On the Pilgrimage Day of the Catholicosate of Cilicia, celebrated on the eve of the feast of St. Gregory the Illuminator’s Descent into the Pit (Khor Virab), His Holiness Catholicos Aram I, Catholicos of the Armenian Church, Holy See of Cilicia, and Honorary President of the Middle East Council of Churches, along with the Cilician Brotherhood, retrieves the relic of St. Gregory and other sacred relics from the Cilicia Museum.

On the evening of 22nd March / 4th April 2025, the service of the Akathist Hymn took place at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. According to the typical order, within the framework of the Small Compline service, the hymns of the Akathist were chanted, specifically the “I will open my mouth” and the four Stases of the Akathist Hymn were read melodiously.

From the Secretariat-General of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem - From the Holy Archdiocese of Qatar

Between Wednesday, 13th/26th March 2025 and Saturday, 16th/29th March 2025, His Beatitude Patriarch John I of Antioch and All the East officially visited the Emirate of Qatar and the Archdiocese of Qatar. His Beatitude Patriarch John I arrived at Hamad International Airport in Doha at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, 13th/26th March 2025, where he was welcomed by His Eminence Archbishop Makarios of Qatar.

On Friday, April 4, 2025, His Beatitude Patriarch Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, presided over the redidcated the Church of Our Lady of Sorrows in the town of Aboud, following the completion of its restoration and renovation works.

The Department of Christian Education at the National Evangelical Synod of Syria and Lebanon held 11 training sessions to prepare female leaders from churches in both countries. The program began in 2022 with the participation of 42 women and concluded on Wednesday, April 2, 2025, with a graduation ceremony for 32 women.

On (Thursday) the 3rd of March 2025, H.H. Pope Tawadros II inaugurated the services building of the Giza Diocese, which was constructed within the premises of the diocese headquarters.

The International Theological Commission publishes “Jesus Christ, Son of God, Saviour: 1700th Anniversary of the Ecumenical Council of Nicea (325-2025)”, dedicated to the Council that produced the first universal creed and proclaimed the faith of salvation in Jesus Christ, and in the One God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

By Vatican News

On May 20, the Christian world will commemorate the 1700th anniversary of the opening of the first ecumenical council, held in Nicea in 325, which has gone down in history primarily on account of the Creed, which brings together, defines, and proclaims the faith in salvation in Jesus Christ and in the One God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Later completed by the Council of Constantinople in 381, the Nicene Creed became in practice the identity card of the professed faith of the Church. For this reason, the International Theological Commission (ITC) decided to dedicate a document of almost seventy pages to the Council, which was convened by the emperor Constantine in Asia Minor, with the twofold objective of recalling its fundamental meaning and highlighting the extraordinary resources of the Creed, relaunching them in the perspective of the new stage of evangelisation that the Church is called to undertake in the current change of epoch. The new document acquires special relevance as the anniversary of Nicea occurs during the Jubilee of Hope in a year when Easter is celebrated by all Christians on the same date.

of his Beatitude the Patriarch of Serbia Porfirij by His Beatitude Patriarch Kyrios Kyrios Theophilos III

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

On Wednesday, the 20th of March/2nd of April 2025, His Beatitude the Patriarch of Serbia Prorfirije, co-celebrated the Pre-Sanctified Liturgy with His Beatitude Patriarch Kyrios Kyrios Theophilos III, the Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem, at the Horrendous Golgotha. The following Eminent High Priests also co-served: Metropolitan Kyriakos of Nazareth, Metropolitan Hesychios of Capitolia, the Assistant Bishop of Toplica, His Grace Petar, the visiting Metropolitan of Tamasos, His Eminence Isaias, and Hieromonks from the Holy Sepulchre Brotherhood, among whom the first was Archimandrite  Kamarasis Elder Nektarios, as well as other Hieromonks and priests accompanying the Patriarch of Serbia, including Archimandrite Vassianos, Head of the Russian Spiritual Mission in Jerusalem (MISSIA), Archdeacon Mark, and other deacons, with His Eminence Elder Archbishop Aristarchos of Constantina, also participating, alongside local faithful and devout pilgrims.

Jn 8:1-11

Today, too, we try to understand the passage from this Sunday’s Gospel (Jn 8:1-11) by starting with a small detail.

We are in the temple, where Jesus has come from the Mount of Olives. He has sat down and is teaching the people who have gathered around him (Jn 8:1-2). While he is teaching, scribes and Pharisees bring an adulterous woman to him and ask him to pronounce judgment on her. But Jesus remains silent and writes with his finger on the ground (Jn 8:6). And because they insist, Jesus says the famous words: “Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her” (Jn 8:7), then he bends down again and continues to write on the ground (Jn 8:8).

Under the Presidency of Reverend Dr. Paul Haidostian, 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, Lebanon's Armenian Evangelical pastors enjoyed a gathering of fellowship, discussion and prayer with Rev. Calvin Sagherian (from U.S.) on 2 April 2025 at the Union's Headquarters. Sharing a warm and open atmosphere, the group discussed current challenges and divine blessings, whether in the Middle East, Armenia or North America. Rev. Sagherian reminded those present of the Lord Jesus' attention to his disciples, especially in times of storm and stress.