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Participants of the meeting convened by the Middle East Council of Churches in Lebanon. All photos: MECC

Participants of the meeting convened by the Middle East Council of Churches in Lebanon. All photos: MECC

As 25 experts in geopolitics and theology gathered in Lebanon from 6-8 December, Dr Souraya Bechealany, secretary general of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), highlighted the vital importance of the process they were undertaking.

They were part of an integrated process, Bechealany said, “in shedding the light, from realistic and prophetic perspectives, on the role of Christians in the region and their fight for human dignity.”

As participants focused on the crises and challenges that Christians face, and searched for new horizons for a hoped-for future, they also formed part of a continuous process called “Kairos Middle East Towards Churches Global Compact.” The end result, after three such sessions, will be a specialized whitepaper endorsed by the MECC and then submitted to church leaders.

Father Gaby Hachem, director of the MECC Theological and Ecumenical Department, described short, medium- and long-term goals of the project, while stressing “the message of love and peace in a wounded world with a special focus on the poorest and most marginalized people.”

A communique from the Middle East Council of Churches described the initiative as a "starting point” that “will be developed in order to become international.”

The Middle East Council of Churches