Under the auspices of His Holiness Catholicos Aram I, Catholicos of the Armenian Church, Holy See of Cilicia, and organized by the Christian Education Department of the Holy See of Cilicia, students from the Sunday school of the Armenian Prelacy of Lebanon gathered at the Catholicosate in Antelias on the morning of Saturday, December 2nd. They participated in the Divine Liturgy, celebrated by the Director of the Christian Education Department, V. Rev. Fr. Stepanos Pashayan, followed by a meeting with His Holiness Catholicos Aram I.

This assembly follows a customary practice, aligning with the celebration of Saints Thaddeus and Bartholomew, the patron saints of the Armenian Apostolic Church and the first enlighteners of Armenia. Additionally, this event is recognized as "Sunday School Day."

Meeting this week in the Vatican, His Holiness Pope Francis’ Council of Cardinals agreed on the need to listen to the “the feminine aspect” of the Church, especially at the local level, “so that processes of reflection and decision making can benefit from the irreplaceable contribution of women.”

By Christopher Wells

The full Council of Cardinals was present at the Casa Santa Marta residence in the Vatican for its most recent session, which focused primarily on the topic of “the feminine role in the Church.”

The conversation benefitted from the insights of theologians Sr Linda Pocher, Dr Lucia Vantini, and Fr Luca Castiglioni, all of whom hold teaching positions in Italian institutes of higher learning.

On December 2nd, 2023, His Holiness Patriarch Mor Ignatius Aphrem II, Patriarch of Antioch and All the East and Supreme Head of the Universal Syriac Orthodox Church, launched the “Shagher” platform for job opportunities, during the follow-up conference of the First Gathering of the Syrian Christian Youth Leaders, convened at Ebla Conference Center in Damascus, Syria.

On the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, His Holiness Pope Francis will pay homage to the Blessed Virgin Mary with a Golden Rose placed at the feet of the ancient Roman icon of 'Maria Salus Populi Romani'.

By Vatican News

His Holiness Pope Francis will venerate Our Lady with a Golden Rose for the Marian icon of the Salus Populi Romani in the Basilica of St. Mary Major on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception.

He will travel to the Basilica on 8 December to accomplish this historic gesture which has not been performed in 400 years.

In the afternoon, as is traditional, the Pope will perform an Act of Veneration to the Blessed Virgin Mary before the statue of the Immaculate Conception in Rome’s central Piazza di Spagna.

Just ahead of that visit, he will stop at the Papal Basilica of St. Mary Major with his gift for Our Lady.

On Monday, November 21/December 4, 2023, the Patriarchate celebrated the feast of the Entry of the Most Holy Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary into the Temple.

During this Feast, the Church, especially that of Jerusalem, remembers that the parents of the Mother of God, fulfilling their promise, dedicated her when she was three years old to the Temple of Solomon, where she remained in the Holy of Holies, nourished by the angels and obeying the Priests of the Temple. She prayed for the Lord’s people, and for the virgins and prepared for the great work of the incarnation of the Son and Word of God, our Lord Jesus Christ by the Holy Spirit. With the entry of the Theotokos into the Temple, the Divine Grace in the Spirit of God is brought into humanity.

Mc 13,33-37

We begin the Advent journey with a Gospel passage from Mark (13:33-37), which highlights the concept of a home.

To speak of watchfulness, in fact, Jesus tells a short parable in which we see a man go off on a journey and leave his house in the hands of his servants, entrusting each with a different task.

To the doorkeeper of the house, he entrusts the command to be vigilant, because, sooner or later, the master will return home, and he will want to find his servants awake to welcome him.

So the first thing this Gospel passage highlights is this: the Lord Jesus is like someone who has left home and wants to return, he is on his way back to his home. But what is this home, where is it?

It may be helpful for us to begin the journey of Advent by remembering that God's home is us: all of Mankind, the Church, each one of us.

We are his house because Jesus came to dwell among us. The journey of following him can be summarized as a journey of becoming more and more a dwelling place for the Lord, to become his house. 

During the Pontifical visit of His Holiness Catholicos Aram I, Catholicos of the Armenian Church, Holy See of Cilicia, to the Eastern United States, as previously reported, he was honored with an invitation to serve as the Guest Chaplain of the US House of Representatives. His Holiness Catholicos Aram I delivered the Opening Prayer before the session, a prayer he composed. In this Prayer, he highlighted that “more than 100,000 Armenian refugees who recently were forced to leave Nagorno-Karabakh, their centuries-old homeland, (…) face huge difficulties and uncertainties.”

Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin delivers His Holiness Pope Francis’ speech to delegates at the UN Climate Change Summit, urging world leaders not to postpone action any longer but to craft concrete and cohesive responses for the well-being of our common home and future generations.

By Linda Bordoni

Expressing regret for his impossibility to be present in Dubai for the 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference, His Holiness Pope Francis reiterated his belief that “the future of us all depends on the present that we now choose.”

This year’s UN Summit comes in the wake of a year of record heat and drought and features a contentious set of issues for countries working to find common ground in tackling climate change.

By Dr. Nahed Ayoub, Ph.D.

Climate change is a pressing challenge for all countries across the globe, including Egypt and the MENA region. Egypt is already suffering from water scarcity, and climate change exacerbates this problem. Rising temperatures and changing precipitation patterns lead to more frequent and severe droughts, intense heatwaves, and flooding in coastal areas. This has a devastating impact on agriculture, food security, human health and well being. Moreover, the region’s unique ecosystems, including coral reefs, mangroves, and wetlands, are under threat due to the impact of climate change on cultural heritage, natural beauty, and the economy.

The bishopric of public and ecumenical services (BLESS), the developmental arm of the Coptic orthodox church in Egypt, has two interventions related to adaptation and mitigation of climate change. The agriculture program focusses on small farmers, and the environment program targets people living in poverty in areas all over Egypt.

On Monday, November 20th, 2023, through a joint initiative by the National Council of Churches and St. Vladimir Orthodox Theological Seminary, a discussion meeting on Ecumenical issues took place at the aforementioned seminary. The gathering included Priests and University Lecturers actively engaged in the World Council of Churches (WCC) and the National Council of Churches.

Given His Holiness's extensive experience in the field, His Holiness Catholicos Aram I, Catholicos of the Armenian Church, Holy See of Cilicia, was invited to share his insights.

His Holiness Pope Francis and other religious leaders sign a joint document in which they call on politicians, governments, and businesses to accelerate the transition of energy to inclusively to heal our planet.

By Benedetta Capelli

The declaration signed by various religious leaders during COP28 has commitment and hope as its underlying foundation. Having also been signed by His Holiness Pope Francis, the Document highlights unity, shared responsibility and fraternity as some of the key elements necessary to achieve the goal of lowering the earth's temperature by 1.5 degrees by 2030. The religious leaders have also reaffirmed their support for communities affected by climate change.

Two sides of the same coin: Climate and Gender Justice

Dubai, UAE- Climate justice and gender justice are two sides of the same coin – there can be no climate justice without gender justice. The climate emergency is not gender neutral. Women and girls in all their diversity are on the frontlines, often first and worst impacted by the climate crisis.

Research has shown that women and girls are 14 times more likely to die in a disaster than men, and we know that many disasters are a result of the climate emergency. As these disasters get more frequent and severe as global temperatures continue to rise, there is a risk that gender inequalities are exacerbated, unless gender-transformative action is taken, including in climate finance.

Extractive economic models, human rights and land violations, and structural gender barriers, require transformative and interconnected struggles for justice.

His Holiness Pope Francis sends a video message for the inauguration of the "Faith Pavilion" during COP28 in Dubai, and highlights the need for alliances that promote care for Creation and peace.

By Francesca Merlo

At the heart of His Holiness Pope Francis’ video message to Dubai for the inauguration of the “COP28 Faith Pavilion” is the idea of creating alliances for the common good.

The Pope's message, broadcast on Sunday morning during the event, was entrusted to the Vatican’s Secretary of State, Pietro Parolin, as Pope Francis was unable to attend as planned as a precautionary measure while he recovers from pulmonary inflammation.

The Advocacy Director of the "Laudato Sì Movement" expresses her hopes for the COP28 Summit on Climate Change in Dubai and speaks of the critical role faith-based groups play in driving responses to the climate crisis based on justice and peace.

By Linda Bordoni

In Dubai to bring the voice of the Laudato Sì Movement to the COP28 Summit taking place from 30 November to 12 December, Lindlyn Moma told Vatican Radio that the call for ecological conversion, full sustainability and prophetic advocacy are the crucial issues with which her organization will be contributing to the talks.

This year’s UN Climate Change Summit comes in the wake of a year of record heat and drought and will feature a contentious set of issues for countries working to find common ground in tackling climate change. These include whether to phase out fossil fuels and how to finance the energy transition in developing countries.

On December 1st, 2023, His Holiness Patriarch Mor Ignatius Aphrem II, Patriarch of Antioch and All the East and Supreme Head of the Universal Syriac Orthodox Church, officially inaugurated the follow-up conference of the First Gathering of the Syrian Christian Youth Leaders, convened at Ebla Conference Center in Damascus - Syria.

The gathering is organized by Hope Center, under the auspices of the Syriac Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch and All the East, in collaboration with the Latin Diocese of Syria.

The opening session was attended by their Eminences Archbishops: Mor Andrawos Bahhi, Patriarchal Vicar for Youth Affairs and Christian Education, Mor Timotheos Matta Al-Khoury, Archbishop of Homs, Hama, Tartous and Environs, Mor Yacoub Babawi, Patriarchal Vicar for Monks Affairs and the Administration of Mor Aphrem Theological Seminary in Maarat Saydnaya, and Mor Augeen Al-Khoury Nemat, Patriarchal Secretary. Their Eminences the Archbishops of the different archdioceses in Syria, also attended the gathering.

Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin will lead the Holy See’s delegation to Dubai to deliver His Holiness Pope Francis’ contribution for the COP28 climate summit.

By Devin Watkins

The Director of the Holy See Press Office, Matteo Bruni, told journalists on Friday that Cardinal Pietro Parolin will represent His Holiness Pope Francis at the COP28 summit in Dubai.

“I can confirm that Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin will lead the Holy See Delegation already present in Dubai for COP28 to deliver, on Saturday, 2 December, the contribution that the Holy Father would have liked to pronounce,” said Mr. Bruni, responding to questions from reporters.

By Mattias Söderberg

The UN climate summit, COP28, is just beginning. Over the next two weeks world leaders will take decisions which will affect our future. As Christians, we believe that we have duty to care for Creation as we should care for our neighbors and ensure that hope is kept alive. I do hope that world leaders share our concerns, and that they take responsibility for ensuring that we can manage the climate crisis we are facing.

However, world leaders will not be alone when they meet at the climate summit in Dubai. The joint ecumenical delegation, gathering members of the World Council of Churches, the Lutheran World Federation and ACT Alliance, stand united in a strong call for climate justice. More than 50 ecumenical delegates, including faith leaders, campaigners, activists, political advocates, and communicators will follow the meeting closely. We will raise our concerns, engage with decision makers, and share our calls for action.

The Holy See Press Office publishes the schedule of His Holiness Pope Francis' liturgical celebrations for this year's holiday season, including Christmas Mass During the Night and Mass with Baptisms in the Sistine Chapel.

By Vatican News

On Sunday, 24 December, His Holiness Pope Francis will preside over the Nativity of the Lord—Mass During the Night in St. Peter's Basilica at 7:30 PM.

The appointment is listed in the schedule of pontifical liturgical celebrations, published on Tuesday by the Holy See Press Office.

This year, too, the Pope is scheduled to maintain the early time that was inaugurated in 2020 due to Covid-19 restrictions, then confirmed in 2021 and 2022.

We might think of the disciple's journey as a journey of learning to see.

Today, in fact, is a day that speaks of fulfillment, of the end: a liturgical year comes to an end, but the reading of Matthew's Gospel also comes to an end. Within this Gospel, today we read the conclusion of the eschatological discourse, but it is also the conclusion of the part of Matthew's Gospel that precedes the Passion narrative.

And the parable that the Liturgy offers us today helps us to experience this turning point, because it is like a point of arrival, a synthesis; and it is also a new beginning.

We were saying that the disciple's whole journey can be understood as a journey of learning to see.

In fact, the heart of today's account is marked by amazement, for all recognize that they have not seen: when did we ever see you ... (Mt 25:37,38,39,44)?

The Director of the Holy See Press Office says His Holiness Pope Francis’ physicians have asked him not to undertake his scheduled journey to Dubai to participate in the COP28 Summit, and he has accepted their advice “with great regret.”

By Vatican News

A statement released on Tuesday evening by the Director of the Holy See Press Office said, “Even though the Holy Father’s general health situation has improved in relation to the flu and respiratory tract inflammation he has been suffering from, his doctors have asked the Pope not to undertake his scheduled visit to Dubai in the coming days, on the occasion of the 28th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.”