His Beatitude Patriarch John X, Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch and All the East and President of the Orthodox Family in the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), received a delegation from the MECC Executive Committee, composed of Representatives from different Churches and countries of the Middle East, at the Patriarchal Monastery of Our Lady of Balamand.

The delegation included His Beatitude Patriarch Raphaël Bedros XXI Minassian, Catholicos Patriarch of the Armenian Catholic Church of Cilicia, and MECC President for the Catholic Family, Reverend Dr. Paul Haidostian, President of the Union of the Armenian Evangelical Churches in the Near East (UAECNE), President of Haigazian University in Lebanon, and MECC President for the Evangelical Family, the MECC Secretary General Professor Michel Abs, and other Members of the Executive Committee representing Churches from Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Jordan, Palestine, Egypt, and Cyprus.

The delegation extended to His Beatitude the condolences of the Middle East Council of Churches for the martyrs of St. Elias Church in Douilaa—Damascus, expressing solidarity with His Beatitude through words that summarize and embody the Council’s stance in condemning the tragic event.

The Middle East Council of Churches affirmed that the blood of the martyrs is one, and that the crime is deplorable. It does not only target Christians, but also every component of this region, along with the principles of coexistence among the diverse communities of its countries.

The gathering was an opportunity to emphasize the importance of genuine coordination and collaboration among churches, church-related institutions, and organizations across different ecclesial families, underscoring the need to implement such efforts into tangible realities—not mere slogans—amid these difficult and critical circumstances.