Pope Tawadros II.
The opening Prayer included the recitation of many Biblical Texts, hymns and Church Prayers in many languages.
At the end of the Prayer, His Holiness Pope Tawadros II delivered a spiritual speech entitled “what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” (Mark 10:17).
At the beginning of his speech, His Holiness Pope Tawadros II presented his condolences to the three monks who were martyred in South Africa, indicating that he was following matters related to this issue moment by moment, presenting also his condolences to their families and the Church in South Africa.
His Holiness Pope Tawadros II pointed to the three signs of fasting: charity (mercy), prayer (solitude), and fasting (repentance), so that we obtain eternal life. His Holiness addressed two verses from the first epistle of our teacher St. Paul the Apostle to his student Timothy in the first chapter, which are:
”Now the purpose of the commandment is love from a pure heart, from a good conscience, and from sincere faith, from which some, having strayed, have turned aside to idle talk,“ (1 Timothy 1:5-6)
His Holiness Pope Tawadros II pointed out that the purpose of the Bible’s commandment is to guide our behavior and inherit eternal life, through:
1- Love from a pure heart:
True love comes from a pure heart in the form of action and work, and this heart must constantly offer repentance, and not be satisfied with formal acts of worship ”redeeming the time, because the days are evil.“ (Ephesians 5:16)
During the period of fasting, we enter the room to pray, and close the door (mouth), to be alone with God in privacy
2- A good conscience:
A living and awake conscience guides a person. When we receive the grace of the Holy Spirit, we become very sensitive, and conscience is one of God’s assets in us, so we present our actions with a good conscience because of its connection to the Holy Word.
”Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me.“ (Psalms 51:10)
3- Faith without hypocrisy:
It is the energy of faith that God has given us, and trust in God’s work in crises. God is the Lover of mankind, the Maker of good deeds, and He is the ruler of all. Everything in creation is accomplished by His knowledge and power, so our faith must be firm and steadfast.
His Holiness Pope Tawadros II recommended that we make these three elements the focus of our contemplation during the period of fasting, so that we may inherit eternal life.
It is worth mentioning that His Holiness Pope Tawadros had received the participating delegations in the Church hall, stressing the virtue of love that unites everyone and offering them souvenirs.