Professor Michel Abs

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

When we speak about credibility, we are speaking about a set of values, ideals, standards, and behavioral patterns that a person or an institution must uphold in order to be considered credible.

Those who possess credibility, whether individuals or institutions, have accumulated a considerable record of transparent, honest actions with no ambiguity. These actions were witnessed by others, influenced them, and lodged in their collective memory, granting these individuals or institutions a respectful and trustworthy image in the public consciousness.

The concept of credibility is cumulative and is accompanied by other notions such as transparency, honesty, truthfulness, and harmony with virtuous behavioral values. These are among the good qualities our parents and teachers reiterated to us, extolled by writers and poets, and codified into law. Over time, they came to resemble legendary stories that were passed down to us in proverbs and anecdotes, weaving themselves into our innermost being and shaping our conscience in their likeness.

When I write about credibility, I see before me images from the past that we heard about from our grandparents, when people were bound by their word of honor, would settle their debts by the due date or even earlier, and considered lying a sin. They spoke only the truth; anything else was viewed as reprehensible by both family and society.

Would you believe that a merchant, after declaring bankruptcy and distributing his wealth among creditors, worked to repay his debt in full at 100%, because what remained of his assets covered only half of the debt, and he did not want to depart this world with his reputation tarnished?…

Professeur Michel Abs

Secrétaire Général du Conseil des Églises du Moyen-Orient (CEMO-MECC)

Lorsque nous parlons de crédibilité, nous évoquons un ensemble de valeurs, d’idéaux, de normes et de modes de comportement qu’une personne ou une institution doit adopter pour être considérée comme crédible.

Les personnes ou les institutions jouissant d’une grande crédibilité ont accumulé un grand nombre d’actions honnêtes et transparentes, sans ambiguïté aucune. Le public en a été témoin, en a été marqué, et les a gardées en mémoire, si bien qu’elles leur ont forgé cette image respectée et digne de confiance au sein de la conscience collective.

Le concept de crédibilité est cumulatif et s’accompagne d’autres notions comme la transparence, la sincérité, la franchise, et la cohérence avec des valeurs comportementales vertueuses. Il englobe donc des qualités louables que nos parents et nos professeurs nous ont souvent répétées, que les écrivains et les poètes ont chantées, et sur lesquelles les lois se sont appuyées. Ainsi, elles ont fini par ressembler à des récits quasi légendaires rapportés par les proverbes et les histoires que nos aînés nous ont transmises, s’inscrivant au plus profond de notre conscience et la façonnant à leur image.

Lorsque j’écris au sujet de la crédibilité, me reviennent en tête des images du passé, entendues de la bouche de nos grands-parents : à cette époque, les gens étaient liés par leur parole d’honneur, réglaient leurs dettes à leur échéance, voire avant, et considéraient le mensonge comme un péché, si bien qu’ils ne disaient que la vérité. Tout ce qui s’en écartait était relégué dans la catégorie des comportements méprisables, tant pour la famille que pour la société.

Croiriez-vous qu’un commerçant, après avoir déclaré faillite et partagé ses biens entre ses créanciers, ait œuvré à rembourser la totalité de sa dette à 100 % ? En effet, ce qui subsistait de sa fortune ne couvrait qu’à moitié le montant dû, et il ne voulait pas quitter ce monde éphémère avec une réputation entachée…

“The Platform of the Word” at the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) presents an episode of the program “And the Family Remains,” entitled “Rape.” The program raises issues related to the family, motherhood, and childhood, in addition to the Church’s view and response to challenges, especially in light of the difficult living conditions the region is passing through.

The Middle East Council of Churches and the Christian Muslim Episcopal Committee for Dialogue,

which stems from the Council of Catholic Patriarchs and Bishops in Lebanon,

are organizing a symposium on Tuesday, March 25, at 4:00 PM

at Our Lady of the Annunciation Cathedral – Museum – Beirut

What Are Its Roots and History?

From Mesopotamia that embraced in its heart the spirit of unity and fraternity and wove in its veins a painting of faith and hope, the National Day of Tolerance and Coexistence was launched, which Iraq adopted in its national calendar on March 6 of each year. The day was announced after the fraternal meeting that brought together His Holiness Pope Francis and His Eminence Al-Sayyid Ali Al-Sistani in Najaf during His Holiness' historic visit to Iraq despite his difficult health situation at the time. A visit that extended between March 5 and 8, 2021.

If we go back in history to the year 2021, we must recall this official visit that urged the parties and sects to announce this day. All the stations of his historic visit to Iraq included a series of positions that emphasized fraternity, love and tolerance in their content.

An Episode with His Eminence Bishop Mar Matthias Charles Mrad and the Journalist Lea Adel Maamary

From the Platform of the Word at MECC

"From Misery to Healing", a program from the Platform of the Word at the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) that discusses the meanings and dimensions of Lent, as well as Prayers and celebrations with various Church Families.

The guest of this episode is His Eminence Bishop Mar Matthias Charles Mrad, the Patriarchal Vicar of the Syriac Catholic Archdiocese of Beirut and the Head of the Episcopal Committee for Christian-Muslim Dialogue in Lebanon.

He was interviewed by the Media Officer, the Coordinator of the Church and Media Relations and the Director of the Platform of the Word at the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), the Journalist Lea Adel Maamary.

On Mariam TV, Affiliated with Télé Lumière-Noursat

The Bulletin Covers Church, Social and Cultural News

You can click here to watch the full Bulletin.

Hosted by the Syriac Orthodox Archdiocese of Beirut

His Eminence Archbishop Mor Clemis Daniel Kourieh: "Let us work to enhance cooperation and solidarity to serve the little brothers and sisters of Jesus Christ with honesty and dignity"

The MECC Secretary General Professor Michel Abs: "It is necessary to serve people with dignity and protect their rights"

With the blessing and presence of His Eminence Archbishop Mor Clemis Daniel Kourieh, Syriac Orthodox Archbishop of Beirut and Delegate of the Executive Committee of the Middle East Council of Churches to the Diakonia and Social Service Department, and in coordination with MECC, the Lebanon Forum of the International ACT Alliance held its annual meeting on Monday, March 3 and Tuesday, March 4, 2025, hosted by the Syriac Orthodox Archdiocese of Beirut.

In the presence of the Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) Professor Michel Abs, participants were representatives of the members of ACT Alliance in Lebanon from various Church Families, associations, local, regional and international organizations.

After the opening Prayer, the Secretary General Professor Michel Abs welcomed the attendees, thanking His Eminence Archbishop Mor Clemis Daniel Kourieh for his hospitality. He also introduced His Eminence to the participants, emphasizing his long Ecumenical career in the Middle East Council of Churches where he held many responsibilities, as well as in the Ecumenical world which he realizes its importance today in networking and cooperation. Professor Abs also mentioned the necessity of serving with dignity and preserving human rights.

An Exclusive Interview with Serge Karnabi, a Member of the Board of Directors of Caritas On Behalf of the Syriac Catholic Church and Vice President of the Charitable Society of the Syriac Catholic Church in Lebanon

The Maronite Church Celebrates, on the 2nd of March, the Feast of Saint John Maron, the First Maronite Patriarch of the See of Antioch

Video - An Interview with Father Nehme Saliba About The Platform of the Word

He Praises “The Platform of the Word” And Its Important Media Goals

Father Nehme Saliba, Priest of the Greek Orthodox Parish of Hazmieh - lebanon, a Researcher in Christian-Muslim relations, and a Spiritual Companion for married couples, visited the Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) Professor Michel Abs, in the presence of the Journalist Lea Adel Maamary, the Media Officer, the Coordinator of the Church and Media Relations, and the Director of the “Platform of the Word” at the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), on Tuesday, March 4, 2025, at the MECC headquarters in Beirut.

The attendees discussed the importance of dialogue and building bridges between the various components of society, as well as the need to strengthen the Ecumenical spirit. They also talked about the role of the media in conveying the good word and instilling the values ​​of love, fraternity, and peace.