The Helping Hand Association of the National Evangelical Church of Beirut Celebrates the Meaning of Love on the Occasion of Saint Valentine's Day

In the presence of Reverend Dr. Habib Badr, President of the National Evangelical Union in Lebanon, and Honorary President of the Middle East Council of Churches, the Helping Hand Association of the National Evangelical Church of Beirut held its monthly meeting on February 15 at Charles Saad Hall in Beirut, during which the participants celebrated the meaning of love on the occasion of Saint Valentine's day.

The meeting started with a Prayer by Reverend Linda Maktabi, Spiritual Meditation, Bible Reading, and Hymns. Afterwards, Dr. George Haddad (Church Council Member) made a very creative audio-visual presentation expounding on the secular and Christian meaning of the feast of Saint Valentine from a historical perspective. The meeting ended with a time of fellowship.

Presided by His Holiness Catholicos Aram I, Catholicos of the Armenian Church, Holy See of Cilicia, and Honorary President of the Middle East Council of Churches, the Eve of the Feast of the Presentation of Our Lord Jesus Christ to the Temple (Diaruntarach) was solemnly celebrated on Tuesday, February 13th, 2024, at St. Gregory the Illuminator Cathedral in Antelias, Lebanon. During the special Service, Antasdan (Blessing of the Four Corners of the World), presenting the children to the altar for blessing, and the traditional bonfire took place.

Following the Service, His Holiness Catholicos Aram I addressed the faithful, emphasizing the significance of presenting Baby Jesus to the temple and the importance of preserving traditions. He underscored how traditions contribute to a nation's self-understanding and encouraged Armenian families to uphold these age-old traditions…

Fasting Amidst Challenges

Below you can find a Pastoral Letter on the occasion of the Holy Lent 2024 from His Eminence Archbishop Hosam Naoum, the Anglican Archbishop in Jerusalem, and the Primate of the Episcopal Province of Jerusalem and the Middle East, entitled "Fasting Amidst Challenges".

On February 11, 2024, His Holiness Patriarch Mor Ignatius Aphrem II, Patriarch of Antioch and All the East and Supreme Head of the Universal Syriac Orthodox Church, and Honorary President of the Middle East Council of Churches, attended an official reception held in his honor at the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church in Trivandrum, India.

His Eminence Mor Baselius Cardinal Cleemis, Major Archbishop and Catholicos of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church held the reception where he welcomed His Holiness and spoke about the historical presence of our Syriac Orthodox Church in India. He appreciated the role of His Holiness Patriarch Mor Ignatius Aphrem II and his leadership for the Church.

JERICHO - From February 12th, until February 13th, 2024, His Beatitude Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, visited the Parish of Jericho, Palestine, during which he prayed with the faithful, listened to their needs, and strengthened them in their faith amidst these difficult circumstances.

On Sunday morning, Father Mario Hadcheti, Parish Priest of Jericho, along with the Parish Council, and the children of the parish, welcomed His Beatitude Patriarch Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa and the delegation accompanying him at the churchyard, saying: "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord." His Beatitude put on his stole and blessed everyone with the Holy Water before presiding over a Mass in celebration of the World Day of the Sick.

In his Homily, His Beatitude Patriarch Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa first thanked the priests, nuns, and parishioners for receiving him with a warm welcome, and said: "Amid this difficult time, I have decided to make several pastoral visits to be near my parishioners. Right before coming to you, I was at the parish of Ain Arik.

(Mk 1: 40-45)

In last Sunday's Gospel reading, we witnessed the healing of Simon's mother-in-law. Once healed of her fever, she goes to serve her guests. Hence, bringing to completion the work of healing and salvation that Jesus had begun in her (Mk 1:31): the ripe fruit of the encounter with the Lord is not a return to her former life, but a new beginning, to be precise, it's a conversion (cf. Mk 1:15), to be granted new life through salvation. 

We can draw a parallel with the events in today's Gospel (Mk 1:40-45): Jesus heals again, this time, a man stricken with leprosy, and asks Jesus for a new beginning, which is granted to him through the order to go to the priest and offer what the Law prescribed to attest to the healing.

This might sound like something very different from what happened to Peter's mother-in-law.

In fact, it is not.

The man, sick with leprosy, was a man excluded from worship, relationships, and the life of the people of [Israel]. From the Law, he had to observe only the rules that decreed his exclusion…

On February 10, 2024, His Holiness Patriarch Mor Ignatius Aphrem II, Patriarch of Antioch and All the East and Supreme Head of the Universal Syriac Orthodox Church, and Honorary President of the Middle East Council of Churches, visited His Excellency Mr. Pinarayi Vijayan, Chief Minister of Kerala, India, at his residence.

Their Eminences Archbishops: Mor Gregorius Joseph, Metropolitan Trustee and Metropolitan of Cochin Diocese, Mor Theophilose Kuriakose, Metropolitan of the Malankara Syrian Orthodox Theological Seminary and Metropolitan of the Malankara Churches in Europe, Mor Christophoros Markose Abraham, Patriarchal Secretary for the Affairs of the Church in India, and Mor Augeen Al-Khoury Nemat, Patriarchal Secretary, accompanied His Holiness in the visit.

A Special Spiritual Journey Towards Easter – Resurrection – Peace

Easter – “crossing over” is the main focus of our Christian faith, which imprints the life of Jesus Christ in His suffering, death, and resurrection, with the Christian’s journey in living with Christ and incorporating into Him. The spirituality of participating in the Paschal Sacrament is the only way to change everything with hope and confidence, as well as ending wars and achieving peace.

At the beginning of creation, everything was going smoothly towards God in “the center”. However, due to fluctuations in human nature, he was dragged easily by his freedom into wrong choices, resulted in unexpected deviations, by turning his back on God, in attempt to be separated from the Creator (Eve and Adam’s stance and the prodigal son, Luke chapter 15). Consequently, humankind was unable to overcome his instincts, desires, and ambitions, so his heart hardened (Cain killed his brother Abel). Since then, evil has been in control, in all its forms: violence, war, murdering, destruction, corruption, violation of human rights, and despise its legitimate aspirations.

Today, the situation seems exceptionally more complicated, and the situation is moving from bad to worse, especially in our region. Due to the abandon of human and religious values, our world is in a state of chaos, loss of balance, instability of the global system and uncertainty of the “scales” of power, this might include: Internal divisions for the sake of power and money; external interferences for political and economic interests, the spread of terrorist operations, and wars here and there, especially in the land of Jesus and in Ukraine; according to the rule: either we rule or we kill.

Responsible Individuals from Armenian Evangelical Churches and Institutions Gathers to Learn About the Armenian Evangelical Digital Archive Project

In the presence of Reverend Dr. Paul Haidostian, the Acting 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, responsible individuals from Armenian Evangelical churches and institutions gathered on Saturday morning, 10 February 2024, in the Headquarters of the Union of the Armenian Evangelical Churches in the Near East (UAECNE) to learn about the Armenian Evangelical digital archive project as well as to begin their participation in it.

At the initiative of the UAECNE Reverend Vicken Cholakian, pastor of the Armenian Evangelical Church of Athens (Kokkinia), and Community Head of the Armenian Evangelical Church of Greece, flew to Beirut for this mission, to explain the project’s purpose and action plan.

His Holiness Catholicos Aram I Presides Over the Divine Liturgy on the Occasion at St. Gregory the Illuminator Cathedral in Antelias, Lebanon

As one of the earliest battles for Christianity, the Battle of Avarayr in 451 played a crucial role in defending Armenians' faith. St. Vartan Mamigonian, leading the Armenian army against the larger Sassanid Persian Army, symbolizes the unwavering commitment of the Armenian people to their religious beliefs. The Feast of Saint Vartan and his companions is annually observed on the Thursday of the eighth week before Easter.

On Thursday, February 8th, 2024, His Holiness Catholicos Aram I, Catholicos of the Armenian Church, Holy See of Cilicia, and Honorary President of the Middle East Council of Churches, presided over the Divine Liturgy commemorating the Feast of St. Vartan and his companions at St. Gregory the Illuminator Cathedral in Antelias, Lebanon. The Liturgy was conducted by His Eminence Arch Gomidas Ohanian, who also delivered a Sermon.

Following the Service, a celebration organized by the Seminarians took place in the atrium of the Catholicosate, attended by the faithful. The celebration featured national songs honoring the Feast.

The Azounieh Women’s Auxiliary Committee (“ADOM” in Armenian) paid its first official visit to Reverend Dr. Paul Haidostian, the Acting 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, on 5 February 2024. Aside from getting acquainted, the purpose of the visit was to discuss the recent activities and future efforts of “ADOM”.

In this friendly gathering Reverend Dr. Paul Haidostian offered his encouraging support for the plans of “ADOM” for the betterment of the Armenian Sanatorium. Together the group and Reverend Dr. Haidostian exchanged ideas and practical suggestions.

Reverend Dr. Habib Badr, President of the National Evangelical Union in Lebanon, and Honorary President of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), presided over the Sunday Service, on Sunday 4 February 2024, at the National Evangelical Church in Beirut. During the Service, Reverend Dr. Habib Badr delivered a Sermon which you can listen to it by clicking here.

On the first commemoration of the devastating earthquake that struck the North of the Antiochian Levant, a Divine Liturgy was made on the ruins of the Church of Saints Peter and Paul in Antioch.

First Day of the Pastoral Visit With the Blessings and Directives of His Beatitude Beatitude Patriarch John X

February 2, 2024,

With the blessings and directives of His Beatitude 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, His Grace Arsanios Dahdal, Bishop of Hierapolis and Patriarchal Auxiliary Bishop, conducted the Feast of the Presentation of our Lord in the Temple at the Archangels Michael and Gabriel Cathedral in Mersin in the morning of the Feast day, and on the first anniversary of the earthquake.

His Grace Arsanios Dahdal conveyed to the faithful the love, blessings, and condolences of His Beatitude, and the Trisagion prayers were offered for the repose of the souls of those who perished in the earthquake.

On January 22 and 23, 2024, The Gulf Churches Fellowship (GCF) convened its annual meeting in Dubai, with the participation of V. Rev. Fr. Bedros Manuelian, Pontifical Vicar of Kuwait, representing the Armenian Church, Holy See of Cilicia.

Notably, His Holiness Catholicos Aram I, Catholicos of the Armenian Church, Holy See of Cilicia, addressed the conference on the first day, when he was visiting the Diocese of the UAE on a Pontifical visit at the time.

The meeting ended with the election of a new executive committee for the next two years, including His Grace Bishop Mesrob Sarkissian, Prelate of the UAE and Qatar.

Marking the 5th anniversary of the Document on Human Fraternity His Holiness Pope Francis highlights how the absence of fraternal solidarity in today’s world causes environmental destruction and social degradation and he calls on society to spread the values of social friendship embodied by the three winners of the Zayed Prize 2024, all "inspired by religious beliefs."

By Alessandro Di Bussolo and Felipe Herrera-Espaliat - Abu Dhabi

"If it is encouraging to see that the path of dialogue, friendship, and mutual esteem which began in Abu Dhabi five years ago continues to bear fruit," in many parts of the world, the effects of "lack of fraternal solidarity" cause "environmental destruction" and "social degradation" that lead to "immense suffering for a large number of our brothers and sisters." It is essential, therefore, to "draw attention to the principles that can guide humanity through the dark shadows of injustice, hatred, and war into the brightness of a world community marked by those values that we see manifest in the varied efforts of this year’s awardees.“

On February 5, 2024, His Holiness Patriarch Mor Ignatius Aphrem II, Patriarch of Antioch and All the East and Supreme Head of the Universal Syriac Orthodox Church, and MECC Honorary President, presided over the Holy Synod of the Malankara Orthodox Church in India.

‏Their Eminences the Metropolitans, members of the Holy Regional Synad in India were also present.

JORDAN - On Friday, February 2nd, 2023, on the feast day of the Patron Saint of the youth, St. John Bosco, the General Secretariat of the Christian youth in Jordan held a celebratory meeting for the university and working ages, titled "Messengers of light and peace".

At the beginning of the day, they celebrated Mass, which was presided over by Fr. Wajdi Twal, the spiritual guide of the youth. In his Homily, being moved by the Divine Sacrifice of the Lord, he spoke of the importance of each person's role in making a difference in the life of those around them, to fulfill the dream of Saint John Bosco, who is always present with the youth, accompanying them in their suffering and pain amidst the troubles of this life. He said: "The Christian youth's role in our world is to shine their light, by fulfilling their vocation, as well as mission, and conquering the world with God's love". During the Mass, the new members of the General Secretariat were appointed to take on the responsibilities of managing the youth's activities in 2024. They made a public declaration and promised to serve the youth with integrity, and honesty, to the best of their ability.

GALILEE - On Sunday, February 4th, 2024, His Beatitude Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, presided over the Annual Mass at the Church of the Beatitudes of the Franciscan Sisters for the Feast of the Beatitudes. Concelebrating were Mgr Youssef Matta, Greek Melkite Archbishop of Galilee; H.E. Mgr. Musa Al-Hajj, bishop of the Archieparchy of Haifa and the Holy Land for the Maronites; Mgr Giacinto Boulos Marcuzzo; Mgr Piotr Przyborek, Auxiliary bishop of Gdansk - Poland; in addition to a group of priests and the Redemptoris Mater Seminary students.

Despite the rainy weather and the relatively small-sized church, many faithful from various parishes of Northern Galilee came and gathered in the corridors of the monastery and the church, to pray on this blessed feast day and ask the Lord, who taught multitudes on this same mountain they stand upon, to grant this Holy Land peace and stability. 

In his message for Lent 2024, His Holiness Pope Francis invites the faithful to “pause” for prayer and to assist our brothers and sisters in need, in order to change our own lives and the lives of our communities.

By Christopher Wells

“When our God reveals Himself, His message is always one of freedom,” His Holiness Pope Francis says in the opening of his Message to the faithful for Lent 2024.

Recalling the Exodus of the Hebrew people from Egypt, the Holy Father explains that our journey through the desert can be a season of grace – not an abstract journey, but a concrete path that involves seeing the world as it is and hearing the cries of our oppressed brothers and sisters.