Due to illness, His Excellency Mr. Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, President to the Federal Republic of Brazil, apologized for not being able to receive guests, and His Excellency Mr. Geraldo Alckmin, Vice President received His Holiness Patriarch Mor Ignatius Aphrem II, Patriarch of Antioch and All the East and Supreme Head of the Universal Syriac Orthodox Church, at the Presidential Palace in Brasilia on March 27, 2023.

His Holiness was accompanied by their Eminences Archbishops: Mor Titus Boulos Touza, Apostolic Delegate for the Syriac Missions in Brazil, and Mor Joseph Bali, Patriarchal Secretary and Media Office Director, during this visit.

On March 26, 2023, His Holiness Patriarch Mor Ignatius Aphrem II, Patriarch of Antioch and All the East and Supreme Head of the Universal Syriac Orthodox Church, visited St. Georges Church in Brasilia.

Their Eminences Archbishops: Mor Titus Boulos Touza, Apostolic Delegate for the Syriac Missions in Brazil, Mor Severius Malke Mourad, Patriarchal Vicar in Brazil, and Mor Joseph Bali, Patriarchal Secretary and Media Office Director, accompanied His Holiness during this visit.

Brothers and sisters,

may the Lord give you peace!

As every year, on the occasion of this solemn Eucharistic celebration and the proclamation of the Gospel of the Annunciation, we gather here in the house of the Virgin Mary to contemplate once again the mystery of the Incarnation.

The Gospel passage proclaimed announces a great hope: “Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus. He will be great… and of his kingdom there will be no end.” (Luke 1:31-33)

Jesus’ name means “God saves.” According to the angel Gabriel, Jesus will be a Savior, He will be great and His Kingdom over the world will have no end.

This is an important and hopeful statement, and yet it appears far removed from our experience. As it seems hard to believe, when we look at what is happening around us, that Jesus rules over this world of ours, that the world has been saved.

On March 25, 2023, His Holiness Patriarch Mor Ignatius Aphrem II, Patriarch of Antioch and All the East and Supreme Head of the Universal Syriac Orthodox Church, celebrated the Holy Qurobo at the Lady of Annunciation Cathedral in Brasilia on the occasion of the Feast of the Annunciation.

During the Holy Qurobo, His Holiness ordained 9 priests to serve in the Churches of the Syriac Mission in Brazil and decorated 4 priests with the Holy Cross as a token of appreciation for their ministry in the Church.

On March 24, 2023, His Holiness Patriarch Mor Ignatius Aphrem II, Patriarch of Antioch and All the East and Supreme Head of the Universal Syriac Orthodox Church, visited the Church of God the Saviour in Aguas Quentes in Brasilia.

Their Eminences Archbishops: Mor Titus Boulos Touza, Apostolic Delegate for the Syriac Missions in Brazil, Mor Severius Malke Mourad, Patriarchal Vicar in Brazil, and Mor Joseph Bali, Patriarchal Secretary and Media Office Director, accompanied His Holiness during this visit.

His Holiness Patriarch Mor Ignatius Aphrem II prayed the special services for the intercession of the Virgin Mary and the Saints and blessed the faithful.

His Holiness Pope Tawadros II, Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of St. Mark, congratulated on the advent of the month of Ramadan, on his weekly Sermon at Wednesday’s March 22, 2023 meeting, that was held this evening in St. Mark’s Cathedral in Abbaseya, Egypt, where His Holiness said:

“I take this opportunity to congratulate our Muslim brothers on the beginning of the month of Ramadan, which is a month of fasting, worship, self-contrition, and the development of feelings of repentance in the human heart.

We congratulate all the Egyptians, our brothers and all the officials, led by His Excellency the President,

On Wednesday, the 9th / 22nd of March 2023, the Name Day of His Beatitude Patriarch Theophilos III, Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem, was celebrated internally, on the commemoration of the holy Forty Martyrs, who martyred in the lake of Sebasteia of Pontus in the year 320 under Licinius, with the Service of Matins, Vespers and the Divine Liturgy of the Pre-Sanctified Gifts, at the Holy Church of Saints Constantine and Helen, of His Beatitude.

After the Divine Liturgy in the Epitropicon, His Beatitude Patriarch Theophilos III received the congratulations of the Brotherhood and its wishes for health, prosperity and longevity.

"Dealing with the Sick in the Family"

His Holiness Pope Tawadros II, Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of St. Mark, delivered his weekly Sermon at Wednesday’s March 22, 2023 meeting, from the Church of the Virgin Mary and Saint Bishoy at the Papal Residence in the Abbaseya Cathedral, Egypt. The sermon was broadcasted on Christian channels and the C.O.C channel of the Church’s media center and on the Internet.

His Holiness continued the series of “Stations of the Journey of Great Lent and Connecting It to Family Life.” H.H. referred to the topic of next Sunday, which is “Sunday of the Paralyzed Man,” and the importance of dealing with the sick in the family…

Balamand, Lebanon, March 22, 2023

As part of the brotherly visit conducted by His Beatitude, Archbishop of Athens and All Greece, Ieronymos II, to the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch and all the East after the earthquake that struck the region, their Beatitudes Patriarch John X, Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, and Archbishop Ieronymos II, performed the Great Compline service at the Patriarchal Monastery of Our Lady of Balamand. The Prayer was attended from the Greek side by His Eminence Symeon Metropolitan of Fthiotida, Archdeacon John, Mr. Kostas Themitsas, Director of the "Apostoli" organization, and the media team. From the Antiochian side, Their Eminences Metropolitan Elias Kfoury (Sidon and Tyre), Metropolitan Silouan Moussi (Mount Lebanon), Metropolitan Ephrem Kyriakos (Tripoli and Koura), Metropolitan Ephraim Maalouli (Aleppo), and Bishops Demetri Charback, Arsanios Dahdal, and Moses al-Khosi attended the prayer. Her Excellency the Greek Ambassador to Beirut, Madam Catherine Fountoulaki, and many officials and members of the Balamand family and the faithful people were also present.

JERUSALEM - On Tuesday, March 21st, 2023, on the Solemnity of the Transitus of Saint Benedict, the Dormition Abbey consecrated its new altar. The Mass was presided over by Cardinal Rainer Maria Woelki, president of DVHL[1], and was concelebrated by Mgr William Shomali, General Vicar, Mgr Giacinto-Boulos Marcuzzo, bishop emeritus, Abbot Nikodemus C. Schnabel, osb, the newly elected abbot of the Dormition Abbey and Tabgha, as well as several other bishops and priests representing other churches in Jerusalem.

“It is a joyful day for us here in Jerusalem, as we dedicate this newly restored altar after two years of works. The Dormition Abbey is a place of prayer amid a city yearning to find its vocation of peace. The prayers of the Benedictine monks who live on Mount Zion play a great role in accomplishing this peace. We know this from ‘the prayer for the peace of Jerusalem’ found in Psalm 122, verse 7: ‘May those who love you be secure. May there be peace within your walls and security within your citadels’. These words hold a lot of meaning as we recite them from this place,” said Mgr Shomali, who concelebrated the celebration on behalf of His Beatitude Patriarch Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem.

in the Church of the Holy Cross in Damascus

Their Beatitudes, the Archbishop of Athens and All Greece, Ieronymos II, and the Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, John X, held, on Wednesday 21 March 2023, the service of the Great Compline in the Church of the Holy Cross in Damascus. The prayer was attended from the Greek side by His Eminence Symeon, Metropolitan of Fthiotida, Archdeacon John, Mr. Kostas Themitsas, Director of the "Apostoli" organization, and the media team. From the Antiochian side, Their Eminences Metropolitan Saba Esber (New York and North America), Metropolitan Basilios Mansour (Akkar), Metropolitan Ephrem Maalouli (Aleppo), and Bishops Moussa Al-Khoury, Youhanna Batach, and Moses al-Khosi attended the Prayer.

On March 20, 2023, His Holiness Patriarch Mor Ignatius Aphrem II, Patriarch of Antioch and All the East and Supreme Head of the Universal Syriac Orthodox Church, inaugurated a spiritual retreat entitled “The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth”. (Psalm 145: 18)”, for their Eminences the Archbishops of the Archdioceses in Syria and Lebanon, at Mor Aphrem Monastery in Maarat Saydnaya.

At the beginning of the retreat, His Holiness Patriarch Mor Ignatius Aphrem II welcomed their Eminences, and spoke about the need for spiritual renewal in our ministry and witness to the Lord. He asked the Lord to be near the shepherds abd stewards of the Church and guide them through the different challenges that they face.

His Beatitude Ieronymos II, Archbishop of Athens and All Greece

His Beatitude Patriarch John X, Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, received His Beatitude Ieronymos II, Archbishop of Athens and All Greece, and his accompanying delegation: His Eminence Symeon Metropolitan of Fthiotida, Archdeacon John, and Mr. Kostas Themitsas, Director of the "Apostoli" organization, on the occasion of the brotherly visit of the Archbishop to the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch and All the East, after the earthquake that struck the region.

Alongside His Beatitude Patriarch John X, the following were present: Their Eminences, Metropolitan Elias Aude (Beirut), Metropolitan Saba Esber (New York and North America), Metropolitan Silouan Moussi (Mount Lebanon), Bishop Moses al-Khosi, Archimandrite Georges Yaacub (Oikonomos of Our Lady of Balamand Monastery), and Archimandrite Gerasimus Kabbas.

On Sunday March 19, 2023, His Holiness Pope Tawadros II, Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of St. Mark, consecrated the Church of Queen Helena in Maadi, Egypt, that is affiliated to the Maadi Diocese. His Holiness gifted some relics of Queen Helena to the consecrated church.

Upon his arrival at the church, His Holiness removed the curtain from the commemorative plaque that dates its consecration. Commemorative photos were taken of His Holiness next to the plaque, along with His Eminence Bishop Daniel, Metropolitan of Maadi, the Secretary of the Holy Synod, and the priests of the consecrated church.

Then, the procession of His Holiness Pope Tawadros II went inside the church to begin the consecration Prayers. An altar was consecrated in the church on the first floor, named after Queen Helena, and another altar in the church on the ground floor, named after the Virgin Mary, as well as the eastern part of the altar , the iconostasis, and the icons in both churches.

On Sunday, March 6/19 2023, the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem celebrated the Sunday of the Adoration of the Holy Cross, for the gaining of strength and help in order to continue the Great Lent which is already halfway toward the Holy Pascha.

This feast was celebrated according to the Status Quo. On Saturday afternoon the 9th hour was read at the Holy Church of Saints Constantine and Helen and then the Brotherhood went to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. The members of the Holy Synod venerated the Deposition Slate, the Holy Sepulchre and the Horrendous Golgotha and Great Vespers began at the Catholicon with the incense offering and the blessing of bread. The Service was presided over by His Beatitude Patriarch Theophilos III, Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem, with the co-prayer of Hagiotaphite Hieromonks.

JERUSALEM - On March 18th, 2023, in the Basilica of the Annunciation in Nazareth, His Beatitude Patriarch Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, presided over a Mass to mark the feast of Saint Joseph and the 90th birthday of His Beatitude Mgr Michel Sabbah, Patriarch Emeritus. 

Often called the "Patriarch and voice of the people", Mgr Sabbah served as Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem from 1987 to 2008, as the first non-Italian and Arab Palestinian to hold this position in over five centuries. Born in Nazareth, he was ordained a priest in 1955, choosing to answer God's call and to serve the Church despite the difficult times the country was then facing. Before becoming Latin Patriarch, he studied in Beirut and Paris and worked as director of the Latin Patriarchate schools and then as a teacher in Djibouti.

Budapest, March 17, 2023

At an official invitation, Hungarian President Katalin Novak met with His Beatitude Patriarch John X, Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, His Beatitude Patriarch Youssef Al-Absi, Greek Melkite Catholic Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, and His Holiness Patriarch Mor Ignatius Aphrem II, Patriarch of Antioch and All the East and Supreme Head of the Universal Syriac Orthodox Church.

"Tackling Deviations Within the Family"

His Holiness Pope Tawadros II, Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of St. Mark delivered his weekly Sermon at Wednesday’s March 15, 2023 meeting, from the Church of the Virgin Mary and Saint Bishoy at the Papal Residence in the Abbaseya Cathedral. The sermon was broadcast on Christian satellite channels and the C.O.C channel of the Church’s media center on the Internet.

His Holiness continued on the series of “The Stations of the Great Lent Journey and Connecting It to Family Life”, and discussed part of the fourth chapter in the Gospel of our teacher St John (verses 7-18).

His Holiness referred to the topic of next Sunday, which is “the Sunday of the Samaritan Woman” (halfway through the Great Lent), and how to deal with the sinner (the deviant) in a positive way, just as the Lord Christ dealt with the isolated Samaritan woman, and took the story of the Samaritan woman as a model in regards to family and social meaning.

Who Have Completed 25 Years or More of Service in Armenian Evangelical schools

Upholding a decades-old tradition, the Armenian Evangelical Educational Council of Lebanon, under the auspices of the Central Committee of the Union of the Armenian Evangelical Churches in the Near East (UAECNE) honored its veteran teachers who have completed 25 years or more of service in Armenian Evangelical schools. The program took place on the evening of 12 March 2023 in Beirut’s First Armenian Evangelical Church.

The Chair of the Educational Council, Dr. Arda Ekmekji greeted the audience, after which the church’s pastor, the Reverend Jirair Ghazarian, read a passage from the Bible and offered a prayer. Mrs. Sossi Balian, a member of the Educational Council, presented the guest speaker of the day, Mr. Garo Hovhannesian.

The Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem, represented by His Beatitude Patriarch Theophilos III, Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem, along the Holy Synod and the Brotherhood of the Holy Sepulchre, the clergy and the faithful, condemn the heinous terrorist attack that took place on Sunday 19 March 2023, morning, during the Sunday service, at the hands of two Israeli radicals, which targeted the Church of Gethsemane in Jerusalem, where the Tomb of the Virgin Mary lies. The Patriarchate also denounces the attempt to cause physical harm to His Eminence Archbishop Joachim, who was leading the service, as well as the attack on one of the priests in the Church.