On the occasion of the Sixteenth Anniversary of His Election as Syriac Catholic Patriarch

On the occasion of the Sixteenth Anniversary of the Election of His Beatitude Patriarch Mor Ignatius Youssef III Younan as Syriac Catholic Patriarch, the Secretary General Professor Dr. Michel Abs, on behalf of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) family, extends his heartfelt congratulations to His Beatitude as he is an Honorary President for the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), raising Prayers to God to bestow upon him His blessings and grant him good health and determination in his Pastoral mission and Church service, wishing him many years of goodness, blessings and holiness.

On January 20, 2009, His Eminence Mor Ephrem Joseph Younan, Metropolitan of the Diocese of Our Lady of Deliverance in the United States of America and Canada, was elected Patriarch to be named “Mor Ignatius Youssef III Younan,” the Most Blessed Patriarch of the Syriac Catholic Church of Antioch.

On Suboro TV

Watch with us the Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) Professor Dr. Michel Abs, in an episode of “Kel Yom Bi Yawmo” (“Everyday”) program on Suboro TV, today, Monday, January 20, 2025, at 5:30 Beirut time, to talk about the activities of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) within the framework of the “Week of Prayer for Christian Unity” 2025 entitled “Do you believe this?” (John 11: 26).

In the video you can find the word delivered by His Eminence Archbishop Youssef Soueif, Archbishop of the Maronite Diocese of Tripoli and President of the Episcopal Committee for Ecumenical Work at the Assemblée des Patriarches et Evêques Catholiques du Liban (APECL), at the Opening Prayer of the "Week of Prayer for Christian Unity" 2025, under the title “Do you believe this?” (John 11: 26), on Saturday 18 January 2025, at the Church of Saint Ignatius of Antioch, Syriac Catholic Patriarchal See, Museum - Beirut.

In the video you can find the word delivered by His Beatitude Patriarch Mor Ignatius Youssef III Younan, Syriac Catholic Patriarch of Antioch, and Honorary President of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), at the Opening Prayer of the "Week of Prayer for Christian Unity" 2025, under the title “Do you believe this?” (John 11: 26), on Saturday 18 January 2025, at the Church of Saint Ignatius of Antioch, Syriac Catholic Patriarchal See, Museum - Beirut.

You can find the Prayer of the third day of the "Week of Prayer for Christian Unity" 2025, included in its booklet, and which you may publish and distribute.

The theme of this year’s Week of Prayer is “Do you believe this?” (John 11: 26).

The MECC Secretary General Professor Dr. Michel Abs Participates In It

Balamand - Lebanon, January 19, 2025

His Beatitude Patriarch John X, Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, and President of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) for the Orthodox Family, celebrated the Divine Liturgy at the Patriarchal Monastery Our Lady of Balamand, with the participation of Archimandrite George Yaacoub, the Abbot of the monastery, Archimandrite Yaacoub Khalil, Dean of the Saint John of Damascus Institute, and President of the Association of Theological Institutes in the Middle East A.T.I.M.E., and many Priests and Deacons. The Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), Professor Dr. Michel Abs, the Balamand family, and a crowd of faithful were also present.

In his Sermon, His Beatitude focused on the meanings of the Apostle that was read from (Colossians 3: 4-11). He focused on the process of becoming new human persons and wished for stability, security, and peace in Lebanon, Syria, and the region.

After the Liturgy, His Beatitude met with the faithful in the monastery’s hall and hada paternal discussion with them about the general situation.

His Beatitude Patriarch Mor Ignatius Youssef III Younan, Syriac Catholic Patriarch of Antioch, presided over the official Opening Prayer of the Week of Prayer for the Unity of the Churches, according to the Syriac Antiochian Rite, at the Church of St. Ignatius the Antioch, in the Patriarchal See, Al-Mathaf - Beirut.

The Prayer was attended by His Beatitude Patriarch Cardinal Mar Bechara Boutros Al-Rai, Maronite Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, His Beatitude Youssef Al Absi, Greek Melkite Catholic Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, His Holiness Aram I Keshishian, His Holiness Catholicos Aram I, Catholicos of the Armenian Orthodox Church, Holy See of Cilicia, His Beatitude Patriarch Raphaël Bedros XXI Minassian, Catholicos Patriarch of the Armenian Catholic Church of Cilicia, His Excellency Monsignor Paolo Borgia, Apostolic Nuncio to Lebanon, His Eminence Archbishop Mor Clemis Daniel Kourieh, representing His Holiness Patriarch Mor Ignatius Aphrem II, Patriarch of Antioch and All the East and Supreme Head of the Universal Syriac Orthodox Church, Reverend George Mrad, representing Reverend Joseph Kassab, President of the Supreme Council of the Evangelical Community in Syria and Lebanon, and Heads of Churches in Lebanon or their representatives.

From the Syriac Catholic Church, the participants were Their Eminences: Mar Ephrem Youssef Abba, Archbishop of Baghdad and Secretary of the Holy Synod, Mar Matthias Charles Mrad, Vicar General of the Patriarchal Archdiocese of Beirut, Mar Ishaq Jules Boutros, Director of Our Lady of Salvation Patriarchal Seminary in the Monastery of Al-Sharfeh and Head of the Youth Pastoral Care, Priests from the Patriarchal Department, from the Monastery of Al-Sharfeh, and from the Patriarchal Archdiocese of Beirut, the Ephraimite Monks, the Ephraimite Nuns.

Participants were also the Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) Professor Michel Abs, students of Our Lady of Salvation Patriarchal Seminary in the Monastery of Al-Sharfeh. As well as, attendees were Bishops, Priests, Monks, Nuns, and Deacons from various Churches, in addition to crowds of parishioners from the Patriarchal Archdiocese of Lebanon and the Holy Family Mission for the Iraqis refugees in Lebanon for Syriac Catholic Church, and believers from Sister Churches.

You can find the Prayer of the second day of the "Week of Prayer for Christian Unity" 2025, included in its booklet, and which you may publish and distribute.

The theme of this year’s Week of Prayer is “Do you believe this?” (John 11: 26).

We unite together in Prayer proclaiming “Merciful God, forgive us for the times we have failed to live a common life as Christians. Draw us more deeply to one faith in you so that we may witness to the world” (from the Prayer Service of the Week of Unity 2025).

Opening Ecumenical Prayer Service in celebration of the “Week of Prayer for Christian Unity”, at St. Ignatius of Antioch Church in the Syriac Catholic Patriarchate in Beirut.

The launching of the “Week of Prayer for Christian Unity” 2025 in the Middle East, under the title “Do you believe this?” (John 11: 26). An Ecumenical Prayer Service is being held live from the Church of St. Ignatius the Antioch in the Syriac Catholic Patriarchate in Beirut, hosted by His Beatitude Patriarch Mor Ignatius Youssef III Younan, Syriac Catholic Patriarch of Antioch, and Honorary President of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), with the participation of the Heads of the Churches, and the presence of the MECC Secretary General Professor Dr. Michel Abs.

You can find the Prayer of the first day of the "Week of Prayer for Christian Unity" 2025, included in its booklet, and which you may publish and distribute.

The theme of this year’s Week of Prayer is “Do you believe this?” (John 11: 26).

With a lot of hope, the “Week of Prayer for Christian Unity” begins, today, Saturday, January 18, 2025, under the title “Do you believe this?” (John 11: 26). It ends on Saturday, January 25, 2025.

The Week of Prayer is one of the most Ecumenical stations of the year which is celebrated annually. During this Week, we unite in Prayer, hymns and supplications to our Lord Jesus Christ on the intention of a unity that has been awaited for decades, and for peace and justice in the Middle East and the world.

Professor Dr. Michel Abs

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

At the start of each year, Christians gather to pray together for a week, commonly called the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. This week, repeated for over a century, has become part of Christian life and relationships among Christians.

Anyone observing the process will realize that the Week of Prayer has expanded to reach additional churches and believers worldwide, clearly reflecting Christians’ longing to be one in Christ, as He commanded us when He was among us on earth.

Overcoming the divisions that Christianity has experienced for a long time is not easy, those divisions that persisted for lengthy eras, creating rifts among believers of one faith, though many elements of Christian doctrine have remained unified.

Praying together, expressing together the faith, values, emotions, and aspirations within us, is wonderful. Equally important is the growing shared Christian (ecumenical) effort—through the formation of national and regional church councils worldwide and ongoing dialogue among these member churches, which extends to the Catholic world. Notably, Catholic churches are members of many of these church councils.

“Do you believe this?” (John 11: 26)

The "Week of Prayer for Christian Unity" starts, as it is one of the most awaited Ecumenical stations of the year, which includes a Prayer Octave that extends between 18 and 25 January every year. A station during which we unite in Prayer to our Lord Jesus Christ on the intention of a unity that has been awaited for decades, through a special international booklet that the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) translates it into Arabic annually. Noting that this year theme is “Do you believe this?” (John 11: 26).

In this context, you can find below the daily Prayers, meditations, and reflections in Arabic and English for the week of Prayer, included in the booklet, and which you may publish and distribute every day.

Week of Prayer 2025 Booklet

The Prayer for Christian Unity

Program of the Celebrations in Lebanon

This report presents an overview about the visit held by the Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) Professor Dr. Michel Abs, at the head of an MECC delegation, to His Beatitude Patriarch Raphaël Bedros XXI Minassian, Catholicos Patriarch of the Armenian Catholic Church of Cilicia, and President of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) for the Catholic Family. The visit took place on Wednesday, January 15, 2025, at the Patriarchate in Geitawi - Beirut, in the presence of His Eminence Bishop Krikor Badishah, Auxiliary Bishop of the Armenian Catholic Archdiocese of Beirut.

The media coverage on the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity continues as Father Tanios Khalil, the Dean of the Faculty of Theology at La Sagesse University in Lebanon, and the Rapporteur of the Episcopal Committee for Ecumenical Work at the Assemblée des Patriarches et Evêques Catholiques du Liban (APECL), was the guest of the Journalist Lea Adel Maamary, the Media Officer at the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), the Director of the Platform of the Word, and the Coordinator of the Church and Media Relations at MECC, in an episode within her program “Moubadarat” (“Initiatives”) on Radio Voice of Van.

The episode, which you can watch in the video, centered around the most prominent meanings of the Week of Prayer and the spiritual symbolism it carries, in addition to explanations about the topic chosen for this year, “Do you believe this?” (John 11: 26).

What Is the Symbolism of this Date?

Check With Us the History of this Week!

In the video, you can find a Church News Bulletin on Mariam TV, which includes reports about the latest activities of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC). The bulletin is prepared and presented by the Journalist Lea Adel Maamary, the Media Officer at the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), the Director of the Platform of the Word, and the Coordinator of the Church and Media Relations at MECC.

As a culmination of the Fiftieth Year of its Founding, and in accordance with the adopted media strategy, the MECC first Church News Bulletin will be launched early next week on Wednesday, January 22, 2025.

The bulletin will include Church and humanitarian news and the MECC activities in various fields.