On January 22, 2025, 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 President of Lebanon General Joseph Aoun, at Presidential Palace in Beirut.

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God” (Matthew 5:9).

As shepherds of the Christian faithful in the Holy Land, we welcome the news of a ceasefire in Gaza with cautious hope and fervent prayer. After 15 months of unimaginable suffering, this pause in hostilities offers a moment to breathe, to mourn, and to begin the arduous journey of healing. Yet, as Christians, we are summoned not merely to rejoice in the cessation of war but to dedicate ourselves to the sacred pursuit of true and lasting peace.

The toll on human life and dignity on all sides, but especially in Gaza, has been catastrophic, with civilian infrastructure obliterated and communities torn asunder. We are reminded of the words of the Apostle Paul: “If one member suffers, all suffer together” (1 Corinthians 12:26). The suffering of Gaza is a wound not only to our communities there, but to the conscience of humanity. It demands a response grounded in justice, compassion, and the recognition that every human being is a bearer of the divine image.

Bkerke - Lebanon, January 20, 2025

His Beatitude Patriarch John X, Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, and President of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) for the Orthodox Family, met with His Beatitude Mar Bechara Boutros Al-Rahi, Patriarch of Antioch and All the East for the Maronite Church, at the Patriarchal Residence in Bkerke. His Beatitude was accompanied by His Eminence, the Most Reverend Silouan (Moussi), Metropolitan of Byblos, Batroun, and Dependencies. The meeting was also attended by His Excellency, the Most Reverend Bishop Gregory Mansour, Eparch of the Maronite Eparchy of Brooklyn, USA. During the meeting, their Beatitudes engaged in a broad discussion that covered public affairs and current issues.

In the video, you can find the Sermon delivered by His Beatitude Patriarch John X, Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, and President of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) for the Orthodox Family, at the Divine Liturgy that he presided over on Sunday 19 January 2025, at the Patriarchal Monastery of Our Lady of Balamand, Lebanon.

In the video, you can find the Morning Prayer and Divine Liturgy, presided over by His Beatitude Patriarch John X, Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, and President of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) for the Orthodox Family, on Sunday 19 January 2025, at the Patriarchal Monastery of Our Lady of Balamand, Lebanon.

The National Evangelical Synod in Syria and Lebanon held the launching of the first two books of the "Reformed Theology in the Middle East" series, on Saturday, January 11, 2025 at 4:00 pm Beirut time (5:00 pm Syria time) at the Beirut Evangelical School for Girls and Boys - Rabieh Theater.

In the following link you can find photos from the launch ceremony of the National Evangelical Synod in Syria and Lebanon for the first two books of the "Reformed Theology in the Middle East" series, written by the Theological Committee and produced by the Media and Publishing Committee.

From the General Secretariat of the Greek Patriarchate of Jerusalem

On Tuesday, 1st / 14th January 2025, the memory of Saint Basil the Great, the Heavenly Manifestor, was celebrated at his Holy Monastery, located near the New Gate of the Old City of Jerusalem, under the care, preparation, and hospitality of the Hegumen and Elder Kamarasis, Archimandrite Nektarios. The celebration included Vespers in the evening and the Divine Liturgy in the morning, officiated by the Master of Ceremonies of the Patriarchate, Archimandrite Bartholomew, with the chanting of the nuns of the Patriarchate and the collective prayers of monks, nuns, and faithful Jerusalemites.

“How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of the messenger who announces peace, who brings good news,” (Is. 52,7)

Declaration of the Catholic Ordinaries on the Ceasefire in Gaza

The Catholic Ordinaries of the Holy Land welcome the announcement of the ceasefire in Gaza, which aims to end the hostilities in Gaza, return the Israeli hostages and release the Palestinian prisoners. We hope that this ceasefire will mark an important end to the violence that has caused immeasurable suffering. It is a necessary step to halt the destruction and meet the urgent humanitarian needs of countless families affected by the conflict.

However, we are aware that the end of the war does not mean the end of the conflict. It is therefore necessary to seriously and credibly address the deep-rooted issues that have been at the root of this conflict for far too long. Genuine and lasting peace can only be achieved through a just solution that addresses the origin of this long-standing struggle. This requires a long process, a willingness to acknowledge each other's suffering and a focused education in trust that leads to overcoming fear of the other and the justification of violence as a political tool.

John 2:1-11

We left Jesus at the Jordan where, hidden among many anonymous people, he received baptism from an unsuspecting John and where his identity was confirmed by the God the Father, who filled him with the Spirit and called him the beloved Son (Lk 3:21-22).

Today we find Jesus at a wedding (John 2:1-11), also hidden among all the other participants at the banquet, with nothing to make him appear as a mere guest.

At this banquet, Jesus seems to disappear: He is not one of the protagonists of the feast and He is not the one who notices that there is a shortage of wine; in his dialog with his mother, he seems to say that he cannot do anything yet (“Woman, what concern is that to you and to me? My hour has not yet come” - John 2,4). He has jars filled with water and brought to the master of the table (John 2:9-10), who does not know where the wine comes from, just as the bride and groom will not know. The disciples are also not explicitly told that they recognized the sign that Jesus performed.

Statement of His Beatitude Patriarch John X, Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, and President of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) for the Orthodox Family, after his meeting with the President of the Lebanese Republic General Joseph Aoun.

On January 13, 2025, a delegation representing the leadership of the UAECNE headed by Reverend Dr. Paul Haidostian, President of the Union of the Armenian Evangelical Churches in the Near East (UAECNE), and President of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) for the Evangelical Family visited visited His Beatitude Patriarch Raphaël Bedros XXI, Patriarch of the Armenian Catholic Church and President of the Middle East Council of Churches for the Catholic Family. The purpose of the visit was to present a special commemorative medal plaque, created in honor of the UAECNE’s centennial, celebrated throughout 2024.

A statement from the Holy See announced that the Cardinal Secretary of State held a meeting in Amman with papal representatives of Middle Eastern nations, in which a call for a ceasefire “on every front” was made, along with a desire for peace in the Middle East.

Vatican News

The Vatican Secretary of State, His Eminence Cardinal Pietro Parolin, presided over a meeting on January 13 with the Apostolic Nuncios in the Middle Eastern region in Jordan's capital of Amman, where he traveled for the consecration of the Church of the Baptism of Jesus along the banks of the Jordan River on Friday.

At midnight on the 1st/14th of January 2025, a festive Divine Liturgy – “Parrhesia” – took place at the Most Holy and Life-Giving Tomb on the feast of the Circumcision of the Lord and the commemoration of Saint Basil the Great, Archbishop of Caesarea in Cappadocia, the Great Hierarch and Ecumenical Teacher.

On the evening of the Eve of the Feast of St. Basil the Great and the New Year, 31st December 2024 / 13th January 2025, the cutting ceremony of the Vasilopita took place in the Patriarchal Hall of the Greek Patriarchate of Jerusalem.

Present at the ceremony were the representative of the Greek Consulate General in Jerusalem, Mrs Anna Mantika, and members of the Consulate, as well as Patriarchal Clergy, Bishops, Priests, Deacons, Monks, Nuns, and members of the Greek and Arabic-speaking communities of Jerusalem. His Beatitude Patriarch Kyrios Kyrios Theophilos III, Greek Orthodox Patriarch of the Holy City of Jerusalem and all Palestine and Jordan, and Honorary President of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), addressed all the participants of this solemn event with the following words:

“For God hath given me to know the knowledge of the things that are, to know the constitution of the world, and the operation of the elements, the beginning and the end, and the middle of times, the changes of turns and alterations of seasons, the cycles of years, and the positions of the stars” (Wisdom of Solomon 7:17-18), the Wisdom of Solomon says.

Prot. N. (1) 33/2025
 

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ our Hope, 

May the Lord give you peace! 

This year, the Church dedicates Sunday, January 26 to the Word of God and thus introduces us to the Jubilee that Pope Francis has called for in 2025. The prayer of the whole Church shall be centered on the gift of “hope”, which we ask the Lord Jesus for with all our strength. 

The Word of God helps us to find the reasons for our hope and to revive it, particularly in this land of ours and in this time of darkness and suffering that humanity is forced to experience because of wars and injustices that cast fear, discouragement and doubt in our hearts. 

For this, I suggest reading the First Letter of St. Peter the Apostle. It is a short letter (only five chapters), but it overflows with the grace of the Holy Spirit, which alone can animate our Christian life in faith, hope and charity.  

The Head of the Supreme Council of the Evangelical Community in Syria and Lebanon and member of the MECC executive committee,, Rev. Joseph Kassab, extended a congratulatory message to His Excellency, President of the Lebanese Republic, General Joseph Aoun, on the occasion of his election, expressing his confidence in President Aoun's ability to lead the country to safety and stability after years of political and economic failures.

General Joseph Aoun, the commander of the Lebanese army, was elected as the new President of the Republic of Lebanon by the Lebanese Parliament on January 9.

On this occasion His Holiness Catholicos Aram I, Catholicos of the Armenian Church, Holy See of Cilicia, and Honorary President of the Middle East Council of Churches, extended a congratulatory letter. In his letter, His Holiness welcomed the new president and emphasized that this election signifies a new chapter in Lebanon’s modern history. He assured President Aoun that the Armenian Apostolic Church community in Lebanon stands by his side as an ally and is ready to participate in efforts to restore the country.

A meeting was held between His Holiness Catholicos Aram I, Catholicos of the Armenian Church, Holy See of Cilicia, and Honorary President of the Middle East Council of Churches, and 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 on Friday, January 10th, 2025, at the Catholicosate of Cilicia in Antelias.