His Holiness Pope Tawadros II, Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of St. Mark arrived today at “Nikola Tesla” Airport in the Serbian capital, Belgrade, coming from Romania, marking the third stop in his pastoral tour of the Diocese of Central Europe.

His Holiness Pope Tawadros II, Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of St. Mark consecrated the Church of Saint Mina the Martyr in the Romanian capital, Bucharest — the first Coptic Orthodox church in Romania. This event took place as part of His Holiness’s current pastoral visit to the country, which is part of a wider pastoral tour of the Diocese of Central Europe that began on April 25.

On May 3rd, 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, received His Beatitude Joseph Absi, Greek-Melkite Catholic Patriarch of Antioch and all the East, Alexandria, and Jerusalem, at the Patriarchate Headquarters in Bab Touma - Damascus.

Prot. N. (1) 832/2025

May 1, 2025

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

On the fourth Sunday of Easter, known as Good Shepherd Sunday, the universal Church invites us to celebrate the Day of Prayer for Vocations. It is a day on which we lift our prayers together with confidence and hope to the Lord, that He may send “laborers into His harvest” (Lk 10:2), and awaken in the hearts of young men and women the desire to follow Him closely, on the path of priestly or religious consecration.

The Annual Meeting of His Holiness the Pope with the Bishops of Europe commenced this morning in the Romanian capital, Bucharest, with the attendance of His Holiness Pope Tawadros II, as part of his pastoral visit to the Diocese of Central Europe.

His Holiness Pope Tawadros II, Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of St. Mark led the Vespers praying at the Church of the Martyr St. Mina in Bucharest, the capital of Romania. Participating in the service were His Grace Bishop Giovanni, Bishop of Central Europe, a number of bishops from various European dioceses, and members of His Holiness's accompanying delegation.

His Holiness Pope Tawadros II, Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of St. Mark visited His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel, Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church, at the Patriarchal Palace in the Romanian capital, Bucharest.

The meeting was held in the "Europa Christiana" Hall inside the Patriarchal Palace, where the Patriarch of Romania delivered a welcoming speech expressing the depth of the good relations between the Romanian Orthodox Church and the Coptic Orthodox Church. He highlighted the warm reception that Romanian church delegations receive when visiting Coptic monasteries and churches in Egypt.

During his recent visit to the Vatican for the funeral ceremony of His Holiness Pope Francis, His Holiness Catholicos Aram I, Catholicos of the Armenian Church, Holy See of Cilicia, and Honorary President of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) engaged in two noteworthy interviews on April 28, 2025. The first interview was with Il Giornale, and the second was conducted with Nicola Porro from Mediaset Television.

In his homily for the 7th Novemdiales Mass, the Cardinal urges the faithful to welcome and help our brothers and sisters in the Eastern Churches persevere in their faith.

By Vatican News

Still at the beginning of the Easter season, Cardinal Claudio Gugerotti reflected on faith in the resurrection, especially in light of the passing of His Holiness Pope Francis on Easter Monday. During the 7th Novemdiales Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica, the Cardinal underlined that the resurrection is not “not a phenomenon inherent to human nature” rather it comes from God “through His Spirit.”

His Beatitude Patriarch Mor Ignatius Joseph III Younan, Syriac Catholic Patriarch of Antioch, and Honorary President of the Middle East Council of Churches, on the Legacy of Pope Francis in the Middle East, the Situation in Syria, and the Future of the Eastern Churches.
Patriarch Ignatius Joseph III Younan, born on November 15, 1944, in Al-Hasakah, Syria, has served as the head of the Syriac Catholic Church of Antioch since January 20, 2009. After his ordination in 1971, he worked as a pastor in Syria and Lebanon before being sent to the United States in 1986 to establish communities for Syriac Catholic faithful. In 1995, Pope John Paul II appointed him as the first bishop of the Eparchy of Our Lady of Deliverance of Newark. As Patriarch, he advocates globally for the concerns of Christians in the Middle East.

Jn 21:1-19

Today's Gospel passage (Jn 21:1-19) tells us about the last appearance of the Risen One to the community of disciples reported in John's Gospel.

Of this very rich passage, we pause on a few details.

The first is the opening verse of the passage (Jn 21:1), where the evangelist writes that Jesus manifested himself again to his disciples (“At that time, Jesus revealed himself again to his disciples at the Sea of Tiberias.”).

1. Greetings

Dearest brothers and sisters may the Risen Lord grant you His peace!

On behalf of His Beatitude Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, who is currently in Rome awaiting the beginning of the Conclave, I greet all those present: Msgr. Giacinto Marcuzzo and Msgr. Ilario Antoniazzi, the Custos of the Holy Land, Fr. Francesco Patton, present authorities, Fr. Ulise Zarza, OFM, the Vice-Postulator and, through him, the General Postulator Fr. Gianni Califano, OFM. I warmly greet the Tribunal Officials: Mons. Ilario Antoniazzi, my Delegate; Fr. Filippo Morlacchi, Promoter of Justice; Sister Marina Fischer, Notary.

Reverend Najla Kassab a member of The National Evangelical Synod in Syria and Lebanon attended the Funeral of Pope Francis representing the World Communion of Reformed Churches.

His Holiness Pope Tawadros II, Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of St. Mark met this morning, at the Church of St. Mina in Bucharest, with His Eminence Archbishop Datev, Archbishop of the Armenian Orthodox Church, and His Eminence Archbishop Kais Sadiq, Archbishop of the Greek Orthodox Church, along with Father Radu and Father Hovhannes. The meeting was attended by His Eminence Bishop Giovanni, Bishop of the Diocese of Central Europe, and the delegation accompanying His Holiness. The meeting took place as part of His Holiness's current visit to Romania, within his pastoral tour of the Diocese of Central Europe, which began last Friday with a visit to Poland.

On Monday evening, His Holiness Pope Tawadros II, Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of St. Mark inaugurated the St. Mina Service Complex in the Romanian capital, Bucharest, to serve the members of the Church and the broader Romanian community.

His Holiness Pope Tawadros II, Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of St. Mark departed Poland, heading to Romania as part of his current pastoral visit to the Diocese of Central Europe, within his 2025 pastoral agenda.

From the General Secretariat of the Greek Patriarchate of Jerusalem

On Sunday, the 14th/27th of April 2025, the Patriarchate celebrated the Sunday of the Holy Apostle Thomas, that is, the event of the touching of the Lord by the Apostle Thomas, according to the Typikon of the Church and the established Status Quo. On this Sunday, eight days after Pascha, the Church commemorates that on the eighth day from the Resurrection, the Lord, “the doors being shut,” entered “into the upper room where the disciples were assembled.” Thomas was also “with them,” and he beheld the Lord and the marks of the nails in His hands and His side, and was convinced, exclaiming, “My Lord and my God.” (John 20:24–29, KJV).

His Holiness Pope Tawadros II, Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of St. Mark held a meeting with the congregation of the Church of Saints John the Baptist and Philopater Mercurius (Abu Sefein) in Poland. This comes as part of his current pastoral visit to Poland, which began the day before yesterday, within the 2025 agenda of His Holiness’ pastoral tours.

The meeting began with the "Philomena" Choir performing a selection of spiritual hymns and chants from the rites of Palm Sunday, Good Friday, the Resurrection, and Pentecost. His Holiness praised and encouraged them, expressing admiration for their proficiency in both Coptic and Arabic. He also stood among them for commemorative photos.

His Holiness Pope Tawadros II, Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of St. Mark prayed the Divine Liturgy at the Church of Saints John the Baptist and Philopater Mercurius (Abu Sefein) in the Polish capital, Warsaw. This comes as part of his pastoral visit to the Diocese of Central Europe, within his 2025 pastoral agenda.

The choir of deacons welcomed His Holiness upon his arrival with hymns, while joy filled the faces of the congregation as they received their father and shepherd, visiting to oversee and care for their community.

A delegation from the Coptic Orthodox Church attended today the funeral of His Holiness Pope Francis of the Vatican, held at St. Peter’s Basilica Square in the Vatican, with the presence of 250,000 people, including 130 official delegations representing countries, churches, and organizations, along with 12 reigning monarchs and 55 heads of state.