Ecumenical musical event in Beirut kicks off Week of Prayer for Christian Unity

By ACI MENA

Beirut, Lebanon, Jan 22, 2024 / 17:30 pm

Deep in the Lebanese capital of Beirut, patriarchs, bishops, priests and lay faithful from various Christian ritual traditions gathered this past weekend for a large ecumenical musical event called “Beirut 2024,” a night of praise and worship designed to instill hope in the souls of attendees.

The Middle East Council of Churches, which organized the event, estimated that approximately 10,000 people participated in the evening.

Christians who want to see peace in Beirut and throughout the Middle East sang hymns as they came together to praise the Lord as part of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. A young Lebanese Catholic, Mark Merhej, led a choir of 400 singers who raised their voices to the Lord in various languages ​​and church musical traditions.

ACI Mena, CNA’s Arabic-language news partner, who followed the preparations, attended the event at the Forum de Beirut and conducted a number of interviews with Christian leaders and participants at the event to highlight the importance of the gathering. 

Bishop Cesar Esayan, apostolic vicar of Latins in Lebanon, stressed that although unity may not emanate directly from this choir, it is a powerful example of it. He said he believes this event shows the possibility of Christians coming together to praise and worship the Lord together, stressing that true unity is born when individuals dedicate their lives to God and unite with Jesus Christ.

He pointed out that the symbolism of the ecumenical scene is not limited to Lebanon, but rather its influence extends to the Middle East and the entire world. He concluded by stressing that Lebanon is a model for coexistence and common brotherhood between different Christian traditions.

For his part, Bishop George Baqouni, metropolitan of Beirut, Byblos, and their Melkite Catholic dependencies, praised this initiative, begun by a young Catholic about a year and a half ago. He expressed his joy at the cooperation shown by the choir members and many of the church leaders participating from various denominations. He pointed out that this event is the first of its kind in Lebanon and that the participation of leaders of the Catholic, Orthodox, and evangelical churches is a positive sign and a call to action.

Sister Jinan Farah, a consecrated member of the Antonine Sisters, pointed out that the continuing crisis in the region makes the unity of the Church necessary. She saw the choir, composed of different Christian communities from all over Lebanon, as a tangible expression of this unity and an important step toward strengthening it. She described Lebanon as “a symbol of diversity, and of cultural and religious coexistence.”

Daniel, a Jesuit monk, told ACI Mena: “Our sitting together and praying with different denominations means that our meeting is possible, and they are an essential starting point for unity.” He believes that Lebanon’s unique richness lies in its diversity, and this diversity is a treasure that must be protected.

Another participant named Jihan Khoury summarized the importance of Christian unity by saying that “it is embodied when churches and Christian youth gather around Jesus Christ.”

At a time of turmoil, war, crisis, and division, the people of the Middle East seek unity, truth, justice, and peace. Kicking off the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, this ecumenical night of praise and worship brought together leaders and attendees from various Christian congregations to pray for exactly that.

This story was first published by ACI Mena, CNA’s Arabic-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.

ACI MENA is an Arabic-language news service headquartered in Erbil, Iraq launched by EWTN Global Catholic Network. The Association for Catholic Information Middle East and North Africa, or ACI MENA, publishes original news content in Arabic using a network of correspondents across the region.