Damascus, 17th February 2024

With the blessing and presence of His Beatitude Beatitude Patriarch John X, Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, and President of the Middle East Council of Churches for the Orthodox Family, the Orthodox Sunday Schools of the Damascus Center launched a workshop on "Goal Planning Methodology" with the aim of participation and benefit from the goal bank associated with educational and evangelistic work at the center.

Nine years ago, twenty-one Coptic men were executed by ISIS on a beach in Libya. Now, for the first time, their feast day has been observed by the Catholic Church.

By Joseph Tulloch

For the first time, the Catholic Church has celebrated the feast day of the 21 Coptic martyrs killed by ISIS in 2015.

The men – members of Egypt’s Coptic Orthodox Church – were murdered on a beach in Libya. Footage of their execution was posted online by the terrorist group, and shared widely.  

All 21 men were immediately proclaimed martyrs by the Coptic Church. Then, last May, His Holiness Pope Francis added them to the Roman Martyrology, the Catholic Church’s official list of saints.

His Holiness Pope Francis celebrates the beginning of Lent with Mass at the Basilica of Santa Sabina, and calls on the faithful to take up Jesus’ invitation to “return to the heart.”

By Christopher Wells

At the beginning of Lent, Jesus invites each one of us to “go into our inner room,” His Holiness Pope Francis said in his homily for Mass on Ash Wednesday.

“Going into your inner room,” explained the Pope, “means returning to the heart... going from without to within, so that our whole life, including our relationship with God,” reflects the reality of our inner being.

The Pope said that Lent offers us the opportunity to “go back” to our authentic selves, removing all the masks and illusions that we too often wear.

This, he said, is why “in a spirit of prayer and humility, we receive ashes on our head"—the ashes remind us we are dust, but dust that is loved and preserved by God: “The ashes placed on our head invite us to rediscover the secret of life” and allow us to feel ourselves to be loved by God “with an eternal love.”

On Thursday, the 2nd/15th of February 2024, the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem celebrated the Despotic feast of the Meeting of the Lord in the Temple:

In the Patriarchal and Monastic Church of the Patrons of the Patriarchate Saints Constantine and Helen, presided over by His Beatitude Patriarch Theophilos III, Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem, with the attendance of the High Priests and Priests of the Brotherhood.

At the Holy Monastery of Panagia Sayda Naya, near the Patriarchate in the Christian quarter.

On this Feast, the Church remembers that our Lord, the Creator and Giver of the Law on Mount Sinai to the Prophet Moses, observed this Law, being brought as an infant in the arms of His parents to the Temple of Solomon, when Simeon the righteous received Him in his arms, thus becoming “God-receiver” and recognized Him as the Christ, saying: ” Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word: For mine eyes have seen thy salvation, Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people; A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel” (Luke 2, 29-32) thus confessing the incarnation of Christ…

By Munir Bayouk/ en.abouna.org:

In its capacity as a guest of honor, a Jordanian delegation has participated in the annual meetings of the Christian pilgrimage directors in Lourdes, southern France, which is the home of one of the most important Christian pilgrimage grottos, namely Our Lady of Lourdes. In attendance were more than 850 pilgrimage directors from France and several other countries.

At the opening session, a film was screened on religious tourism in Jordan, while Jordan was welcomed as the guest country for this year. Representing the Jordan Tourism Board, Director of the Catholic Center for Studies and Media (CCSM) in Jordan Fr. Dr. Rif'at Bader said, "I have come from the Holy Land of Jordan where Lord Jesus Christ was baptized in its waters, namely at the River Jordan (the Baptism Site) by John the Baptist."

From Secretariat-General of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem

On Monday, January 30/February 12, 2024, the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem celebrated the Feast of the Three Hierarchs, Basil the Great, Gregory the Theologian, and John Chrysostom.

On this Feast, the Church honours the Three Hierarchs as teachers of the faith, defenders of the decision of the First Ecumenical Council on the one essence of the Son with the Father and the teaching of the Divinity of the Holy Spirit, and the Virginity of the Mother of God. The three Saints were authors of a multitude of theological writings explaining the Holy Bible, and great teachers, “the three greatest luminaries of the Three-sun God”, as their apolytikion says, who drew the boundaries between Christian teaching and ancient Greek philosophy, mainly through the writing of Saint Basil to the young, “ὅπως ἄν ἐξ ἑλληνικῶν ὀφελοῖντο λόγων “.

His Holiness Pope Francis releases the theme for his message for the 2024 World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly: “Do not cast me off in my old age”.

By Devin Watkins

On Sunday, July 28, Catholics around the world will be invited to take time to reflect on the great heritage and wisdom passed on by their grandparents and the elderly.

In preparation for the 4th World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly, the Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life released the theme for the 2024 iteration.

His Holiness Pope Francis has chosen the theme: “Do not cast me off in my old age” (cf. Psalm 71:9).

According to a press release from the Dicastery, it is meant “to call attention to the fact that, sadly, loneliness is the bitter lot in life of many elderly persons, so often the victims of the throw-away culture.”

Mark 1:12-15

The journey of Lent opens with the account of the temptations, told very succinctly in Mark's Gospel. Two verses only, according to which, immediately after his baptism by John, “the Spirit drove Jesus out into the desert, and he remained in the desert for forty days tempted by Satan. He was among wild beasts, and angels ministered to him" (Mark 1:12-13). Mark does not recount the content of the temptations, nor Jesus' dialogue with the tempter. The emphasis, as we shall see, is on something else.

However, the liturgy of the Word for this liturgical year adds to these few verses the following ones, which in themselves do not relate to the story of temptations, but may provide a further key to its interpretation. It is a Word already heard in the Third Sunday of Ordinary Time, the one that offers us Jesus' first words in his public life: "This is the time of fulfillment. The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.” (Mark 1:15).

Why this juxtaposition?

The beginning of Jesus' public life does not take place immediately after his Baptism; Jesus could have started from there, from that Word heard from the Father proclaiming his beloved Son. He could have started from there to bring this good news to everyone, to make the Father's voice resound in every place…

The Helping Hand Association of the National Evangelical Church of Beirut Celebrates the Meaning of Love on the Occasion of Saint Valentine's Day

In the presence of Reverend Dr. Habib Badr, President of the National Evangelical Union in Lebanon, and Honorary President of the Middle East Council of Churches, the Helping Hand Association of the National Evangelical Church of Beirut held its monthly meeting on February 15 at Charles Saad Hall in Beirut, during which the participants celebrated the meaning of love on the occasion of Saint Valentine's day.

The meeting started with a Prayer by Reverend Linda Maktabi, Spiritual Meditation, Bible Reading, and Hymns. Afterwards, Dr. George Haddad (Church Council Member) made a very creative audio-visual presentation expounding on the secular and Christian meaning of the feast of Saint Valentine from a historical perspective. The meeting ended with a time of fellowship.

Presided by His Holiness Catholicos Aram I, Catholicos of the Armenian Church, Holy See of Cilicia, and Honorary President of the Middle East Council of Churches, the Eve of the Feast of the Presentation of Our Lord Jesus Christ to the Temple (Diaruntarach) was solemnly celebrated on Tuesday, February 13th, 2024, at St. Gregory the Illuminator Cathedral in Antelias, Lebanon. During the special Service, Antasdan (Blessing of the Four Corners of the World), presenting the children to the altar for blessing, and the traditional bonfire took place.

Following the Service, His Holiness Catholicos Aram I addressed the faithful, emphasizing the significance of presenting Baby Jesus to the temple and the importance of preserving traditions. He underscored how traditions contribute to a nation's self-understanding and encouraged Armenian families to uphold these age-old traditions…

Fasting Amidst Challenges

Below you can find a Pastoral Letter on the occasion of the Holy Lent 2024 from His Eminence Archbishop Hosam Naoum, the Anglican Archbishop in Jerusalem, and the Primate of the Episcopal Province of Jerusalem and the Middle East, entitled "Fasting Amidst Challenges".

On February 11, 2024, His Holiness Patriarch Mor Ignatius Aphrem II, Patriarch of Antioch and All the East and Supreme Head of the Universal Syriac Orthodox Church, and Honorary President of the Middle East Council of Churches, attended an official reception held in his honor at the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church in Trivandrum, India.

His Eminence Mor Baselius Cardinal Cleemis, Major Archbishop and Catholicos of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church held the reception where he welcomed His Holiness and spoke about the historical presence of our Syriac Orthodox Church in India. He appreciated the role of His Holiness Patriarch Mor Ignatius Aphrem II and his leadership for the Church.

JERICHO - From February 12th, until February 13th, 2024, His Beatitude Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, visited the Parish of Jericho, Palestine, during which he prayed with the faithful, listened to their needs, and strengthened them in their faith amidst these difficult circumstances.

On Sunday morning, Father Mario Hadcheti, Parish Priest of Jericho, along with the Parish Council, and the children of the parish, welcomed His Beatitude Patriarch Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa and the delegation accompanying him at the churchyard, saying: "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord." His Beatitude put on his stole and blessed everyone with the Holy Water before presiding over a Mass in celebration of the World Day of the Sick.

In his Homily, His Beatitude Patriarch Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa first thanked the priests, nuns, and parishioners for receiving him with a warm welcome, and said: "Amid this difficult time, I have decided to make several pastoral visits to be near my parishioners. Right before coming to you, I was at the parish of Ain Arik.

(Mk 1: 40-45)

In last Sunday's Gospel reading, we witnessed the healing of Simon's mother-in-law. Once healed of her fever, she goes to serve her guests. Hence, bringing to completion the work of healing and salvation that Jesus had begun in her (Mk 1:31): the ripe fruit of the encounter with the Lord is not a return to her former life, but a new beginning, to be precise, it's a conversion (cf. Mk 1:15), to be granted new life through salvation. 

We can draw a parallel with the events in today's Gospel (Mk 1:40-45): Jesus heals again, this time, a man stricken with leprosy, and asks Jesus for a new beginning, which is granted to him through the order to go to the priest and offer what the Law prescribed to attest to the healing.

This might sound like something very different from what happened to Peter's mother-in-law.

In fact, it is not.

The man, sick with leprosy, was a man excluded from worship, relationships, and the life of the people of [Israel]. From the Law, he had to observe only the rules that decreed his exclusion…

On February 10, 2024, His Holiness Patriarch Mor Ignatius Aphrem II, Patriarch of Antioch and All the East and Supreme Head of the Universal Syriac Orthodox Church, and Honorary President of the Middle East Council of Churches, visited His Excellency Mr. Pinarayi Vijayan, Chief Minister of Kerala, India, at his residence.

Their Eminences Archbishops: Mor Gregorius Joseph, Metropolitan Trustee and Metropolitan of Cochin Diocese, Mor Theophilose Kuriakose, Metropolitan of the Malankara Syrian Orthodox Theological Seminary and Metropolitan of the Malankara Churches in Europe, Mor Christophoros Markose Abraham, Patriarchal Secretary for the Affairs of the Church in India, and Mor Augeen Al-Khoury Nemat, Patriarchal Secretary, accompanied His Holiness in the visit.

A Special Spiritual Journey Towards Easter – Resurrection – Peace

Easter – “crossing over” is the main focus of our Christian faith, which imprints the life of Jesus Christ in His suffering, death, and resurrection, with the Christian’s journey in living with Christ and incorporating into Him. The spirituality of participating in the Paschal Sacrament is the only way to change everything with hope and confidence, as well as ending wars and achieving peace.

At the beginning of creation, everything was going smoothly towards God in “the center”. However, due to fluctuations in human nature, he was dragged easily by his freedom into wrong choices, resulted in unexpected deviations, by turning his back on God, in attempt to be separated from the Creator (Eve and Adam’s stance and the prodigal son, Luke chapter 15). Consequently, humankind was unable to overcome his instincts, desires, and ambitions, so his heart hardened (Cain killed his brother Abel). Since then, evil has been in control, in all its forms: violence, war, murdering, destruction, corruption, violation of human rights, and despise its legitimate aspirations.

Today, the situation seems exceptionally more complicated, and the situation is moving from bad to worse, especially in our region. Due to the abandon of human and religious values, our world is in a state of chaos, loss of balance, instability of the global system and uncertainty of the “scales” of power, this might include: Internal divisions for the sake of power and money; external interferences for political and economic interests, the spread of terrorist operations, and wars here and there, especially in the land of Jesus and in Ukraine; according to the rule: either we rule or we kill.

Responsible Individuals from Armenian Evangelical Churches and Institutions Gathers to Learn About the Armenian Evangelical Digital Archive Project

In the presence of Reverend Dr. Paul Haidostian, the Acting President of the Union of the Armenian Evangelical Churches in the Near East (UAECNE), President of Haigazian University in Lebanon, and President of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) for the Evangelical Family, responsible individuals from Armenian Evangelical churches and institutions gathered on Saturday morning, 10 February 2024, in the Headquarters of the Union of the Armenian Evangelical Churches in the Near East (UAECNE) to learn about the Armenian Evangelical digital archive project as well as to begin their participation in it.

At the initiative of the UAECNE Reverend Vicken Cholakian, pastor of the Armenian Evangelical Church of Athens (Kokkinia), and Community Head of the Armenian Evangelical Church of Greece, flew to Beirut for this mission, to explain the project’s purpose and action plan.

His Holiness Catholicos Aram I Presides Over the Divine Liturgy on the Occasion at St. Gregory the Illuminator Cathedral in Antelias, Lebanon

As one of the earliest battles for Christianity, the Battle of Avarayr in 451 played a crucial role in defending Armenians' faith. St. Vartan Mamigonian, leading the Armenian army against the larger Sassanid Persian Army, symbolizes the unwavering commitment of the Armenian people to their religious beliefs. The Feast of Saint Vartan and his companions is annually observed on the Thursday of the eighth week before Easter.

On Thursday, February 8th, 2024, His Holiness Catholicos Aram I, Catholicos of the Armenian Church, Holy See of Cilicia, and Honorary President of the Middle East Council of Churches, presided over the Divine Liturgy commemorating the Feast of St. Vartan and his companions at St. Gregory the Illuminator Cathedral in Antelias, Lebanon. The Liturgy was conducted by His Eminence Arch Gomidas Ohanian, who also delivered a Sermon.

Following the Service, a celebration organized by the Seminarians took place in the atrium of the Catholicosate, attended by the faithful. The celebration featured national songs honoring the Feast.

The Azounieh Women’s Auxiliary Committee (“ADOM” in Armenian) paid its first official visit to Reverend Dr. Paul Haidostian, the Acting President of the Union of the Armenian Evangelical Churches in the Near East (UAECNE), President of Haigazian University in Lebanon, and President of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) for the Evangelical Family, on 5 February 2024. Aside from getting acquainted, the purpose of the visit was to discuss the recent activities and future efforts of “ADOM”.

In this friendly gathering Reverend Dr. Paul Haidostian offered his encouraging support for the plans of “ADOM” for the betterment of the Armenian Sanatorium. Together the group and Reverend Dr. Haidostian exchanged ideas and practical suggestions.

Reverend Dr. Habib Badr, President of the National Evangelical Union in Lebanon, and Honorary President of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), presided over the Sunday Service, on Sunday 4 February 2024, at the National Evangelical Church in Beirut. During the Service, Reverend Dr. Habib Badr delivered a Sermon which you can listen to it by clicking here.