Very Rev. Raban Roger-Youssef Akhrass as Archbishop, Patriarchal Vicar for Syriac Studies, Very Rev. Raban Cyril Babi as Archbishop, Patriarchal Vicar for the Patriarchal Archdiocese of Damascus, and Very Rev. Raban Joseph Bali, as Archbishop Patriarchal Secretary

His Holiness Patriarch Mor Ignatius Aphrem II: It is a historic day in the history of our Church in general, and especially in Lebanon

On June 25, 2021, His Holiness Patriarch Mor Ignatius Aphrem II celebrated the Holy Qurobo at the altar of the Virgin Mary Church in the Patriarchal Residence in Atchaneh, Lebanon.

On June 22, 2021, His Holiness Patriarch Mor Ignatius Aphrem II celebrated the Holy Qurobo for the occasion of the Holy Synod of our Syriac Orthodox Church, at Mor Severus Church in the Patriarchal Residence in Atchaneh - Lebanon, in the presence of their Eminences Archbishops members of the Holy Synod.

Pope Francis reassures the elderly that God is always with them in his message for the first-ever World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly. He also reminds them of their vocation to preserve our roots and to pass on the faith to the younger ones.

"We must become a 'we' that is ever wider and more co-responsible." Quoting Pope Francis’ Message for the 107th World Day of Migrants and Refugees, Chargé D’affaires of the Apostolic Nunciature in Jordan Monsignor Mauro Lalli visited the Palestinian Refugee Camp of Jerash on Tuesday, June 22. Upon arrival, Monsignor Lalli was welcomed by Marta Lorenzo, director of UNRWA Affairs, Jordan.

The Holy See’s humanitarian arm for the Oriental Churches kicks off its plenary meeting on Monday, with ROACO’s attention going to the Holy Land, Ethiopia, Armenia, and Georgia in particular.

By Devin Watkins

The Reunion of Aid Agencies for the Oriental Churches (ROACO) begins its 94th plenary assembly on Monday afternoon at the Casa Bonus Pastor in Rome.

The annual meeting runs until Thursday.

The Jesuit Church of St Joseph in the Lebanese capital Beirut is due to open its doors again next month following the August 2020 dockside blast.

Vatican News staff reporter

Nearly a year on from a devastating blast that rocked the Lebanese city of Beirut, there is a cause for celebration.

The historic Jesuit-run Church of St Joseph, which was badly damaged in the August 2020 explosion, is due to reopen next month.

Considering that the July 1st meeting of the Christian leaders of Lebanon in the Vatican is the initiative of His Holiness Catholicos Aram I, various political, religious and academic figures, as well as Lebanon’s Ambassador to the Holy See and representatives of the Lebanese civil society and media, held correspondences with the Catholicos to learn more about his perspectives concerning the meeting.

His Beatitude Patriarch John X received at the Patriarchal Headquarters in Damascus, His Eminence, Metropolitan Anthony of Borispol and Brovary along with an accompanying delegation, appointed by His Beatitude Onufriy, Metropolitan of Kiev and All Ukraine.

His Eminence's visit precedes His visit to Beirut, where he will meet His Eminence Elias Odeh, Metropolitan of Beirut and His Eminence Silouan Moussi …

On June 15, 2021, His Holiness Patriarch Mor Ignatius Aphrem II presided over the evening prayer at St. Georges Patriarchal Cathedral in Bab Touma – Damascus.

Their Eminences Mor Anthimos Jack Yakoub, Patriarchal Vicar for Youth Affairs and Christian Education, Mor Boutros Kassis, Patriarchal Assistant and Patriarchal Delegate of the Archdiocese of Aleppo and Environs, and Armenian Orthodox Archbishop of Damascus Armash Nalbandian, were present at the evening prayer.

Your Excellencies, dear brothers in the Episcopate,

Reverend Fathers,

Dear religious and consecrated persons,

Dear faithful Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

May the Lord give you His Peace!

On the occasion of celebrating the 130th jubilee of “Rerum Novarum” the encyclical issued by Pope Leo XIII on May 15, 1891, concerning “Rights and Duties of Capital and Labor”; the Episcopal Committee “Justice and Peace” which emanates from the Council of Catholic Patriarchs and Bishops in the Middle East, has launched the annual Mass initiative which will be celebrated during the “Peace Day for the East”…

Pope Francis releases his message for the fifth World Day of the poor. He highlights the need for conversion and for an approach that counters new forms of poverty in the world and promotes the freedom needed to live a life of fulfilment according to the abilities of each person.

On Thursday, 28 May/10 June 2021, the Patriarchate celebrated the feast of the Ascension.

On this feast, the Church in thanksgiving and mixed joy with sadness, commemorates that our Lord Jesus Christ was ascended into the heavens, forty days after His Resurrection, and after many appearances to His Disciples. He was ascended into the heavens in glory and sat at the right side of the Father, deifying the human flesh He had assumed and He is to come again, to judge both the living and the dead.

n Thursday, 21 May / 3 June 2021, the Patriarchate celebrated the feast of the Holy glorious God-crowned Sovereigns and Equal to the Apostles, Constantine and Helen.

This feast was celebrated as a feast of the Throne of the Patriarchate because Constantine the Great and his mother Saint Helen established the All-holy Shrines, the Horrendous Golgotha, the All-holy Sepulchre, and set the Hagiotaphite Brotherhood as their guardian.

ORDAN - On Tuesday, 8 June, 2021, the Latin Patriarchate clergy held their first "physical" meeting following a lapse of one and a half years, at the Mary of Nazareth Church, at the Latin Vicariate in Sweifieh, Western Amman.

Pope Francis appoints Archbishop Tito Yllana as the new Apostolic Nuncio in Israel and Cyprus and Apostolic Delegate in Jerusalem and Palestine.

By Vatican News staff writer

On the day the Vatican celebrates the Solemnity of Corpus Christi, Pope Francis appointed Filipino Archbishop Adolfo Tito Yllana as Apostolic Nuncio to Israel and Cyprus and Apostolic Delegate to Jerusalem and Palestine.

Pope Francis releases his prayer intention for the month of June, and invites everyone to pray for those preparing for marriage, which is “a vocation born from the heart.”

By Devin Watkins

“Is it true, what some people say—that young people don’t want to get married, especially during these difficult times?”

Pope Francis opens a video accompanying his prayer intention for the month of June with that question.

Following a brief encounter with Pope Francis at the weekly General Audience, Michael Haddad describes the Pope’s blessing of his goal to walk 100 km across the Arctic.

By Salvatore Cernuzio & Felipe Herrera-Espaliat

Michael Haddad has been paralyzed from the waist down since he was six-years-old, after a jet ski accident that caused a spinal cord injury. Yet, he hasn’t let that tragic event affect his drive to live life to the fullest.

Christian and Muslim leaders come together on Thursday for a webinar to share their insights on the Pope’s historic visit to Iraq at the beginning of March 2021.

Here is the intervention of His Beatitude Patriarch of Babylon for Chaldeans Cardinal Mar Louis Raphael Sako, Patriarch of Babylon for Chaldeans

Thanks to the Higher committee of Human fraternity for organizing of this virtual meeting. I hope that we will reach a vision and a work plan to implement what H. H. the Pope indicated in his speeches and meetings.

The "Reasons for Our Hope" project, promoted by the Oasis International Foundation and the McGrath Institute for Church Life, aims to help Christians reach “a new understanding of their faith by taking Muslims' questions seriously.”

JERUSALEM - The Latin parish of Jerusalem celebrated on Monday, May 31, 2021, the conclusion of the Marian month, with a Holy Mass and a procession in the Old City of Jerusalem.

Present were Patriarch Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Bishop Boulos Marcuzzo, Bishop Emeritus Kamal Bathish, Fr. Francesco Patton, Custos of the Holy Land…