In the aftermath of the attack on Christians in Jerusalem.

The Patriarchate of Jerusalem:
“We will work to prevent the marches of Israeli radical groups.”

The Patriarchate of Jerusalem condemns the violent attack carried out by members of Israeli radical groups targeting Christians in the New Gate area of the Old City of Jerusalem last night. The Patriarchate affirms that allowing members of such radical groups to freely march and roam around the neighbourhoods of Jerusalem while armed and having declared criminal intentions, is considered as complicit in the attack and displays unwelcomed leniency with the criminals.

We, the Patriarchs and Heads of Churches in Jerusalem, call upon all parties in the Holy Land to practice restraint and self-control. We have been constantly warning of an exploding, senseless cycle of violence that will only cause hurt and suffering to everyone. Such a state of affairs will almost certainly bring further atrocities and anguish, driving us away from the much sought-after peace and stability that we all seek.

In closely monitoring this regrettable situation, we have concluded that this proliferation of violence that has led to the unwarranted deaths of 32 Palestinians and 7 Israelis since the start of the New Year seems to be self-perpetuating. It will surely continue and even escalate unless a robust intervention is resolutely undertaken by community and political leaders on all sides.

His Holiness Pope Francis is appealing for calm and swift solutions in the Holy Land amid a “death spiral” of violence between Palestinians and Israelis over the past week.

By Devin Watkins & Nathan Morley

“The death spiral that is increasing by the day only closes the few glimmers of trust that exist between the two peoples.”

His Holiness Pope Francis expressed his sorrow for the recent flareup in violence in the Holy Land on Sunday in his greetings following the noon-day Angelus prayer.

“Since the beginning of the year, dozens of Palestinians have been killed in firefights with the Israeli army,” he said.

On the evening of Sunday 29 January 2023, His Holiness Pope Tawadros II, Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of St. Mark, inaugurated the tenth International Symposium of the St. Mark Foundation for Coptic Heritage Documentation, which is taking place at LOGOS Papal Center at St. Bishoy’s Monastery, Wadi El Natroun, Egypt, which will be held over 3 days.

The Symposium’s lectures focus on the topic of “The Coptic Bible” with the presence of 120 attendees who are involved in Coptic sciences, including 30 specialists from different nationalities, including Bishops, Priests and academics.

The head of the Maronite Church His Beatitude Patriarch Cardinal Mar Bechara Boutros Al-Rai, Maronite Patriarch of Antioch and all the East, paid a visit to His Holiness Catholicos Aram I, Catholicos of the Armenian Church, Holy See of Cilicia. to discuss the delayed presidential election in Lebanon.

In attendance at the meeting were His Eminence Arch. Shahe Panossian, Prelate of the Armenian Prelacy in Lebanon, Stepan Der Bedrossian and Krikor Mahseredjian, Co-chairs of the Lay Council of the Holy See of Cilicia, and MP Hagop Pakradouni, head of the Armenian parliamentary bloc.

On January 27, 2023, His Holiness Patriarch Mor Ignatius Aphrem II, Patriarch of Antioch and All the East and Supreme Head of the Universal Syriac Orthodox Church, presided over the Holy Qurobo celebrated by Rev. Fr. Youhanon Yaacoub, at St. Georges Patriarchal Cathedral in Bab Touma, Damascus, Syria.

Their Eminences Archbishops: Mor Cyril Babi, Patriarchal Vicar in the Patriarchal Archdiocese of Damascus, and Mor Joseph Bali, Patriarchal Secretary and Media Office Director, attended the Holy Qurobo.

The Ecumenical Relations Committee of the Holy Synod of the Coptic Orthodox Church announces its total rejection of the schism that was announced, with the separation of Bishop Abuna Sawiris, and the installation of himself as Patriarch of the Oromo region in Ethiopia. His ordination to 26 bishops violated the church laws and the established principles of the Orthodox Churches over the generations.

The Coptic Orthodox Church does not recognize any ordination outside the legal patriarch of the Ethiopian Orthodox Monotheistic Church, and he is only Abouna Matthias I, Patriarch of the Ethiopian Monotheistic Church.

The Committee also declares its full solidarity with the Ethiopian Orthodox Monotheistic Church, and we appeal to the bishops and bishops of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, which has a long history, to uphold the unity and integrity of the Church, holding on to the bond of love and peace.

Dear brothers and sisters,

Most Reverend Excellencies,

may the Lord give you peace!

This year, we are all enriched by the many suggestions proposed by the Word of God during this week of prayer for Christian Unity. Even though its general theme, “do good, seek justice” (Is 1:17), is challenging – especially here in our Holy Land – it is every day accompanied by other passages that make it more concrete; “Who is my neighbor” (Lk 10:25-36), or the passage of the rich young man who wants to obtain eternal life (Mk 10:17-31), as well as many other strong suggestions. Today, this week of prayer invites us to reflect on a particularly painful and difficult theme from the Beatitudes, which we have just heard: “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted” (Mt 5:4).

By Munir Bayouk/ en.abouna.org :

At the invitation of the Council of Heads of Churches in Jordan, an Ecumenical prayer service for the unity of Christians was held on Tuesday, January 24, 2023 at Our Lady of Nazareth Church in Amman, Jordan, under the theme of this year’s week of Prayer, “Do good; seek justice”. (Isaiah 1:17)

The  Ecumenical Prayer service was attended by Latin Patriarchal Vicar for Jordan His Eminence Bishop Jamal D'aibes, Greek Catholic Archbishop of Jordan Joseph Jbara, His Eminence Bishop Coadjutor of the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem Hosam Elias Naoum, Parish priest of the Virgin Mary Coptic Orthodox Church of Jordan Father Anthony Sobhi, Parish Priest of the Armenian Orthodox Church in Jordan Archimandrite Avedis Ibrejian, and parish priest of the Greek Catholic Church Fr. Benjamin Sham'oun.

His Holiness Pope Francis celebrates Vespers at the conclusion of the “Week of Prayer for Christian Unity” with a reflection on how all Christians are asked to reflect on their wrongs and change their perspective, always putting God at the centre.

By Linda Bordoni

The Lord is grieved by our indifference and lack of understanding before sacrilegious violence His Holiness Pope Francis said during his homily at Vespers on the Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul, and he called for action to oppose war, violence and injustice wherever they begin to appear.

Celebrating the liturgy to mark the end of the annual “Week of Prayer for Christian Unity” in the Basilica of Saint Paul’s Outside the Walls, the Pope invited Christians of all denominations to change and walk the path of unity “the Lord has placed before us.”

His Grace Bishop Mesrob Sarkissian, Prelate of the UAE and Qatar, and V. Rev. Fr. Bedros Manouelian, Pontifical Vicar of Kuwait and neighboring countries participated, on behalf of the Armenian Church Holy See of Cilicia, in the annual meeting of the Gulf Churches Fellowship, which was held in Ras el Khaimah, UAE, on 23rd and 24th of January, 2023.

The two-day meeting focused on the challenges faced by the churches in the Gulf, especially regarding those caused by the pandemic.

On Tuesday, January 11th / 24th 2023, the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem celebrated the feast of our Holy Father Theodosius the Cenobiarch in the Holy Monastery, located in the area between the Village of the Shepherds and the Holy Lavra of Saint Savva the sanctified and the adjacent so-called village of Abediye.

On this day, the Church remembers that Saint Theodosius came from Mogarissa in Cappadocia, he came to the Holy Land in the year 451, when he was 27 years old, he joined the Order of the Studious of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Then he lived as a monk in the Monastery formerly called “Seat of Ikelia” near Jerusalem and in the area where the cave was, where the Magi spent the night “returning by another way to their homeland” (Matthew 2:12).

The Vatican publishes His holiness Pope Francis' Message for the 57th World Day of Social Communications, observed the Sunday before Pentecost, on the theme “Speak with the heart: Veritatem facientes in caritate” (Doing the truth in charity).

By Deborah Castellano Lubov

His holiness Pope Francis has appealed to communicators to always speak from the heart, and find the right words to build a better civilization.

The Holy Father did so in his Message for the 57th World Day of Social Communications, published on 24 January, the Feast of St. Francis De Sales, the patron saint of journalists, on the theme “Speak with the heart: Veritatem facientes in caritate” (Doing the truth in charity).

As the Universal Church gathers this week to celebrate and Pray for Christian Unity, middle school students from all the Christian schools in Jerusalem gathered inside the Melkite Church on January 23rd, 2023, to participate in a Prayer session for the occasion. The session was attended by representatives of all the Churches of Jerusalem, including Mgr William Shomali, General Vicar of the Latin Patriarchate.

As the students filled the church for the Prayer, the place began to ring with worship hymns. Several bishops read passages from the Bible, while others prayed as one for the whole Church.

On January 22, 2023, His Holiness Patriarch Mor Ignatius Aphrem II, Patriarch of Antioch and All the East and Supreme Head of the Universal Syriac Orthodox Church, participated in the common Prayer on the occasion of the conclusion of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. The Prayer was conducted at the Maronite Patriarchal Church in Bkerke, Lebanon.

Their Beatitudes and Holinesses Patriarchs Cardinal Mar Bechara Boutros Al-Rai, Maronite Patriarch of Antioch and all the East, Catholicos Aram I, Catholicos of the Armenian Apostolic Church of Cilicia, Mor Ignatius Youssef III Younan, Syriac Catholic Patriarch of Antioch, Youssef Al-Absi, Patriarch of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church of Antioch, and Patriarch Raphaël Bedros XXI Minassian, Catholicos of the Armenian Catholic Church of Cilicia.

His Eminence Cardinal Kurt Koch, the Prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity, reflects on the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, and says Christians need to walk, pray, and work together.

By Devin Watkins & Mario Galgano

As Christians mark the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity on 18-25 January 2023, His Eminence Cardinal Kurt Koch recalled the importance of doing good and promoting justice.

The theme for this year’s occurrence of the Week of Prayer is “Do good; seek justice”. It was selected by the Minnesota Council of Churches, in the United States, and was taken from the first chapter of the Book of Isaiah.

On Thursday, January 6/19, 2023, the solemn ceremony of the Feast of the Epiphany took place in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.

The service began with the veneration of the Deposition slate and the Holy Sepulchre by the Head of the feast, His Beatitude Patriarch Theophilos III, Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem, the High Priests and the Priests.

Afterwards, while the floats were struck, the Fathers-members of the Holy Synod venerated the Horrendous Golgotha, the Priests received His Beatitude’s blessing to participate in the Liturgy and His Beatitude and the High Priests were dressed in their vestments.

On Thursday, January 19th, 2023, His Holiness Catholicos Aram I, Catholicos of the Armenian Apostolic Church of Cilicia, received Father Andraos Al Anthouny, Pastor of the Coptic Orthodox Church in Lebanon and Syria, and the Representative of His Holiness Pope Tawadros II, Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of St. Mark.

Fr. Andraos conveyed the fraternal greetings of His Holiness Pope Tawadros and shared about issues pertaining to the Coptic community in the Levant. In turn, His Holiness Catholicos Aram I underlined the importance of constantly growing cooperation between the two sister churches, specifically in the theological and ecumenical fields.

On January 19, 2023, His Holiness Patriarch Mor Ignatius Aphrem II, Patriarch of Antioch and All the East and Supreme Head of the Universal Syriac Orthodox Church, presided over the special rite of Epiphany (Denho) at the Baptism site on the Jordan River.

Their Eminences Archbishops: Mor Clemis Daniel Kourieh, Archbishop of Beirut, Mor Joseph Bali, Patriarchal Secretary and Media Office Director, Very Rev. Raban Benjamin Chamoun, Parish Priest of Mor Aphrem Church in Amman, Very Rev. Raban Andrew Bahhi, and Very Rev. Raban Yacoub Ibrahim as well as deacons and faithful from Jordan, also participated in this ceremonial Prayer.

On Wednesday, January 18th, 2023, a delegation representing the Council of Sunni and Shiite Religious Leaders met with His Holiness Catholicos Aram I, Catholicos of the Armenian Church, Holy See of Cilicia.

The delegation expressed solidarity with the Artsakh Armenians and stressed the imperative of ending the Lachin Corridor blockade, on humanitarian grounds. The delegation also expressed their commendation to His Holiness Catholicos Aram I for his dedication to Christian-Muslim cooperation efforts.