Upon the invitation of His Holiness Catholicos Aram I of the Armenian Church, Holy See of Cilicia and with the participation of the spiritual leaders and the representatives of the highest bodies of the three Armenian political parties, a special consultative meeting was held at the Catholicosate in Antelias, with the sole agenda of supporting the people of Artsakh.

The attendees were the following: Patriarch of the Armenian Catholic Church and MECC President for the Catholic Family His Beatitude Raphaël Bedros XXI, Acting President of the Union of Armenian Evangelical Churches in the Near East and MECC President for the Evangelical Family Reverend Paul Haidostian, representatives of the highest bodies of Armenian political parties, Hagop Der Khatchadourian (ARF), Dr. Avedis Dakessian (ADL) and Dr. Vazken Hamalian (SDHP), co-chairmen of the Central Committee of the Holy See of Cilicia, Stepan Der-Bedrossian and Krikor Mahserejian, and coordinator of the pan-Armenian conferences of the Catholicosate of Cilicia, Shahan Kandaharian.

His Beatitude Patriarch Theophilos III, Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem, spoke On Tuesday September 12 2023, at the opening ceremony of “Bethlehem Reborn Palestine – The Wonders of the Nativity” exhibition held at the Ecumenical Center of the World Council of Churches (WCC) in Geneva, Switzerland.

“The exhibition shows the renovation of the church building itself and the beauty of the mosaics, the columns, and the different types of tiles and crafted wood. It is of crucial importance that this unique architectural structure be carefully and faithfully preserved, but the basilica is more than a building of historical or artistic interest, and Bethlehem is more than just another city.” With these words His Beatitude started his opening speech as one of the key speakers at this monumental event.

His Holiness Pope Tawadros II, Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of St. Mark, witnessed the closing day of the Logos Leadership Program (L.L.P), which took place at the Papal Residence in Cairo today, Saturday September 9th, 2023.

The closing day activities began with the presentation of five projects that the program participants worked on preparing after dividing them into five teams.

The five projects were diverse and were designed in practical way that can be used during the coming period to serve the Mother Church in Egypt and the world.

During the presentation of their projects, the five teams demonstrated the great benefits they gained during the Logos Leadership Programme.

Jerusalem – The Media Office – The Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem - September 10th, 2023

On the occasion of the beginning of the new school year, the Archbishop of the Episcopal Church, Diocese of Jerusalem, His Eminence Hosam Naoum, visited the Ahliyya and Mutran School on Thursday, August 31st, 2023, where he was welcomed by Dr. Alice Abboud, the General Director of the school, and the staff of the school, in the presence of Her Excellency Mrs. Haifa Najjar, and some members of the board of Directors. His Eminence Bishop Naoum congratulated the students, and the academic and administrative faculties on their achievements and excellence, and wished them a safe and prosperous year.

On Monday, August 29/September 11, 2023, the Commemoration of the Beheading of the Holy Forerunner and Baptist John was held by the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem.

On this day, the Church, drawing from the Gospels, remembers that John the Forerunner was “the greatest among those born of women”, in accordance with the word of the Lord (Luke 7:28), preaching a baptism of repentance in the wilderness of Judea and also baptized the Lord into the Jordan River, (Mark 1, 2-11).

This one scolded Herod because he lived with Herodias, his brother’s wife. Herod imprisoned him, but he was afraid to kill him because the crowd revered John. However, on one of the days, “he made a dinner for his birthday”, to which dinner he invited a magnate and a thousand princes. At this dinner, Salome, the daughter of Herodias, danced and Herod liked her so much that he promised to give her up to half of his kingdom.

On September 6, 2023, during the Suryoyo Youth Gathering – Syria (SYGG), a “Questions and Answers” session was organized with His Holiness Patriarch Mor Ignatius Aphrem II, Patriarch of Antioch and All the East and Supreme Head of the Universal Syriac Orthodox Church.

The youth were given the opportunity to personally ask their spiritual father questions they have about the Church and other topics.

His Holiness answered the questions of the youth about the theology and liturgy of our church, as well as social matters and educational questions that are related to the difficult conditions that the youth are living in.

Mt 18:15-20

In today's passage, (Mt 18:15-20) the act of listening is revealed again as the central idea.

So far, Sunday’s Liturgy has continiously revealed to us the fundamental act of listening to the Word of God, the Word of life. As we have seen, the Word consoles and encourages, but also corrects by speaking the truth, deeply transforming the perspective and the heart of the listener.

In today’s passage, the verb listening returns three times (Mt 18:15,16,17), however, it no longer refers to listening to the Word of God. But listenining to the word of one’s brother, within the community of Jesus' disciples.

The context is one of fragility and sin.

Matthew seems to be saying that the Christian community, like any other community, knows the experience of sin, of fragile and wounded relationships, of relationship problems, the struggle to meet and understand each other: this is a normal part of any coexistence between people.

Mt 16:21-27

Today's Word is a harsh word to behold.

During the past few Sundays, we got used to hearing words of consolation, confirmation, and encouragement. We would expect God to always speak in this way, with words that pave the way.

In today's Gospel (Mt 16:21-27), which is a continuation of last Sunday's Gospel passage, new and different words resound, words that are not easy to accept, such as suffering and death. Also, Jesus rebukes Peter for being an obstacle to him and expresses that one must be willing to deny thyself and lose one's life.

The Word of the Lord also has a bitter taste at times.

On September 4, 2022, His Holiness Patriarch Mor Ignatius Aphrem II, Patriarch of Antioch and All the East and Supreme Head of the Universal Syriac Orthodox Church, officially inaugurated the Suryoyo Youth General Gathering in Syria (SYGG-Syria 2023) at Mor Aphrem Monastery in Maarat Saydnaya – Syria.

On Monday 4 September, His Holiness Pope Tawadros II, Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of St. Mark, held two meetings at the Papal Residence in Cairo, Egypt, with the aim of checking on the conditions of his Sudanese children who came to Egypt due to the tense conditions in Sudan.

His Holiness Pope Tawadros II received a number of Priests from the Dioceses of Khartoum and Omdurman, and was reassured by them about their conditions and the conditions of our Sudanese families in Egypt. His Holiness answered their questions and inquiries in a fatherly spirit, and the fathers thanked His Holiness for his love and care for them and for the Sudanese families in Egypt.

His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the Armenian Church, Holy See of Cilicia, addressed his Pontifical Message on the occasion of the 32nd anniversary of the independence of the Republic of Artsakh, emphasizing the importance of lifting the blockade and supporting its right to self-determination. As a God-given right and a major principle of international law, independence is inviolable for any nation.

The Catholicosate of Cilicia marked Artsakh Independence Day on Sunday, September 3rd, 2023, in Antelias and Bikfaya, Lebanon, with a Requiem Service during the Divine Liturgy for the souls of all those who have fallen on the road to independence, presided over by His Holiness Catholicos Aram I. At St. Gregory the Illuminator Cathedral in Antelias, V. Rev. Fr. Hovagim Panjarjian conducted the Liturgy and delivered a sermon on the occasion.

On August 30, 2023, His Holiness Patriarch Mor Ignatius Aphrem II, Patriarch of Antioch and All the East and Supreme Head of the Universal Syriac Orthodox Church, 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, Syria.

Their Eminences Archbishops: Mor Joseph Bali, Patriarchal Assistant, and Mor Augeen Al-Khoury Nemat, Patriarchal Secretary, were also present.

His Holiness Pope Francis releases his Prayer intention for the month of September, and invites everyone to pray and assist people who live on the margins of society.

By Devin Watkins

“Let us pray for those people on the margins of society in subhuman living conditions, that they may not be neglected by institutions and never be cast out.”

His Holiness Pope Francis launched that invitation on Tuesday as he released his Prayer intention for September 2023, which is for “people living on the margins”.

The Armenian Apostolic Catholicosate, Holy See of Cilicia is glad to announce the publication of the second edition of “St. Nerses the Gracious and Church Unity,” authored by His Holiness Catholicos Aram I, Catholicos of the Armenian Church, Holy See of Cilicia, on the occasion of the 850th commemoration of the Saint.

The first part of the book provides a historical analysis of the 12th-century Cilicia Kingdom in both political and Ecclesial contexts; the Ecumenical relations of the Armenian Church, having St. Nerses the Gracious as a major player, with the Greek Church and the Byzantine Emperor; and his Theological, confessional and Ecumenical positions.

On Monday, August 15/28, 2023, the Feast of the Dormition of the Theotokos was celebrated by the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem in the Holy Shrine of the Dormition of the Theotokos in Gethsemane, where her Tomb is also located.

During this Feast, the Church remembers that the Theotokos, the mother of Life, died and was buried by the Holy Apostles “in the village of Gethsemane” where the “tomb did not endure death”. Her body, which embodied the Lord of glory, was transferred to the heavens by the Lord, who inhabited her immaculate womb and she remained the “unchangeable hope and protection for all ages”.

By: Miral Atik, Nicolawos Hazboun (photos) / lpj.org

Born on January 5th, 1846, in a village near Nazareth called Ibillin. An answered prayer to her parents, after they went on a pilgrimage to Bethlehem, to ask for Our Lady’s intercession for a daughter. Sadly, before she turned three, both of her parents died from an infectious disease. Mariam went to live with a wealthy paternal uncle. Although she was well treated, her intense devotion to Our Lady, and her refusal for marriage, led her to work as a servant. After she was miraculously healed by Our Lady from the wounds inflicted upon her by a man who attempted to kill her for her faith, in June 1867, Mariam finally joined the Carmelites in Pau (France) and chose Sr. Mary of Jesus Crucified, as her religious name.

Mt 16:13-20

“Listening” has been the central lesson highlighted throughout our journey in Matthew’s Gospel, from a Sunday to a Sunday: Listening to the Word on the mountain (Mt 17:1-9), the Word in the storm (Mt 14:22-33) and last Sunday we saw that there is also a Word for the foreign woman, who is also called to finally hear the Word (Mt 15:21-28).

Listening to the Word is also central to today's passage (Mt 16:13-20): We are still in a pagan land, where divinity has many faces, many names, many voices, making it hard to listen.

In this context, Jesus asks his disciples a question to see what they heeded and what they understood about what they heard, how the Word they heard led to knowledge, and specifically to a relationship.

On Sunday, 14/27 August 2023, the service of the Lamentations of the Theotokos was held at the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem.

The service began with the departure of the Holy Sepulchre Brotherhood under their Hegoumen, His Beatitude Patriarch Theophilos III, Greek Orthodox Patriarch of the Holy City of Jerusalem, in procession from the Patriarchate Gate through Via Dolorosa and concluded at the rectory of Gethsemane. The procession was attended by the Consul General of Greece in Jerusalem Mr Evangelos Vlioras and many pilgrims who were chanting the hymns of the Dormition.

After a reception at the rectory, the service of the Lamentations began before the Theotokos Tomb and around the sacred icon of the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos.

After his appointment as Cardinal of the Universal (Catholic) Church by His Holiness Pope Francis on the afternoon of Sunday 9 July 2023, His Beatitude Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, answers many questions in an interview via video made with him on the website of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, and was published on the website on 24 August 2023.

In the interview, His Beatitude Patriarch Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa talks about the meaning of being a Cardinal, and expresses his desire to continue carrying his responsibility as Shepherd of Christ' Parish in the Holy Land, raising the voice of Christians from Jerusalem to the whole world.

The Director of the Holy See Press Office says the second part of the Laudato si' encyclical letter which His Holiness Pope Francis mentioned on Monday will focus on the recent climate crises.

By Vatican News

Speaking off-the-cuff to a delegation of lawyers from member countries of the Council of Europe on Monday 21 August 2023, His Holiness Pope Francis said he was writing a second part of his Laudato si' encyclical to update it to “current issues".

The Pope was expressing his appreciation for the attorneys' commitment to developing a legal framework aimed at protecting the environment.