After the Earthquake that Struck the North of the Antiochian Levant

Following the catastrophic earthquake that shook the North of the Antiochian Levant, the Middle East Council of Churches’ team in Syria made an interview with His Eminence Archbishop Youssef Tobji, the Maronite Archbishop of Aleppo and the Head of the Ecumenical Relief Committee for Relief in Aleppo, which was formed by MECC initiative with Churches’ representatives in Syria, aiming at supporting the affected people and help them restore their homes.

What Are the Implications of this Event?

Since the first century AD, the Coptic Church celebrates on the first of June of each year an Ecclesiastical Feast that has a special place in history, geography and civilization, according to the His Holiness Pope Tawadros II, Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of St. Mark. It is the Feast of the Entry of the Holy Family into the Land of Egypt, after taking a journey full of hardships, torments, and dangers, to escape from King Herod.

Hence, the path of the Holy Family carries many spiritual, historical and cultural meanings and connotations, in addition to a tourist aspect, as His Holiness Pope Tawadros II described this path as "a special blessing and a unique gift that God gave to Egypt."

The Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches Dr. Michel Abs was the guest of Reverend Rifaat Fikry, MECC Associate Secretary General, in a phone interview in an episode entitled “The Pope of Love, the Pope of Peace” within the program “Kadaya Sakhina” ( “Hot Issues”), on Al Keraza TV in Egypt, on Monday 22 May 2023. Dr. Abs presented his impressions and aspirations from the visit of His Holiness Pope Tawadros II, Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of St. Mark, to the Vatican, and his meeting with His Holiness Pope Francis. He also highlighted the importance of Christian unity where souls embrace and bridges are built. Moreover, the Secretary General considered that this trend of togetherness shall fulfill the role of example for all people.

With the aim of enhancing cooperation and joint work, Mr. Massoud Hafnaoui, President and Co-Founder of “Attalaki” organization in Tunisia, and Ms. Roua Tlili, Assistant Program Coordinator at the organization, visited the offices of the Middle East Council of Churches’ General Secretariat in Beirut, on Thursday 11 May 2023. They were received by the MECC Secretary General Dr. Michel Abs.

In the new issue of the weekly newsletter Momentum issued by the Middle East Council of Churches, Communication and Public Relations Department, you can find a news about the participation of the MECC Secretary General Dr. Michel Abs, at the Last Judgment Sunday Mass, presided over by His Beatitude Patriarch John X, Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch and All the East and MECC President for the Orthodox Family, on Sunday 19 February 2023, at Our Lady of Balamand Patriarchal Monastery in Lebanon. This is in addition to details about the meeting of Dr. Abs with His Beatitude Patriarch John X, and also with Archimandrite Dr. Jack Khalil, President of the Association of Theological Institutes in the Middle East (ATIME).

As for the weekly message of the MECC Secretary General Dr. Michel Abs, which title is “The Northern Antiochian Levant, A Glimmer of Hope in the Heart of Tragedy”, he talked about the tragedies and sufferings that Antioch has always witnessed over the decades. He added that we should never give up in the face of difficulties and work to support the neediest and most vulnerable people, so that Antioch remains, as His Beatitude Patriarch John X said in his Sunday Homily, “the glorious Bride of Christ.”

La campaña de las Naciones Unidas «ÚNETE para poner fin a la violencia contra las mujeres» sigue en marcha durante 16 días de activismo en todo el mundo. El Consejo de Iglesias del Oriente Medio participa con ACT Alliance en la campaña y alza su voz para proteger a las mujeres y preservar sus derechos.

Señalando que esta campaña anual de la ONU comenzó en el Día Internacional de la Eliminación de la Violencia contra la Mujer, el 25 de noviembre, y terminará en el Día Internacional de los Derechos Humanos, el 10 de diciembre.

The United Nations campaign “UNITE to End Violence Against Women” is still ongoing during 16 days of activism, worldwide. The Middle East Council of Churches is participating with ACT Alliance in the campaign and raises its voice towards protecting women and preserving their rights.

Noting that this UN annual campaign starts on the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women on 25 November, and ends on the International Human Rights Day on 10 December.

In the new issue of the weekly newsletter Momentum issued by the Communication and Public Relations Department of the Middle East Council of Churches, you can find the weekly message of the MECC Secretary General Dr. Michel Abs, which is entitled “On World Food Day: Humanity Between Schizophrenia and Hypocrisy”. It is written for the founding day of the Food and Agriculture Organization, and the World Food Day, on 16 October.