The Week of Prayers for Christian Unity was, as usual, organized in the region by the MECC Unit on Faith and Unity.
In Lebanon
The inauguration of the Week of Prayers in Beirut, Lebanon, was organized jointly with the Association of Theological Institutes in the Middle East (ATIME) On this ecumenical celebration day, January 15, 2006, a concert was held at the Maronite Saint George¹s Cathedral, in the down town area of Beirut. Students of the theological Institutes in Lebanon and Syria shared in the recital to which all churches were invited. The event was broadcasted through the local Tele Lumiere TV channel and Noor SAT.
The opening prayer and celebration were held at the Evangelical Synod in Rabieh on January 21. The success of the many dialogues and meetings held among the churches was highlighted during the event.
On the program of the Week, several panel discussions on the ecumenical movement were aired live by the television. Both clergy and lay shared their views on and experiences in ecumenism, with a view to improve and strengthen the ecumenical spirit in the Middle East.
On this occasion the international common text of prayers was translated into Arabic and printed along with posters and prayers for unity. These were widely distributed to all the churches and their related institutions.
In Syria
Churches in each of Aleppo, Damascus and Hassake, celebrated the Week between January 18 and 25, 2006. Both clergy and lay attended prayers organized by the different church denominations. Speakers during the different events spoke of unity as a call for common living, openness, spirituality and one faith. Publications and activities similar to those organized in Lebanon took place in Syria.
In Egypt
The Week of Prayers is scheduled to start on January 31 and will last until February 11. The MECC audio-visual department will cover all the celebrations. Prayer books, cards and posters, as well as the program of the week with biblical references, have been distributed to all the churches in the country.
H.H. Pope Shenouda III will celebrate the week of prayer on Wednesday February 1, 2006 at the Amba Rweis Coptic Orthodox Cathedral.
For more information, kindly contact Fr. Gaby Hachem at: meccfu@cyberia.net.lb
Middle East Council of Churches Office of International Ecumenical Relations P.O. Box 5376, Beirut, Lebanon
Guirgis Ibrahim Saleh, General Secretary
mecc@cyberia.net.lb or guirgissaleh@cyberia.net.lb
+961-1-353-938 http://www.mec-churches.org/