Confirmation class of 2024 which was taught by Reverend Wilbert Van Saane, Professor at the Evangelical Theology School in Beirut and Reverend Rima Nasrallah, Professor in Practical Theology at Near East School of Theology for several months.

The Confirmation was bestowed upon: Alexia and Eddy Rudy Sleiman, Laura and Christina Anise Nassif, Gaya Charlie Bassous, Elvire Mary Francois Mbayid, Peter Wilbert Van Saane, Antony Joseph Badran, and Alice Anise Khoury.

From Secretariat-General of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem

On Monday, May 21 / June 3, 2024, the feast of Saints Constantine and Helen was celebrated in the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem.

On this holiday, the Church commemorates the work of the great glorious king and equal to the apostles Saint Constantine, the recognition of Christianity as a free religion within the Roman state by the decree of the Milanese, in AD 312 and of Saint Helen, who visited the Holy Land in the year AD 326 and erected the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and the Basilica of the Nativity in Bethlehem and other shrines.

Through the work of these two saints, the new era of Rum Orthodox tradition in the Holy Land was inaugurated. 

Mk. 2:23-3:6

Today we resume the journey of the Sundays of Ordinary Time and it immediately helps us to focus on the essentials of our relationship with the Lord.

Today's passage (Mk. 2:23-3:6), in fact, is composed of two distinct moments, taking place in two different places: the first is among the wheat fields where Jesus is walking with his disciples, while a group of Pharisees stand by and watch. The second is inside the synagogue: with him are no longer the disciples, but a man with a paralyzed hand and, again, a group of Pharisees.

There are several elements that make unity between the two passages.

In his message for the World Day of Migrants and Refugees, His Holiness Pope Francis invites us to see migrations as a sign of the times and as a symbol of the Church’s pilgrimage throughout history.

By Linda Bordoni

“See in the migrants of our time, as in those of every age, a living image of God’s people on their way to the eternal homeland,” writes Pope Francis in his 2024 Message for the 110th World Day of Migrants and Refugees.

The World Day, celebrated annually on 24 September, is a call to believers to show support and closeness to the millions of men, women and children who are forced to leave their homes. The current global estimate is that there were around 281 million international migrants in the world in 2020, which equates to 3.6 per cent of the global population, and that number continues to rise.

His Beatitude Patriarch Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, conducted a pastoral visit to Taybeh from June 1st, 2024, until June 3rd, 2024, during which he spent a fruitful time with the parish, by providing spiritual and pastoral guidance to the priests, sisters, and faithful, as well as visiting the various destinations of the village.

In front of the Church of Christ the Redeemer in Taybeh, Fr. Bashar Fawadleh, the parish priest of Taybeh, accompanied by former Patriarch Michel Sabbah, several priests, members of the municipality, security services, and the parishioners, welcomed His Beatitude Patriarch Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa and his delegation. The official reception included prayers, hymns, and activities presented by school students, and the youth. The Taybeh Scouts presented a symbolic gift to His Beatitude, symbolizing the ancient Palestinian Christian presence in Taybeh. And during the welcoming, His Beatitude Patriarch Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, expressed his solidarity with the people of Taybeh in these difficult times, stressing that the darkness of the world cannot extinguish the light of Christ that shines in and among them, and noted that he came to listen to their needs and get to know the nature of their lives up close, as this is his first extended pastoral visit to the parish.

Held on the Occasion of the Feast of the Entry of Jesus Christ and the Holy Family into the Land of Egypt in “Oum Al Dounya” Celebration

You can find a report about the press conference of His Holiness Pope Tawadros II, Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of Saint Mark, which was held within “Oum Al Dounya” (“Mother of the World”) celebration on the occasion of the Feast of the Entry of Jesus Christ and the Holy Family into the Land of Egypt, which is one of the Lord’s Feasts in the Coptic Church that is celebrated on 1 June.

On the occasion of Feast of the Entry of Jesus Christ Into the Land of Egypt, which is celebrated on 1 June, His Holiness Pope Tawadros II, Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of Saint Mark, addressed a congratulatory message that you can watch and listen to via the video.

And Confirms: “We will stay here and will not fear troubles”

Latakia, May 30, 2024

His Beatitude Patriarch John X, Gr

Latakia, May 30, 2024

His 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, has concluded his pastoral visit to the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Latakia and its dependencies, at the invitation of its Shepherd, His Eminence Metropolitan Athanasios (Fahed). The visit included many important stops at educational, intellectual, cultural, national, and church regeneration that were chronicled in the records of the Antiochian Church. The visit also gave the faithful people a new spiritual momentum and an incentive for steadfastness and resilience.

On the final day, His Beatitude met with the Millet Council, the priests, church associations and institutions, the Department of Ecumenical Relations and Development in the Patriarchate - Latakia Branch, and official figures.

They all expressed their happiness with this visit, which marked a renaissance for the Church and society at various levels.

On the occasion of the Golden Priesthood Anniversary of His Beatitude Patriarch Cardinal Louis Raphaël Sako, Chaldean Patriarch in Iraq and the World, and Honorary President of the Middle East Council of Churches, His Holiness Pope Francis sent a congratulation letter to His Beatitude, which you can find it below.

He Stresses: “Syria is one family and nothing can separate it”

Latakia, May 28, 2024

Within the context of his Pastoral visit to the Greek Orthodox Diocese of Latakia and its Dependencies, and at the invitation of the Archdiocesan Shepherd, His Eminence Metropolitan Athanasios (Fahd), His Beatitude Patriarch John X, Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, and President of the Middle East Council of Churches, visited some religious and archaeological monuments in Jableh, such as the Sultan Mosque.

His Beatitude was accompanied by the Shepherd of the Archdiocese, Bishop Athanasios (Fahd), Archbishops, bishops, priests, and deacons.

The officials who attended the visit were: the Governor of Latakia, Engineer Amer Ismail Hilal; the Secretary of the Party Branch, Comrade Haitham Ismail, represented by the Deputy Head of the Branch, Dr. Nicholas Martisho; the Chairman of the Provincial Council, Engineer Tayseer Habib; the Chairman of the City Council, Engineer Hussein Zengerli; the Member of the People's Assembly, Iskandar Haddad; the chief officers of security branches; security and military leaders, the members of branch, governorate, and city councils; the Mayor of Jableh, Eng. Ahmed Kanadil and members of the municipality council.

The Dicastery for Evangelisation releases a message for World Tourism Day 2024, themed "Tourism and Peace", and urges a commitment to fraternity and understanding amid global conflicts.

By Francesca Merlo

World Tourism Day is celebrated annually on 27 September. Ahead of the celebration this year, on the theme “Tourism and Peace”, the Dicastery for Evangelisation has released a message, highlighting the connection between precisely those two things: tourism and peace.

In the message, His Beatitude Archbishop Rino Fisichella, the pro-Prefect of the Dicastery, underscores the essential role that cultural exchange through tourism can play in fostering peace. “The cultural exchange between peoples, which finds a privileged form in tourism, can also turn into a concrete commitment to peace,” he says.

Under the auspices of His Holiness Catholicos Aram I, Catholicos of the Armenian Apostolic Church, Holy See of Cilicia, and Honorary President of the Middle East Council of Churches, the 106th anniversary of the First Independence of the Republic of Armenia was marked on Sunday, May 25, 2024, at the St. Gregory the Illuminator Cathedral in Antelias, Lebanon. His Eminence Archbishop Torkom Donoyan celebrated the Divine Liturgy and delivered a sermon. During the ceremony, His Holiness Catholicos Aram I presided over Thanksgiving Prayers for the First Armenian Republic and the requiem service for the souls who had fallen in the battle for independence.

Organized by the Armenian Evangelical Pastors’ wives committee of Lebanon, a one-day joint gathering of church women was held on the occasion of Ascension Day, Thursday, 9 May 2024, in KCHAG.

The message for the day was brought by Mrs. Maral Haidostian, who spoke about “The importance and meaning of the Ascension holiday”. She based her words on the Gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles, focusing on the confused state of the disciples following the crucifixion, and how before his ascension the Lord Jesus entrusted a mission to them, transforming them into confident witnesses…

His Holiness Pope Francis releases his Prayer intention for the month of June 2024, and invites everyone to pray for people who flee their home countries.

By Deborah Castellano Lubov

His Holiness Pope Francis' monthly Prayer intention this June is for "those fleeing their own countries."

The Pope invited the Church to pray for this intention in this month's The Pope Video, released on Tuesday. The Prayer intention is entrusted to the entire Catholic Church through the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network during the month in which the United Nations commemorates World Refugee Day on 20 June.

On Thursday, May 23rd, 2024, His Holiness Catholicos Aram I, Catholicos of the Armenian Apostolic Church, Holy See of Cilicia, and Honorary President of the Middle East Council of Churches, together with 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 the opening session of a conference focused on Levantine Christianity.

The conference was organized by the Hungarian Center for Levantine Christianity (HCLC) in partnership with the Syriac Orthodox Patriarchate. It saw the participation of 50 individuals from various Middle Eastern countries, along with state and community representatives at the opening session.

Following the session, His Holiness Catholicos Aram I convened with the head of the Hungarian state’s ecumenical department, who was visiting Lebanon for the conference…

His 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, is on a Pastoral visit to the the Archdiocese of Latakia and Its Dependencies, between 25 and 29 May 2024.

In this context, you can find a report that shed light on the second day of the visit.

At a Mass in St Peter’s Square for the first World Children’s Day, His Holiness Pope Francis says that "God created us, Jesus saved us, and the Holy Spirit accompanies us throughout our life."

By Francesca Merlo

The final event of the first World Children’s Day – an event held at the request of His Holiness Pope Francis, which yesterday brought together around 50,000 young people in Rome’s Olympic Stadium – was a Mass held in St Peter’s Square.

The day was Trinity Sunday, and the Pope reflected on the feast in his homily.

Mt 28:16-20

On this feast of the Most Holy Trinity, we hear the last verses of Matthew's Gospel (Mt 28:16-20): it is the encounter of the Risen Lord with his disciples, the only encounter recounted by the evangelist. An encounter that coincides with a sending out on a mission, the mandate by which Jesus sends his disciples to carry everywhere the proclamation of the Kingdom.

Being a concluding passage, it is also a passage that summarizes so many central elements of this Gospel. We focus on some of them today.

We deduce the first element from an important verb, which occurs 57 times in the Gospel of Matthew, namely the verb to draw near (Mt 28:18): the disciples reach Galilee, where Jesus has given them an appointment through the words of the women (Mt 28:10), but it is Jesus who draws near to them, not vice versa…

As part of his Pastoral visit to the Archdiocese of Latakia and its Dependencies between 25 and 29 May 2024, His 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, consecrated and inaugurated the Cathedral of Saint Georges in Latakia, on Sunday 26 May 2024. Hence, the report presents an overview about the Inauguration Service.

His 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, is on a Pastoral visit to the the Archdiocese of Latakia and Its Dependencies, between 25 and 29 May 2024.

In this context, you can find two reports that shed light on this visit, especially its first day.