Source: Peter Anderson, Seattle USA On May 14, Pope Leo XIV welcomed in the Vatican’s audience hall the participants in the “Jubilee of the Oriental Churches,” which is being celebrated May 12-14 as part of the Catholic Church’s “Jubilee Holy Year 2025.” https://www.iubilaeum2025.va/en.html The full text of the address by Pope Leo is found at https://www.vatican.va/content/leo-xiv/en/speeches/2025/may/documents/20250514-giubileo-chiese-orientali.html. Although the people in the hall were predominately members of the Oriental Churches in union with Rome, certain of the Pope’s remarks used the broad term “Christian East,” a term which obviously includes the Orthodox Church of the Byzantine tradition and the Oriental Orthodox Churches. Pope…
Browsing: Jerusalem
Source: REMIX Israeli police and military prevented Christians from participating in religious ceremonies on Easter Sunday. Faithful, including the papal nuncio, were blocked from entering the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in East Jerusalem, reports Do Rzeczy. Israeli police set up checkpoints on roads leading to the church in the Old City, with many worshipers refused entry, including Papal Nuncio Adolfo Tito Yllana. Since the Hamas attack on Oct. 7, 2023, obtaining the necessary permit to travel to Jerusalem has become almost impossible. While it was reported that the papal nuncio was eventually allowed through, the account Catholic Arena had posted…
Source: Jerusalem Patriarchate The Holy Synod was convened on Thursday, December 26, 2024, and was presided over by His Beatitude Patriarch Theophilos III. Guided by the suggestions of His Beatitude, the Holy Synod undertook the following decisions: 1. To convene a Theological Conference in the Monastery of the Holy Cross, in memory and honour of the 1700th anniversary of the First Ecumenical Council at Nicea in Constantinople, which denounced Arianism as a heresy and enshrined the divinity of Christ by invoking the term Homoousion (Greek: “same in being, same in essence”) in a statement of faith known as the Creed…
Source: Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America From the Patriarchate of Antioch The Fathers of the Holy Synod of Antioch raise fervent prayers to the King of Peace and Lord of Mercies to wipe away every tear from the eyes of the Palestinian people, and to remove all injustice, oppression, homelessness and displacement. They call on all their children to consecrate next Sunday in all the parishes of the Antiochian See for raising prayers that God may grant justice and peace in the land of peace, and to collect aid donations to relieve this afflicted people. Understanding that the…
Source: Orthodox Christianity Jerusalem – March 6, 2023 Oil from the Holy Land will be used in the coronation of King Charles III of the United Kingdom on May 6. Photo: jerusalem-patriarchate.b-cdn.net On Friday, March 3, this oil, made from olives grown on the Mt. of Olives, was consecrated by Patriarch Theophilos of Jerusalem and the Anglican Archbishop in Jerusalem Hosam Naoum. The Patriarchate of Jerusalem reports: A historical event took place today, Friday March 3, in Jerusalem where the oil that will be used for the anointing of His Majesty King Charles III in the coronation ceremony on the…
Source: Orthodox Times On the morning of Saturday, December 24, 2022, following a Divine Liturgy in the Cathedral Church of the Holy Apostle Barnabas of the Holy Archdiocese of Cyprus and following a standard electoral procedure in accordance with the new Statutory Law of the Church of Cyprus, the election of the former Metropolitan Georgios of Paphos to Archbishop of New Justiniana and all of Cyprus took place. On this election, Patriarch Theophilos III of Jerusalem sent the following congratulatory Letter to the Archbishop-elect: Your Beatitude Archbishop of New Justiniana and All Cyprus, in Christ God, dearly beloved and profound…
Source: The Jerusalem Post Patriarch Theophilos III warned of “extremist Jewish forces who have targeted the Christian quarter to alter” the history of the site. The tension between Christians and Jews in the Old City This is not the first time the Greek Orthodox patriarch has made such claims. In January, he accused radical Israeli groups of threatening the presence of Christians in the Old City. Israeli officials at the time rejected those claims as baseless. “Our presence in Jerusalem is under threat,” Theophilos III wrote shortly after Christmas in a Times of London column, explaining his belief that there was an…
Source: Orthodox Times In an article published in The Times, Patriarch Theophilos of Jerusalem referred to the gloomy situation in Jerusalem. In particular, he stated: “Despite these good works, our presence in Jerusalem is under threat. Our churches are threatened by Israeli radical fringe groups. At the hands of these Zionist extremists the Christian community in Jerusalem is suffering greatly. Our brothers and sisters are the victims of hate crimes. Our churches are regularly desecrated and vandalised. Our clergy are subject to frequent intimidation. The sworn intent of these radical groups is to extinguish the light of the Christian community from…
Source: The Presbyterian Outlook December 17, 2021 by World Council of Churches (WCC) — The Patriarchs and Heads of Churches in Jerusalem have released a “Statement on the Current Threat to the Christian Presence in the Holy Land,” reiterating the concern that, throughout the Holy Land, Christians have become the target of fringe and radical groups. The statement acknowledges with gratitude the declared commitment of the Israeli government to uphold a safe and secure home for Christians in the Holy Land. “It is therefore a matter of grave concern when this national commitment is betrayed by the failure of local politicians, officials…
Source: Public Orthodoxy by Seraj Assi It’s been a brutal week for Palestinians in the city of peace. As hardline Israeli groups prepared a provocative parade through the Muslim Quarter of the Old City, Israeli security forces turned their guns on peaceful Palestinian protesters and worshipers performing Ramadan prayers at the Aqsa mosque, injuring hundreds in yet another brutal crackdown. Videos circulating on social media in recent days have shown Israeli police officers throwing stun grenades and shooting rubber bullets at Palestinians inside the mosque, attacking Palestinian worshippers with tear gas bombs, and viciously beating a Palestinian man in the mosque…
Source: Greek Reporter By Tasos Kokkinidis On Sunday, the Greek Orthodox Church of Jerusalem released a statement calling for an end of violence against Palestinians in East Jerusalem. Currently, over 300 Palestinians and 21 Israeli police officers have been injured after clashes between the two groups broke out near the Al Aqsa Mosque and at Sheikh Jarrah. Statement by Greek Orthodox Church of Jerusalem The Patriarchs and Head of Churches of Jerusalem released a statement about the violence in Jerusalem on Sunday. “We the Patriarchs and Heads of Churches of Jerusalem, are profoundly disheartened and concerned about the recent violent events in…