On the kick-off of the "Week of Prayer for Christian Unity" 2022, the Patriarchal Vicar of the Armenian Catholic Church His Eminence Archbishop Georges Assadourian was the guest of the morning show “Yom Jdid” (which means “New Day”) on OTV, on Monday 17 January 2022 to discuss about the week of prayer and the importance of Christian Unity.

As part of the "Week of Prayer for Christian Unity" 2022 activities, MTV interviewed in its morning program Alive, on Sunday 17 January 2022, the director of the MECC Theological and Ecumenical Department Father Antoine Al Ahmar and the member of the MECC preparatory committee of the prayers’ booklet Reverend Dr. Rima Nasrallah from the National Evangelical Church in Beirut to shed light on the meanings of the week of prayer and the importance of Christian unity.

The annual international Prayer Octave will be happening soon, and its preparations are still ongoing, aiming at achieving the goal of building bridges and shortening distances.

The “Week of Prayer for Christian Unity” will be launched next Tuesday on January 18 and will end on January 25. During this week, we pray and sing together praising our Lord Jesus through a special booklet. The theme of this year is focusing on the Christmas star and entitled “We saw his star at its rising and have come to do him homage” (Matthew 2:2).

Dedicar una semana de oración por la unidad de los cristianos podría sugerir que los discípulos de Cristo sólo buscan la unidad durante esta época del año. Sin embargo, rezan por la unidad a diario durante todo el año, con una creencia común en la «Iglesia única, santa, católica y apostólica». Lo que distingue a estos ocho días es que los cristianos de diferentes Iglesias y comunidades rezan juntos, reflexionando sobre un mismo tema, siguiendo un mismo servicio y reunidos localmente en un mismo lugar. Así aparece la unidad en su esplendor, reflejando una verdadera oración cristiana.

Dedicating a week of prayer for christian unity might suggest that Christ's disciples only seek unity during this time of the year. However, they pray for unity daily throughout the year, with a common belief in “One, holy, catholic and apostolic Church”. What distinguishes these eight days is that Christians from different Churches and communities pray together, reflecting on one subject, following one service, and gathered locally in one place.

MECC Has Prepared the Prayer Booklet for the 2022 Week

A Message from the East to the World

“In One, Holy and Apostolic Church” we declare in our Nicene Creed to emphasize the importance of our Christian unity with our Lord Jesus Christ. Heads of churches around the world have always seek to this unity which is today highlighted by Christians through daily prayers and meditations during the "Week of Prayer for Christian Unity" that is scheduled from 18 to 25 January of each year.

“We saw his star at its rising and have come to do him homage” (Matthew 2:2)

Booklet, Poster, Pocket Prayer and the Celebrations Program in Lebanon

Christians around the world celebrate the “Week of Prayer for Christian Unity” between 18 and 25 January of each year. They pray together with one heart to God the Father on the intention of enhancing the spirit of unity and brotherhood among them. Hence, a unified booklet is specially prepared for this week which is yearly awaited.

A delegation from the Middle East Council of Churches headed by Secretary General Dr. Michel Abs visited His Holiness Patriarch Mor Ignatius Aphrem II, Patriarch of Antioch and All the East and Supreme Head of the Universal Syriac Orthodox Church, and president of the Council for the Eastern Orthodox Family, on Wednesday 29 December 2021 at the Patriarchal Headquarters in Atchane, Lebanon.

With the Victims’ Families of the Beirut Port Blast

Only Faith Can Strengthen them!

The Theological and Ecumenical Department at the Middle East Council of Churches organized a second session as part of the Trauma Healing and Spiritual Counseling program aiming at supporting the victims’ families of the Beirut Port Blast which occurred on August 4, 2020.

Brothers, sisters and wives of the victims participated in the session which was very touching and included testimonies of the suffer they experienced and live daily from the day of the explosion until today.

Training to Improve the Capabilities of the MECC Team

Developing the working group performance in any institution or organization contributes the most in enhancing the work mechanisms and improving the productivity. The Middle East Council of Churches is keen to organize periodic training courses for its department’s teams aiming at developing their skills in various fields in order to achieve the desired Ecumenical and humanitarian goals.

A delegation from the General Secretariat of the Middle East Council of Churches visited His Beatitude Patriarch Raphaël Bedros XXI Minassian, the new Patriarch of Cilicia for the Armenian Catholics at the Patriarchate headquarters in Beirut. The delegation congratulated Minassian on his election as Patriarch and head of the Armenian Church, which has a remarkable role among the MECC member Churches.

Under the patronage and presence of the Maronite Patriarchal Vicar of Sarba, H.E Bishop Paul Rouhana, former MECC Secretary General, the Council’s General Secretariat organized a spiritual retreat presided over by the MECC Secretary General Dr. Michel Abs. The retreat was held on Friday, November 5, 2021, at the Saint Paul Monastery - Patriarchal Maronite Diocese, Vicariate of Sarba, Keserwan - Lebanon, which is newly renovated.

A delegation from the Mennonite Central Committee – MCC visited the headquarters of the Middle East Council of Churches in Beirut, on Thursday, October 28, 2021. The delegation included the Representative for Northeast Asia Chris Rice and the Legislative associate for the Middle East and US immigration policy Hannah Markey.

MECC Secretary General Dr. Michel Abs, Director of the Theological and Ecumenical Department Father Dr. Antoine Al Ahmar and the Executive Assistant to the Secretary General Mrs. Seta Hadeshian welcomed the delegation.

The Communication and Public Relations Department at the Middle East Council of Churches have now issued its digital Ecumenical calendar for the month of November 2021. It includes the Ecclesiastical and Liturgical feasts of the various families of Churches in the Middle East. In addition to international days identified by the United Nations, and which are related to the MECC identity and its spiritual and human mission. Noting that the remaining months of the year will be published consecutively.

The importance of Praying, especially on the intention of the earth, nature and the divine blessings, in a video. It calls us to Prayer for the COP26 UN Climate Change Conference that will be held in November 2021 in Glasgow, Scotland.

and the Families of the Beirut Blast Victims at LIQAA

A group of the families of the Beirut blast victims of August 4, 2020, especially the families of the 10 martyrs of the Beirut Fire Brigade, responded to the invitation of the Theological and Ecumenical Department in the Middle East Council of Churches to participate in the Trauma Healing and Spiritual Counseling program, through a meeting on 15, 16, and 17 October 2021 at the "Liqaa" Center in Rabweh - Lebanon.

As part of the "Season of Creation" 2021 activities, the MECC Communication and Public Relations Department and the Council’s Ecojustice Adhoc Committee release a video about the importance of cultivating peace among generations, as well as the difference between the peace of people and the free peace of Jesus Christ.

«Nosotros hemos visto aparecer su estrella en el Oriente y venimos a adorarlo» (Mateo 2, 2)
Un título esperanzador para la unidad en la oración

La versión árabe del folleto de la Semana de Oración por la Unidad de los Cristianos se publica este año con gran alegría. El Consejo Pontificio para la Promoción de la Unidad de los Cristianos encomendó al Consejo de Iglesias del Oriente Medio la tarea de seleccionar el tema de la «Semana de Oración para el año 2022« y preparar los borradores de sus textos.

“We saw his star at its rising and have come to do him homage.” (Matthew 2:2)

A Hopeful Title for Unity in Prayer

The Arabic version of The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity booklet is released this year with great joy! The Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity entrusted the Middle East Council of Churches with the task of selecting the theme of the Week of Prayer for the year 2022 and preparing drafts of its texts. The Ecumenical Committee appointed by the Theological and Ecumenical Department of the Council, tasked with this project, chose as a subject the appearance of the star in the sky of Judea as a sign of hope for God’s loving presence for humanity under the title: “We saw his star at its rising and have come to do him homage” (Matthew 2:2).