St. Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church - Cairo Hosts the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity 2025
Speeches Emphasized the Dialogue of Love and Integration
Cairo, February 17, 2025
Under the slogan “Do you believe this?” (John 11: 26), St. Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church in Cairo hosted the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity organized by the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) in cooperation with the Egyptian Council of Churches.
The Prayer was attended by Archdeacon “Ecclesiastical Rank” Emad Basilios, Pastor of the Church, the Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) Professor Michel Abs, the Secretary General of the Egyptian Council of Churches Reverend Yachouh Yaacoub, His Eminence Bishop Claudio Lurati, Bishop of the Latin Church in Egypt, the Associate Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) Reverend Refaat Fikry, Reverend Jaafar Tanqara, Pastor of the Sudanese Service at the Episcopal Church of Korba, Reverend Fayez Nadi, Member of the Prayer Committee at the Egyptian Council of Churches, Pastor of the Ain Shams and El Salam Episcopal Church, Reverend Michel Milad, Pastor of the Episcopal Church in Giza, Reverend Nagah Fawzy, Head of the Pastors and Priests Committee at the Egyptian Council of Churches, Reverend Refaat Fikry, the Associate Secretary at the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), Father Youhanna Saad, Member of the Priests and Pastors Committee, Martha Al-Qass Fayez, Member of the Women’s Committee, and Nora Edward, Member of the Women, Youth and Believers’ Committee.
The Prayer began with a welcoming speech delivered by Archdeacon Emad Basilios, in which he said: “Dear brothers and sisters, distinguished Priests, I am pleased and honored to welcome you in our Church. The unity of the Church is our ultimate goal, and we all strive to achieve it through Prayer and joint work. On behalf of Archbishop Dr. Samy Fawzy, I extend my sincere greetings and appreciation to all of you.”
Then, the Secretary General of the Egyptian Council of Churches Reverend Yachouh Yaacoub, stressed in his speech that: “The importance of the Week of Prayer, which is celebrated as a symbol of faith in God’s ability to strengthen the unity of the Church. The Egyptian Council of Churches was established in 2013, and its work focuses on five main axes: unity of love, unity of integration, unity of respect for others, unity of mutual cooperation, and unity of faith. The Council also works through several committees, including the Pastors and Priests Committee, the Family Committee, the Women’s Committee, the Media Committee, the Youth Committee, the Executive Committee, the Dialogue Committee, and the Deans of Theological Faculties Committee.”
The Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) Professor Michel Abs began his speech with a brief presentation about the period preceding the establishment of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), where Ecumenical activities began in the region in 1929, followed by the establishment of the Near East Council of Churches in 1964, until the establishment of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) in 1974.
Afterwards, he talked about the Council in its current situation, explaining its organizational, administrative and programmatic structure, and presenting its projects and regional spread.
As for the activities of the Fiftieth Year of the MECC Establishment, the Secretary General presented the part of activities that was implemented, noting that it was impossible to implement the other part due to the events that occurred in Lebanon in the second part of the year.
The Secretary General then explained the major strategic lines of the Council, which revolve around its administrative development, preserving the Christian presence, development, Ecumenical relations, and developing scientific research in order to monitor emergent social phenomena and their impact on our societies.
At the end of his speech, he explained how the Week of Prayer for Unity and the Season of Creation constitute a model for joint Christian work and rapprochement between the Churches, and how it is necessary to spread this model of activities in addition to The Association of Theological Institutes in the Middle East (ATIME).
Father Rafic Jreich, Member of the Pastors and Priests Committee, said: “In God’s appearance to Moses in the Burning Bush, we see the beginning of salvation as a transition from slavery to freedom. Just as God freed his people in the past, we are freed from sin to life through the death and Resurrection of Christ. Our call today is to determine our position: Are we in the despair of slavery or are we striving for the freedom of life with Christ? Let us always remember that Christ, our hope, leads us from death to life, so let us rise with him towards freedom and peace.
Father Boutros Fouad, Member of the Priests and Pastors Committee at the Egyptian Council of Churches, also spoke in his speech about the Epistle to the Philippians (2: 1-11), where the Apostle Paul focuses on the importance of love and humility as the basis for Christian unity. As the Apostle Paul explains, love is not just words but must be translated into concrete actions of sacrifice and giving.”
The Prayer ended with the recitation of the Biblical Readings, the Creed, and hymns.