From the Secretariat-General of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem

Between Monday, 18th /31st March 2025 and Thursday, 12th March /3rd April 2025, His Beatitude the Patriarch of Serbia Porfirije made a pilgrimage visit to the Greek Patriarchate of Jerusalem.

His Beatitude the Patriarch of Serbia Porfirije arrived at Ben Gurion Airport at 2:30 am on Monday, 18th /31st March 2025, where he was received by His Eminence Metropolitan Hesychios of Capitolias, along with Archimandrite Christodoulos, Hegumen of the Holy Monastery of the Holy Cross.

Under the auspices of 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 “Shonorhali” choir of the Catholicosate of Cilicia presented a celebration of Sayat Nova’s legacy on Wednesday evening, March 26, 2025, at the Hagop Der Melkonian Theater in the Armenian neighborhood of Bourj Hammoud.

From the Secretariat-General of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem

On Sunday, 17th/30th March, the Fourth Sunday of Lent, commemorating our venerable Father John of the Ladder, and one week after the Sunday of the Veneration of the Cross, the feast of the veneration of the Holy Cross took place at the ancient Holy Monastery of the Holy Cross, located in Western Jerusalem, near the [Jewish] Knesset.

The feast was celebrated traditionally on this Sunday at the aforementioned Holy Monastery, as it was in this area that Lot, upon leaving Sodom, planted the threefold wood—a combination of cedar, cypress, and pine—during his time of repentance, from which the cross was made, the one upon which our Lord Jesus Christ was crucified.

From the Secretariat-General of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem

Following a letter sent by His Beatitude Patriarch Porfirije of Serbia to His Beatitude Patriarch Kyrios Kyrios Theophilos III, the Patriarch of Jerusalem, and the Honorary President of the Middle East Council of Churches, the Patriarch of Serbia expressed his desire to visit the Holy Land, the Holy City of Jerusalem, pay tribute to the Most Holy Sepulchre, and to have a meeting with his Jerusalem counterpart.

His Holiness Pope Tawadros II, Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of St. Mark, along with the metropolitans and bishops, will lead the funeral prayers for the Thrice-Blessed His Eminence Metropolitan Pakhomious (Metropolitan of Beheira, Matrouh, and the Five Western Cities), today (Sunday), at 3:00 pm in St. Mark’s Cathedral, Abbassia.

Beirut, March 29, 2025

His Beatitude Patriarch John X, the Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, and President of the Middle East Council of Churches for the Orthodox Family,, arrived at Beirut Airport, returning from an official and ecclesiastical visit to Qatar. He was received by Deputy Prime Minister Dr. Tarek Mitri, representing the President of the Republic, General Joseph Aoun, and Dr. Elias Warrak, President of the University of Balamand. Accompanying his Beatitude on this visit was a delegation of clergymen that included HE Metropolitan Athanasios Fahd of Latakia and its Dependencies.

March 28, 2025

"How lovely and pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together in unity."

His Beatitude Patriarch John X, the Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, and President of the Middle East Council of Churches for the Orthodox Family, officiated the fourth Akathist Hymn service at the Church of Saints Isaac and George in Qatar. Metropolitans Athanasios Fahd of Latakia and Makarios from the Church of Jerusalem concelebrated with His Beatitude.

In keeping with tradition, His Holiness Catholicos Aram I attended the Sunrise Service at St. Nshan Cathedral in Beirut to preside over the Mid-Lent celebration and address the congregation. The gathering included students from Armenian schools under the jurisdiction of the Prelacy, as well as members of various Prelacy bodies.

Patriarchal Residence, Atchaneh, Lebanon, March 26-28, 2025

At the invitation of His Holiness Mor Ignatius Aphrem II, Patriarch of Antioch and All the East and Supreme Head of the Universal Syriac Orthodox Church, the Holy Synod convened its regular session with the participation of His Beatitude Catholicos Mor Baselios Joseph and Their Eminences the Archbishops, members of the Holy Synod. The session took place from March 26 to 28, 2025, at the Patriarchal Residence in Atchaneh, Bikfaya, Lebanon. The sessions addressed the most important issues and topics on the agenda.

The Latin Ecclesiastical Court of the Patriarchate of Jerusalem in Amman has signed a cooperation agreement with Sagesse University in Beirut to offer a specialized diploma in ecclesiastical law for Jordanian lawyers seeking to practice in the ecclesiastical courts of the Latin Patriarchate, as well as for judicial personnel working in Catholic courts.

• Objectives of the Agreement

This agreement aims to foster academic collaboration between the Latin Ecclesiastical Court and Sagesse University by providing specialized education in ecclesiastical law. The program is designed to equip lawyers and judicial employees with the knowledge and skills necessary to provide legal counsel and represent clients before Catholic ecclesiastical courts, thereby contributing to the administration of justice within the framework of canon law and legal rights.

His Holiness Pope Francis continues to show signs of gradual improvement in his health as he recovers from bilateral pneumonia at his Vatican residence, according to the Holy See Press Office.

By Vatican News

The Director of the Holy See Press Office, Matteo Bruni, held a briefing for journalists on Friday to provide an update on Pope Francis’ recovery from bilateral pneumonia.

Mr. Bruni said the Pope’s health is stable, noting he has shown slight improvements in respiratory and motor functions, as well as in his speech.

Doha, March 27, 2025

The Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, welcomed His Beatitude Patriarch John X, the Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, and President of the Middle East Council of Churches for the Orthodox Family, at Lusail Palace. Also in attendance from the Antiochian delegation were Metropolitan Athanasios Fahd of Latakia and its Dependencies, along with Archimandrite Parthenios Al Laty.

His Holiness Pope Francis releases his catechesis for the weekly General Audience, which was not held as he recovers from bilateral pneumonia, and recalls that it is never too late to consign everything to God and start anew in our journey.

By Deborah Castellano Lubov

As Pope Francis recovers in his residence at the Casa Santa Marta after being discharged from Rome's Gemelli Hospital on Sunday, he has called on the faithful to never lose hope, for God always grants us the possibility of starting over.

Luke 15:1-3,11-32

At the center of the parable told in today’s liturgy (Luke 15:1-3,11-32), the well-known parable of the Merciful Father, is a house in which a father lives with his two sons. 

A key to entering this passage, we find with a phrase found towards the end of the story, where we discover that the eldest son “became angry, and refused to enter the house” (Luke 15:28). 

So, there is a house into which a son does not want to go and prefers to stay outside. 

We also discover that not only the eldest son but also the youngest son has problems with this house: he too is away from home. He has asked his father for his share of the inheritance and has left (“collected all his belongings and set off to a distant country” - Lk 15:13). Nothing is known about where he went, except that this place is far from home. 

On Wednesday, March 26, 2025, His Holiness Patriarch Mor Ignatius Aphrem II, Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, Supreme Head of the Syriac Orthodox Church of the World, and Honorary President of the Middle East Council of Churches, officially inaugurated the Universal Holy Synod of the Syriac Orthodox Church of Antioch.

On March 26, 2025, on the occasion of the Mid-Lent and the Feast of the Elevation of the Cross and the Commemoration of Abgar the King, His Holiness Patriarch Mor Ignatius Aphrem II, Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, Supreme Head of the Syriac Orthodox Church of the World, and Honorary President of the Middle East Council of Churches, presided over the Holy Qurobo celebrated by Mor Chrysostomos Michael Shamoun, Archbishop of Mount Lebanon and Tripoli, at St. Severius Church in the Patriarchal Residence, Atchaneh, Lebanon.

Beirut, March 26, 2025

His Beatitude Patriarch John X, the Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, and President of the Middle East Council of Churches for the Orthodox Family, has embarked on an official and ecclesiastical visit to Qatar. Accompanying His Beatitude on this visit is His Eminence, the Most Rev. Metropolitan Athanasios Fahd of Lattakia and its dependencies. Bidding him farewell at Beirut Airport was Minister of National Defense Michel Menassa, representing President General Joseph Aoun.

"But be perfectly united in mind and thought" (1 Cor 1: 10)

Your Beatitude, brother, Mor Baselius Joseph, Maphriono of India,

Your Eminences, dear brothers, the archbishops of our Syriac Orthodox Church of Antioch,

We welcome you all to this blessed gathering that grants us the precious opportunity to explore and consult on the matters of our holy church and its journey. At the outset of our opening address, we thank our God Almighty, who has united us in love and spiritual unity. We ask Him to send the Spirit of His wisdom to guide our discussions and decisions for the good of the church and the glory of His holy name.

On Tuesday, March 25, 2025, the Nazareth Sisters' Kindergarten in Haifa was blessed in a ceremony attended by a distinguished assembly of religious and educational figures. The event was a heartfelt tribute to the dedication and effort behind this esteemed institution.

His Beatitude Patriarch Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, presided over the celebration, accompanied by Msgr. Rafiq Nahra, Patriarchal Vicar in Galilee, and Fr. Johnny Abu Khalil, the school’s spiritual chaplain. Among the honored guests were Sr. Marie-Noëlle, Superior General of the Sisters of Nazareth, and Sister Bernette, who played a key role in the kindergarten’s establishment and construction. Also in attendance were the Mayor of Haifa, representatives from the General Administration of Galilee Schools, the kindergarten’s director and faculty, as well as principals and teachers from the secondary and middle school levels.