JENIN – On Monday, July 10th, 2023, His Beatitude Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, accompanied by his delegation, visited the Latin parish of Jenin, to check-up on the Parish, after the end of the Israeli military operation on the camp of Jenin.

The Israeli army withdrew from the city and camp of Jenin on Tuesday, July 4th, 2023, after the end of the military operation that lasted for two days, which was launched for the purpose of pursuing armed resistance fighters. The military operation caused tremendous damage to the city's infrastructure and buildings.

As a result, major damage occurred to the building of the Latin Church in Jenin – Holy Redeemer Church.  A large explosion appeared to have broken out near the Church building, which caused the shattering of the Church’s windows, destruction of the electrical source, as well as damage to the internal and external paint of the building.

The Union of the Armenian Evangelical Churches in the Near East (UAECNE) concluded its three-day, 76th General Assembly on 7 July 2023. As had been previously decided, the format of this year’s meeting was consultative, taking up “Evangelism” as the topic, alongside the business meeting. The theme for the General Assembly was “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me…” (Luke 4.16-21).

Each day began with a worship service, committing the day’s discussions to God. Following this a Bible study on the theme was presented by Rev. Dr. Haroutune Selimian.

Rev. Selimian was also by the 76th General Assembly as the Moderator for the Assembly, with Rev. Jirair Ghazarian as Clerk and Pastor Shant Agishian as Vice-Clerk.

The 76th General Assembly of the Union of the Armenian Evangelical Churches in the Near East (UAECNE) began on Wednesday evening, 5 July 2023 in KCHAG, with a service of Word and Sacrament.

Following registration, the over 40 present - delegates and honorary members - assembled in KCHAG’s chapel for the opening worship service. During the service, led by Rev. Jirair Ghazarian, the congregation heard the sermon of the the Reverend Dr. Paul Haidostian, President of the Union of the Armenian Evangelical Churches in the Near East, President of Haigazian University in Lebanon, and President of the Middle East Council of Churches for the Evangelical Family, about Jesus’ temptation as well as his mission (Luke 4.16-21). In his message he emphasized how the book of God’s Word was handed to Jesus, and how Jesus opened it and used it to describe his life of service. Rev. Haidostian called Armenian Evangelicals to do as their forbears did and open their Bibles and in it find the meaning of their mission.

Mt 11:25-30

To enter this Sunday's Gospel passage (Mt 11:25-30), I would like to take a step back and return to the beginning of the "missionary discourse," where we saw that Jesus was moved by the crowd because he saw the people tired and exhausted (Mt 9:36). We had noticed that they were tired and exhausted because they had no reference, no guidance, no relationship, that gave foundation and security to life.

Today, we also find terms that speak of fatigue and weariness: Jesus is addressing all those who are tired and oppressed (Mt 11:28), and thus He seems to want to tell us that this experience of debilitation and fatigue is part of daily life, of every man's experience.

The term fatigue, in fact, resonates in the Bible from the very first pages: after sin, God meets man again and speaks to him of fatigue and pain (Gen. 3:16-19), experiences that entered the world at the precise moment when man stopped trusting God; we could say that fatigue became part of human experience, when man no longer knew God as Father, as a companion on the road, as a good and reliable presence.

The Holy Synod convened today, Monday, July 10, 2023, at the Jerusalem Patriarchate’s headquarters chaired by His Beatitude Patriarch Theophilos III, Greek Orthodox Patriarch of the Holy City of Jerusalem.

At the start of the meeting, His Beatitude mentioned the blessed Archimandrite Philotheus, and touched on his dedicated service and sincerity since he was a young man, especially his service and zeal from the moment he was appointed Patriarchal Vicar in the Archdiocese of Ptolemais in Acre.

His Beatitude Patriarch Theophilos III added that the late Archimandrite Philotheus devoted himself to the service of the Orthodox parish, he was a teacher of Byzantine music, and worked to build relations of love and peace between all religious denominations. For this reason, he was loved and respected by all. The scene of large crowds attending his funeral in the city of Acre and the region spoke volumes. Therefore, His Beatitude asked members of the Holy Synod to observe a minute of silence in memory of their late brother.

The diocese of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem,

the Bishops, Priests, and Faithful, convey their warmest congratulations to

His Beatitude Patriarch Pierbattista Pizzaballa

Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem

on his elevation to the rank of Cardinal

as announced by His Holiness Pope Francis, on Sunday, July 9th, 2023

Following the aggression on the region of Jenin, Archbishop Hosam Naoum, Anglican Archbishop in Jerusalem, condemns these violent acts.

Reacting to the Israeli operation on Jenin refugee camp, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, His Beatitude Pierbattista Pizzaballa, warns there will be many more victims if the issue of Palestinian self-determination with their own State is not resolved.

By Michele Raviart

"Once again, it is not the first, and unfortunately, I fear, it will not be the last time, we are witnessing a military operation in northern Samaria, in the Jenin Refugee Camp, intent on striking some cells of Palestinian resistance, armed resistance."

With these words, His Beatitude Patriarch Pierbattista Pizzaballa, in an interview with Vatican News, describes the violence that broke out in Jenin, after the sudden Israeli military operation that began Monday.

Following the aggression on the city of Jenin, the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem Prays for peace in the Holy Land.

The Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem sent an appeal this morning, July 4, to the international community and the forces concerned with the cause of peace in the Holy Land, asking them to work to stop the attack on the city of Jenin and its camp, and to put an end to violence and bloodshed based on the values ​​of peace and justice proclaimed by the Abrahamic religions.

In the statement, the Patriarchate stressed that the world is witnessing today an alarming escalation of violence and bloodshed in our region, and that the world, with great regret, is silently witnessing the continued violation of human rights and the targeting of innocent civilians, and that this painful reality requires everyone to take urgent action to prevent further human losses and suffering.

Following the new aggression on the city of Jenin, His Beatitude Patriarch Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, condemned these violent acts in a statement in which he said:

“In the past two days, the city of Jenin has been subject to unprecedent Israeli aggression, which also caused a lot of damage to our Latin Parish in Jenin. We condemn this violence, demand a ceasefire, and hope for the pursuit of peace and dialogue to prevent other future unjustified attacks on the population.”

His Holiness Pope Tawadros II witnessed, on the evening of Tuesday 4 July 2023, a ceremony honoring the graduates of the Saint Didymus Institute for Choirs in Cairo, which was held at St. Rwis Theater in St. Mark’s Cathedral in Abbaseya, eGYPT, which is organized by the institute in coordination with St. Athanasius Theological College in Los Angeles, according to the cooperation agreement signed between the college and the institute.

The choir teams lined up on the stairs of the theater building and sang hymns in the reception of His Holiness the Pope, who was keen to take memorial photos with them.

While the chorus of deacons of the Didymus Institute led the procession of His Holiness during his entry into the theater hall, singing the melodies of welcoming the Patriarch.

With the blessing of His Holiness Catholicos Aram I, Catholicos of the Armenian Church of Cilicia, the “Shornali” choir of the Catholicosate of Cilicia performed on the occasion of its 50th anniversary with a repertoire of Armenian patriotic songs, under the direction of V. Rev. Fr. Zaven Najarian, on Sunday evening, July 2nd, 2023, in Lebanon.

The choir was accompanied by pianist Hampig Mardirossian and the “Cilicia” band. Shnorhali members: Ghazar Keoshgerian; Hovig Tafranian; and Arman Der Bedrossian performed solo songs.

His Holiness Pope Tawadros II, Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of St. Mark, arrived – by the grace of God – at the Papal Residence in St. Mark’s Cathedral in Abbaseya, Egypt, on the evening of Sunday 2 July 2023, coming from his residence in King Mariout in Alexandria, after recovering from the seventh nerve inflammation that H.H. was exposed to about a month ago.

Their Eminences Metropolitans and Bishops received His Holiness Pope Tawadros II very warmly, as they were waiting for His Holiness in the outer courtyard of the Residence, and they headed together to the main reception hall at the Residence.

The 28th anniversary of His Holiness Catholicos Aram I’s election and consecration as Catholicos of the Armenian Church, Holy See of Cilicia, was marked at Antelias, as well as in all local Churches under the jurisdiction of the Holy See of Cilicia, on Sunday, July 2nd, 2023.

His Holiness Catholicos Aram I presided over the Divine Liturgy celebrated At St. Gregory the Illuminator Cathedral in Antelias, during which H.E. Arch. Nareg Alemezian delivered a Sermon. Arch. Nareg recited Psalms 5:1-12 “Give ear to my words, O LORD, Consider my meditation” and on behalf of the brotherhood and the faithful asked God’s blessings on His Holiness Aram I so that he can continue serving the Church and its people, he also briefly underlined the key aspects of His Holiness’ Service, life and legacy thus far.

Following the Divine Liturgy, the Pontifical Procession proceeded to the main atrium of the Catholicosate, where a small celebration was prepared by the seminarians. Here, V. Rev. Fr. Shnorhk Ashekian delivered a speech.

His Beatitude Patriarch John X, Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, and President of the Middle East Council of Churches for the Orthodox Family, presided over the Vespers of Saints Peter and Paul, founders of the See of Antioch, at the Vision of Saint Paul the Apostle Patriarchal Monastery in Tal Kawkab, Rural Damascus, Syria, on Wednesday 28 June 2023. During the Prayer, His Beatitude Patriarch John X delivered a speech, that you can watch and listen to in Arabic in the video, which was already published on the Facebook Page of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch and All the East.

By: Miral Atik/ lpj.org

JORDAN – Since the beginning of the year 2023, JEC Jordan (Christian Youth of Jordan) held their monthly meetings, youth camps, two worship evenings, and met with several Knights and Dames of the Order of the Holy Sepulcher.

“We should not stay away from our assembly…, but encourage one another, and this all the more as you see the day drawing near” (Heb 10:25).

As the later verse portrays, it is crucial for the body of Christ to meet; Gather in unity; And pray. It is spiritually vital for the youth to gather, meditate on the Word, be surrounded with the assembly of believers and priests, who provide them with guidance and encouragement to walk in the faith. As well as, receiving life skills from professionals about certain topics they might be facing challenges in.

By: The Historical Archives Office at the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem

Since October 2022, the Historical Archives Office at the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem has been working in partnership with the Bibliothèque nationale de France (BNF) to publish all the archived periodicals of the Latin Patriarchate on Gallica, which is an online library, free of charge. It is an important tool for researchers, as it hosts many books and documents that have been digitized and referenced in a database.

From His Beatitude Patriarch Pierbattista Pizzaballa

His Beatitude Patriarch Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, issued a letter in which he presented Pastoral advices to those approaching the Sacrament of Marriage. You can find the full text of the letter.

With the blessing and presence of His Beatitude Patriarch John X, Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, and President of the Middle East Council of Churches for the Orthodox family, the conference of the Saint Irenaeus Joint Orthodox - Catholic Working Group was held at the Saint John of Damascus Institute of Theology at the University of Balamand, Lebanon, between Wednesday 22 and Sunday 25 June 2023. As the media of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch and All the East mentioned, the opening session was attended by His Beatitude, the President of the University of Balamand Dr. Elias Warrak, the Dean of the Saint John of Damascus Institute of Theology Archimandrite Jack Khalil, the Director of Our Lady of Balamand Patriarchal Monastery - Archimandrite George Yacoub, and a group of the Institute’s Professors. It is noteworthy that the main title of these sessions was "In Search of Unity: Re-reading the Balamand Document After 30 Years."

His Beatitude Patriarch John X delivered a welcoming speech to the members of the group, in which he reviewed the challenges facing the Church of Antioch and emphasized the mission and role of the Church of Antioch and the importance of dialogue in building bridges.

You can find below the text of the speech, as it was published on the Facebook Page of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch and All the East.