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The Middle East Council of Churches issues its annual report for the year 2022 under the title “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid" (Matthew 14: 27), which was the title that MECC took for its Twelfth General Assembly held in May 2022. Hence, through this report and its title, the Middle East Council of Churches reaffirms the necessity of adhering to faith, continuing to Pray together, and relying on our Lord Jesus Christ, our only hope, in order to overcome all the difficulties and challenges that cast their shadows over the wounded Middle East.
The report compiles in its pages the activities of the Middle East Council of Churches and the achievements it has accomplished at various Ecumenical, Theological and humanitarian levels. Despite a year burdened with global fluctuations, the Council was not prevented to achieved its mission and desired goals of building bridges and standing together between the East and West, in addition to spreading the culture of peace, dialogue, love, and solidarity among all Church Families and Religions, from the Cradle of Christianity to the whole world.
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On the occasion of the “Season of Creation” celebrations in the Middle East and the world, the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) culminates this season in an Ecumenical Prayer Service, with the participation of Reverend Dr. Paul Haidostian, President of the Union of the Armenian Evangelical Churches in the Near East, President of Haigazian University in Lebanon, and MECC President for the Evangelical Family. The Prayer Service will be held on Wednesday 4 October 2023, which marks the “Season of Creation” closing, at 5 pm Beirut time, in the Pope John Paul II Amphitheater at the Holy Spirit University – Kaslik (USEK), Lebanon.
The Middle East Council of Churches invites you to participate in the Prayer Service, at the Holy Spirit University - Kaslik, stressing on the slogan of this year’ “Season of Creation”, “Let Justice and Peace Flow”, asking God the Creator to open our hearts to receive the living waters of God’s justice and peace, and to share it with our suffering brothers and sisters, all creatures around us, and all creation. Noting that this Prayer, which MECC will hold annually, will be broadcasted through media and live on the MECC Facebook Page.
In this context, and stemming from its belief in the importance of preserving God’s creation, working to protect our common home, and enhancing environmental Theological awareness, especially in preparation for the UN Conference on Climate Change COP28, the Middle East Council of Churches, in cooperation with the Association of Theological Institutes in the Middle East (ATIME), is organizing a symposium entitled “Ecumenical Perspectives on Climate Change”. Participants will be specialists in the fields of environment and Theology from Lebanon, Egypt, and European institutions.
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His Holiness Patriarch Mor Ignatius Aphrem II, Patriarch of Antioch and All the East and Supreme Head of the Universal Syriac Orthodox Church, inaugurated, in the presence of a delegation from the Middle East Council of Churches, the Monastery of St. Antonios in the Wilderness of Sadad. His Holiness also consecrated St. Antonios Church at the Monastery. The ceremony took place on Wednesday, September 27, 2023.
During the consecration, His Holiness was assisted by their Eminences Archbishops: Mor Timotheos Matta Al-Khoury, Archbishop of Homs, Hama, Tartous and Environs, Mor Theophilus George Saliba, Patriarchal Advisor, Mor Maurice Amsih, Archbishop of Jazeera and Euphrates, Mor Boutros Kassis, Archbishop of Aleppo and Environs, Mor Yacoub Babawi, Patriarchal Vicar for the Affairs of Monks and the Administration of Mor Aphrem Theological Seminary, Mor Joseph Bali, Patriarchal Assistant, Mor Christophoros Markose Abraham, Patriarchal Secretary for the Affairs of the Church in India, Mor Augeen Al Khoury Nemat, Patriarchal Secretary, Bishop Mor Iwannis Boulos Al-Souqi, and Armenian Orthodox Archbishop of Damascus Armash Nalbandian.
The Prayers of the Qudosho were followed by the ointment with Chrism on the altar and the walls of the Church, by His Holiness Patriarch Mor Ignatius Aphrem II, according to the rites of our Syriac Orthodox Church.
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As part of its monthly seminars, the Middle East Council of Churches held a new webinar entitled “School Dropout and Human Dignity”, on Thursday 28 September 2023, with the participation of specialists, academicians, universities’ students and interested attendees in the topic at hand. Noting that this webinar comes within the framework of the “Human Dignity Project” - “Dialogue and Social Cohesion-Social Capital Rehabilitation”, which MECC is implementing consecutively.
The webinar, which was broadcasted live on the MECC Facebook Page, included four interventions, moderated by Dr. Laure Abi Khalil, who presented in her opening speech definitions about the phenomenon of school dropout, in addition to its causes and repercussions, as well as the problems to which the dropout is exposed.
The webinar began with a speech delivered by the MECC Secretary General Dr. Michel Abs, in which he spoke about the problems that lead to school dropout and the consequences of this phenomenon, and said “The existence of school dropouts, in such large numbers, is indicative of a society that is unwell, teetering on the brink of an abyss, and hurtling towards it at an alarming rate. School dropouts signify a society that has lost its ambition, sacrificing its aspirations at the altar of deprivation and hardship… The school may be out of touch with educational progress and may not know how to address or deal with the student body”...
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In preparation for the Synod’s 16th Ordinary General Assembly of the Catholic Church, which will be held between 4 and 29 October 2023 in the Vatican, His Holiness Pope Francis calls for an Ecumenical Prayer service, which he will preside over, on Saturday 30 September 2023, in St Peter’s Square in the Vatican, on the intention of this General Assembly’s work. His Beatitude the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, Bartholomew I, and the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, will participate in the Prayer, along with a group of Church Leaders and believers from various Church Families.
In this context, the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) joins His Holiness Pope Francis in Praying on the intention of the Synod, as the Council’s General Secretariat team held a Prayer service, on Thursday 28 September 2023, at the MECC headquarters in Beirut.
During the Prayer, the MECC team raised their supplications to our Lord Jesus Christ so that he might inspire, with the power of his Holy Spirit, the participants in the Synod’s 16th General Assembly. Moreover, the worshipers celebrated together the Feast of Saint Thecla, Protomartyr and Equal of the Apostles, which falls on 24 September 2023.
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Father Dr. Michael Kanbar, the Executive Secretary of the Association of Theological Institutes in the Middle East (ATIME), was the guest of the journalist Roula Zeidan, in an episode of the morning show “Al Nour Maana” (the Light is with Us), on Télé Lumière and Noursat, on Thursday 21 September 2023, which you can watch it in the video.
During the episode, Father Dr. Kanbar highlighted the Symposium which is being organized by the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) in cooperation with the Association of Theological Institutes in the Middle East (ATIME), under the title “Ecumenical Perspectives on Climate Change”. It will be held on Wednesday 4 October 2023, at 5:30 pm Beirut time, in the Pope John Paul II Amphitheater at the Holy Spirit University – Kaslik (USEK), Lebanon, and on Thursday 5 October 2023, starting 9 am Beirut time until 5:30 pm Beirut time, at the François Bassil Amphitheater in the Saint Joseph University (USJ) – Beirut.
As well as, Father Dr. Michael Kanbar talked about the Church’s view about the environment, stressing the importance of preserving creation, God’s Graces, and therefore the necessity of protecting our common home.
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At the invitation of President of the Jaafari Cultural Foundation for Research, Islamic Studies and Interfaith Dialogue Sheikh Mohamed Hussein Al-Hajj, the Eighth Annual Conference of Imam Hussein, Peace Be Upon Him, was held under the title “Renaissance of Reform for the Sake of Human, from the Prophets (PBUT) to Imam Hussein (PBUH) - Human Values Bring Us Together,” on Tuesday 19 September 2023. The conference stresses, according to its statement, that “there is no choice but cooperation and dialogue in order to build a state of citizenship and defend human dignity... Religious and humanitarian values unite us regardless our differences in political or partisan opinions and positions.”
Attendees were the Representative of Sheikh Al-Aql of the Unitarian Druze Sect Sheikh Dr. Sami Abi Al-Muna, the Representative of His Eminence Bishop Issam Darwish, Archimandrite Nicolas Saghbini, the Coordinator of the Safety Network for Civil Peace Lawyer Omar Zein, the representative of the Middle East Council of Churches Professor Laure Abi Khalil, Coordinator of the MECC Social Capital Rehabilitation Project, alongside intellectual, scientific and political personalities.
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The Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), Communication and Public Relations Department, have now issued its online Ecumenical calendar for the month of October 2023. 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.
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The Middle East Council of Churches is being involved in the relief and rehabilitation efforts in Syria under the name of "Rescue Syria Campaign" through which the Council shall be dealing with the relief efforts in this emergency period and later on with rehabilitation plans in order to help people survive properly and resume a normal life with dignity.
MECC will be publishing a periodical report under the name of "Rescue Syria Update" which will keep you informed about the developments of MECC action as well as the overall situation in a context analysis perspective.
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Ecclesiastical Feasts and International Days
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During August, the Middle East witnessed an unbearable heatwave that left climate experts warning of the disastrous consequences climate change is leaving behind. The fact that experts have warned we are no longer in a ‘Global Warming Stage’ and we are now actually in a ‘Boiling Stage’, sent shivers down everyone’s spine, humanitarian actors in particular. As such during these difficult circumstances, refugees and IDPs are forced to deal with elevated temperatures while water scarcity is increasingly becoming an issue in the region. In other words, refugees will have to face elevated heat levels from the environment and the ramifications of the ‘political heat’ between major powers.
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Message from the Secretary General
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The Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches Dr. Michel E. Abs delivered this speech at the MECC monthly webinar which was held under the title “School Dropout and Human Dignity”, on Thursday 28 September 2023. This webinar is part of the MECC monthly seminars and comes within the framework of the “Human Dignity Project” - “Dialogue and Social Cohesion-Social Capital Rehabilitation”, which MECC is implementing consecutively.
There are two scenes that deeply wound my national pride and my feelings as an educator of several decades.
The first scene involves street children. They swarm around you when you halt at a red light, their pleas intended to prick your conscience. These children, often referred to as beggars, have learned to survive in the harsh environment of the streets. As an educator and an expert in labor and child labor issues, the first and most obvious question I find myself asking is, “Where are your parents, and why aren’t you in school?” which I complete by saying “go to your parents and ask them to enroll you at school”.
For decades, while practicing this preaching, I have received a variety of responses. These children are either pretend they are orphans supporting their siblings, or children of parents incapacitated by illness, or refugees aiding their families, or they have no parents at all. What’s important to note is that these young children have ready-made responses, taught to them by their employers who we see distributing them daily at various points for begging. These employers have done an excellent job indoctrinating these children to respond intelligently and cunningly.
The second scene involves delivery boys, euphemistically referred to as “delivery” in the culture of luxury. A scenario often unfolds where someone rings your interphone, and when you answer to see who’s calling, it’s a boy asking about a neighbor on another floor. When told that his name is written on the interphone box, he replies that he can’t read. This young man must be of adult age because he’s an employee of a company, although some companies may not hesitate to hire minors.
Two everyday scenes succinctly encapsulate the repercussions of school dropouts and ominously hint at a future where society is booby-trapped.
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Weekly Prayer
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Following the devastating earthquake that struck the North of the Antiochian Levant, let us join hands and support the MECC appeal in order to bring back hope and joy to the hearts of the needy and heart broken people in Syria.
For donation, you can click on the following link: https://donate.mecc.org/project/rescue-syria-campaign.
For more information about the MECC relief work in Syria and the humanitarian circumstances in the country, you can visit the following link: https://www.mecc.org/syr-ar.
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The Middle East Council of Churches… 50 years of Continuous Witness
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Reverend Dr. Habib Badr Presides Over the Divine Service on the Second Sunday of the Season of Creation
And Delivers a Sermon Entitled “We and Our Environment”
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The Divine Service Headed by Reverend Dr. Habib Badr at the National Evangelical Church in Beirut
Reverend Dr. Rima Nasrallah Prays on the Occasion of the “Season of Creation”
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In an Interview on Télé Lumière and Noursat, Father Dr. Michael Kanbar Sheds Lights on the Symposium
“Ecumenical Perspectives on Climate Change”
Organized by MECC and ATIME
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Father Dr. Antoine Al Ahmar, Director of the MECC Theological and Ecumenical Department
Highlights the Importance of the “Season of Creation” in an interview with “Danmission” Organization
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Deacon Garen Yosolkanian, Member of the MECC Eco Justice Committee
Talks About the Forestation Campaigns Implemented by the Council in an Interview with “Danmission” Organization
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The MECC General Secretariat Launches the “Season of Creation” 2023
A Spiritual Retreat at Saint Elie Chouaya Patriarchal Monastery in Lebanon
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The Importance of Preserving Human Dignity and the MECC Seminars
On Télé Lumière and Noursat
With Dr. Laure Abi Khalil, the Coordinator of the MECC Social Rehabilitation Project
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Third Year Commemoration of the 4 August Blast
Searching for Hope Despite all Challenges
Video - The Middle East Council of Churches Contributes in Getting Back the Activity of the Affected Small Businesses
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One Year Since the MECC 12th General Assembly
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The importance of Social Capital Rehabilitation and the MECC Role in Preserving Human Dignity
On Charity Radio TV
With Dr. Laure Abi Khalil, the Coordinator of the MECC Social Rehabilitation Project
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Syria is Still Wounded
One of the Earthquake’ Survivors in Aleppo Remembers the Bitterness of the Disaster’s First Moments
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Syria is Still Wounded
One of the Earthquake’ Survivors in Aleppo Remembers the Bitterness of the Disaster’s First Moments
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Jableh Region Facing the Repercussions of the Earthquake that Hit the North of the Antiochian Levant
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Interview with His Eminence Archbishop Youssef Tobji
After the Earthquake that Struck the North of the Antiochian Levant
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Interview with His Eminence Archbishop Mor Boutros Kassis
Following the Earthquake that Shook the North of the Antiochian Levant
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An Interview with His Eminence Ephraim Maalouli, Greek Orthodox Metropolitan of Aleppo, Alexandretta and Dependencies, After the Earthquake that Struck Syria
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Middle East Council of Churches approaches 50 years: what will be the profile?
An Interview with the MECC Secretary General Professor Michel Abs by the World Council of Churches Website
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Director of the MECC Theological and Ecumenical Department
Father Dr. Antoine Al Ahmar Sheds Lights on the “Season of Creation” On Mariam TV
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One Holy Universal Church
The MECC Secretary General Dr. Michel Abs Talks About Christian unity and the MECC Mission on Télé Lumière and Noursat
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The “Season of Creation” 2023 Kicks Off Worldwide
“Let Justice and Peace Flow”
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MECC Brings Back Hope to the Affected Small Businesses Due to the Beirut Port Blast
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A New Batch of Aid Heals the Wounds of the Affected People Due the Earthquake in Syria
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Following the Earthquake that Shook the North of the Antiochian Levant
Survivors in Syria Remember the Most Difficult Moments
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Syria is Still Crying Out in Pain After the Earthquake that Struck the North of the Antiochian Levant
A Survivor Reports the Bitter Situations She Passed Through Following the Disaster
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A New Baby Born in Earthquake Rubble
Mohamad Bitar Explains the Difficult Situations He Passed Through with His Family
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In Seconds... Everything Changed
Manal Bitar Reports the First Moments of Terror
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Syria Is in Distress Due to the Earthquake that Hit It
Safir Salim Describes the Situation in the Salesian Church in Aleppo
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Searching for Hope Following the Earthquake that Hit Syria
Rogina Makhoul Describes the Fear of the Afflicted Families and Children
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Moments of Terror Following the Earthquake that Struck Syria
Georges Batikha Survives the Disaster and Highlights the Urgent Needs
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"From Egypt I Called My Son"
A Documentary About the Coptic Church
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The 12th General Assembly
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On Wednesday, September 27th, 2023, an online meeting was convened by His Holiness Catholicos Aram I, Catholicos of the Armenian Church of Cilicia, and the Prelates of the Holy See of Cilicia. The meeting centered around the strategies to support the people of Artsakh following the recent ethic cleansing.
His Holiness Catholicos Aram I underscored three main actions:
a) Declare Sunday, October 1st, as a Day of Solidarity with Artsakh, hold Requiem Services to honor the fallen martyrs in Artsakh and offer Prayers for the survivors.
b) Engage actively in public campaigns advocating for the security and rights of the people of Artsakh.
c) Provide humanitarian aid to individuals facing social and economic challenges, both within Artsakh and Armenia.
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The title of His Holiness Pope Francis' next Apostolic Exhortation will be "Laudate Deum," the Pope himself revealed, while addressing participants in a meeting of Latin American university rectors in the Vatican, and as he vehemently warned against a throwaway culture.
By Father Johan Pacheco
The name of His Holiness Pope Francis' next Apostolic Exhortation on the environment will be Laudate Deum, His Holiness Pope Francis has revealed.
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On Wednesday, September 14/27, 2023, the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross was celebrated by the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem.
During this Feast, the Church remembers that Saint Helen, sent to the Holy Land by her son Constantine the Great, saw on the Horrendous Golgotha the Tomb of the Lord and the Cross, on which he was attached for our salvation, and she built the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in the decade 326-336 AD.
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Mt 21, 28-32
"Or am I not free to do as I wish with my own money? Are you envious because I am generous?" (Mt 20:15): this was the conclusion of last Sunday's Gospel passage (Mt 20:1-16), the so-called parable of the workers of the last hour.
God, as we saw in this parable, is like a good master: he is free from all calculation, from all lust for possession, from all power instincts...
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His Holiness Patriarch Mor Ignatius Aphrem II, Patriarch of Antioch and All the East and Supreme Head of the Universal Syriac Orthodox Church, sent a letter to His Beatitude Patriarch Mor Ignatius Youssef III Younan, Syriac Catholic Patriarch of Antioch, offering condolences for the families of the victims of the fire that took place in a hall in Qaraqosh - Iraq.
You can find below the letter in Arabic. It was originally published on the Facebook Page of His Holiness Patriarch Mor Ignatius Aphrem II.
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His Beatitude Patriarch John X, Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch and All the East and MECC President for the Orthodox Family, declared during the Holy Mass he presided over on the occasion of the Feast of the Nativity of the Theotokos at Saydnaya Monastery, Syria, that the sessions of the Holy Synod will be officially initiated during which many topics will be raised. One of the most important topics is that the Holy Synod is heading towards canonizing Father Nicholas Khashi, and his son Habib Khashi.
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On the evening of September 16, 2023, the Cathedral of Saint John-Mark in Historical city of Jbeil (Byblos), Lebanon, witnessed a remarkable gathering of youth from various Middle Eastern churches, coming together to celebrate unity, faith, and the spirit of togetherness. Organized by OPM – Missio Libani in collaboration with the Taizé community, the event, suitably named "Together," brought 500 participants, along with numerous others who joined later in the evening, for a night of prayer, reflection, and communal bonding.
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On Thursday, September 21st, 2023, His Holiness Catholicos Aram I, Catholicos of the Armenian Church of Cilicia, presided over Thanksgiving Prayers for the Republic of Armenia, marking the 32nd anniversary of the Republic of Armenia's re-independence, along with Prayers of solidarity with Artsakh at St. Gregory the Illuminator Cathedral in Antelias. His Holiness Catholicos Aram I blessed the Armenian and Artsakh flags at the end of the ceremony, followed by his Pontifical address.
His Holiness Catholicos Aram I expressed deep sorrow at celebrating Armenia's Independence Day amid the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Artsakh..
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His Holiness Pope Francis invites Leaders of Churches from different denominations to join him in Prayer on September 30 entrusting the work of the 16th Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod, together, to the Holy Spirit.
By Deborah Castellano Lubov
His Holiness Pope Francis will preside over the Ecumenical Payer vigil ahead of the upcoming Synod's General Assembly in St Peter’s Square on Saturday, 30 September.
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Two different voices and two different experiences, those of His Beatitude Patriarch Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem - who will be created a Cardinal by Pope Francis in Rome on September 30th - and Staffan de Mistura, a UN Ambassador and UN Envoy to conflict zones, both united by a single commitment: the difficult but fundamental one of mediation, balance, and diplomacy for the benefit of people, living in situations of conflict, and who are the main victims.
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Wadi Al-Nasara, Syria, September 22, 2023
For a second day, the Christian Youth Forum continued its activities at the Patriarchal Monastery Saint George Al-Humaira in Wadi Al-Nasara, under the auspices and with blessing of His Beatitude the Most Blessed and Most Reverend Patriarch John X, Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, and MECC President for the Orthodox Family.
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On September 22, 2023, His Holiness Patriarch Mor Ignatius Aphrem II, Patriarch of Antioch and All the East and Supreme Head of the Universal Syriac Orthodox Church, attended the graduation ceremony of the second class at Antioch Syrian University.
His Excellency Dr. Bassam Ibrahim, Minister of Higher Education, attended the ceremony and congratulated the graduating class on its achievements.
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On Thursday, September 8/21, 2023, the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem celebrated the Feast of the Nativity of the Theotokos.
On this Feast, the Church commemorates that God released the bonds of the bareness of Joachim and Anna and gave them Mary as the fruit of Anna’s womb, from whom came forth Christ the Saviour of the world through the Holy Spirit.
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On Thursday morning, September 21st, 2023, a press conference was held at the Latin Patriarchate, in Jerusalem, on the elevation of His Beatitude Patriarch Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, to the College of Cardinals of the Catholic Church, which was attended by several local and national journalists, who took turns in asking His Beatitude various questions.
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His Holiness Pope Francis appeals for countries to silence their weapons and seek peaceful solutions in Nagorno Karabakh, as tensions flare in the South Caucasus region.
By Deborah Castellano Lubov
His Holiness Pope Francis has appealed for arms to fall silent and for nations to seek peaceful solutions in Nagorno Karabakh.
In his remarks to Italian-speaking pilgrims at his Wednesday General Audience, the Pope expressed his concern for the humanitarian crisis in the Southern Caucasus region.
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Mt 20:1-16
The parable in today's Gospel passage (Mt 20:1-16) is one of the strangest of the parables told by Jesus. It is divided in two parts.
In the first (v 1-7) we see the owner of a vineyard going out several times during the day to look for workers to send to work in his vineyard.
This is quite an original master: four times this man is reported to go out of his house looking for workers, so that at the end of the day, none of those he met was left without a call, without a job, without something to do...
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Seventy years ago, on 21 September 1953, the young Jorge Mario Bergoglio - now His Holiness Pope Francis - went to confession before a party and had an experience of mercy that became a decisive moment in his life and would lead to his vocation as a priest.
By Vatican News
His Holiness Pope Francis' priestly vocation was born seventy years ago, on 21 September 1953. Jorge Mario Bergoglio was almost 17.
On 11 March 1958, he entered the novitiate of the Society of Jesus. On 13 December 1969, just a few days before his thirty-third birthday, Jorge Mario Bergoglio would be ordained to the priesthood.
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