“Vartan Mamigonian was one who understood that one cannot serve two masters” (Matt. 6.24). On the occasion of Lebanon’s joint Armenian Evangelical Worship Service this year, the Sermon was given by Reverend Jirair Ghazarian on the topic “The Battle for Continuation of Life”. He exhorted the congregation, saying, “No one can rob you of your (spirit’s) harmony once you have offered it to Christ.”

The Armenian Evangelical Emmanuel Church hosted this Worship Service on the morning of 12 Feb. 2026, with the participation of several Armenian Evangelical Pastors.

During the Service Pastor George Sahili read a selection from “Vartan’s Exhortation”, 12th grade student Alice Arslanian from the Armenian Evangelical Central High School recited V. Tekeyan’s “Khorhourt Vartanants”, and that school’s music teacher, Mr. Ghazar Keoshkerian, sang “Lrets, Amberuh”.

As Lent begins, His Holiness Pope Leo XIV says that ashes remind us of “the weight of a world that is ablaze, of entire cities destroyed by war.”

His Holiness Pope Leo XIV reflected on repentance, community, and death this evening, as he presided over Ash Wednesday Mass in Rome’s Basilica of Saint Sabina.

The ashes the attendees were about to receive on their forehands, he said, remind us of “the weight of a world that is ablaze, of entire cities destroyed by war.”

The state of the world, His Holiness Pope Leo XIV stressed, asks us on this Ash Wednesday “to call death for what it is, and to carry its marks within us”.

During his weekly General Audience, His Holiness Pope Leo XIV reflects on Vatican II's Dogmatic Constitution 'Lumen gentium,' emphasizing that the Church 'is the mystery made perceptible' and is a sign of reconciliation in the midst of a fragmented humanity.

"The Church is the mystery made perceptible," His Holiness Pope Leo XIV expressed during his weekly Wednesday General Audience this morning, Ash Wednesday, in the Vatican, as he continued his catechesis series on the Second Vatican Council.

This week, he concentrated on the Dogmatic Constitution Lumen gentium on the Church, after having spent recent weeks reflecting on the Council's Dogmatic Constitution Dei Verbum on Divine Revelation.

On February 19, 2026, His Holiness Patriarch Mor Ignatius Aphrem II, Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, Supreme Head of the Syriac Orthodox Church of the World, and Honorary President of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), met with His Eminence Archbishop Mor Malatius Malke Malke, Patriarchal Vicar of Australia and New Zealand, and the Clergy of the Syriac Orthodox Parishes in Melbourne.

His Eminence Archbishop Mor Augeen Al-Khoury Nemat, Patriarchal Secretary, was also present.

In accordance with the tradition of the Armenian Theological Seminary of the Catholicosate of the Holy See of Cilicia, the first day of Great Lent is observed through the celebration of the seven canonical services of the Church, accompanied by spiritual reflection sessions held throughout the day with the participation of the seminarians.

Following the proclamation of His Holiness Catholicos Aram I, Catholicos of the Armenian Church, Holy See of Cilicia, and Honorary President of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), declaring 2026 as the “Year of the Renewal of Spiritual Life,” this year’s day of spiritual recollection took place at the Catholicosate in Antelias - Lebanon, on Monday, February 17, 2026, with the participation of the Cilician Brotherhood, the seminarians, and members of the faculty.

On Sunday, February 15, 2026, in celebration of the Feast of Poun Paregentan (the Eve of the Great Lent), His Holiness Catholicos Aram I, Catholicos of the Armenian Church, Holy See of Cilicia, and Honorary President of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), received the Cathedral’s Sunday School family, headed by Director Janine Tanielian, in the atrium of the Catholicosate.

Poun Paregentan, which means “Good Living,” celebrates the joy and abundance of Eden and serves as a transition to Great Lent, inviting the faithful to forty days of repentance, prayer, and fasting. Traditionally, the feast is celebrated with festive meals, masquerades, music, dancing, and games.

On February 17, 2026, His Holiness Patriarch Mor Ignatius Aphrem II, Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, Supreme Head of the Syriac Orthodox Church of the World, and Honorary President of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), arrived to Melbourne in a pastoral visit to the parishes.

His Holiness was received at Melbourne International Airport by His Eminence Archbishop Mor Malatius Malki Malki, Patriarchal Vicar of Australia and New Zealand, as well as the priests of the parishes in Melbourne.

His Holiness is accompanied by His Eminence Archbishop Mor Augeen Al-Khoury Nemat, Patriarchal Secretary.

By the mercy of God Almighty

His Beatitude Patriarch John X

Patriarch of Antioch and All the East

to

My brothers, Pastors of the Holy Church of Antioch

My sons and daughters, everywhere across this Apostolic See

Dear brothers and beloved spiritual children,

At the threshold of the holy Forty Days, the Church stops by. Through the preparatory Sundays that precede Great Lent, she calls us to become a bridal chamber for the heavenly Bridegroom, Christ our God. At the threshold of this Forty-Day Lent, the Church stops by and sets before our eyes that God wants us to be a chamber adorned with the humility of the Publican, the repentance of the Prodigal Son, with care for our brother in humanity, and with longing for the Paradise that was lost through pride and arrogance.

With the preparatory Sundays that precede Great Lent, the Church guides our steps and calls us to cast off the pride of the Pharisee and to imitate the humility of the Publican in the Gospel parable. She calls us to knock at the door of God’s compassion with the modesty of the Publican and with his confession of sin, not with the insolence of the Pharisee who exalted himself even before God. In the same spirit, she leads us to contemplate the parable of the Prodigal Son who departed from God and lived in sin. Yet the bitterness of sin restored within him the sweetness of living in his Heavenly Father’s house. His Father, in turn, opened to him the arms of compassion. From these two Gospel parables, she then leads us to hear the voice of the Judge on this Sunday: “For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in, naked, and ye clothed me. I was sick, and ye visited me; I was in prison, and ye came unto me.” It is as though she is telling us that God desires mercy more than all other rites and practices. From these Sundays, she appears to us on the final Sunday to address the Paradise lost by Adam, lost by each one of us, as if to say: “Return, O human, to the paradise of your soul, which you find first and foremost in the sweetness and peace of Christ. Make of yourself a bride for that heavenly Bridegroom, who refuses to dwell except in souls ruled by humility, inhabited by repentance, and in which mercy is manifested in deeds and not merely in words…

We extend our apostolic benediction, benevolent prayers, and greetings to our brethren, His Beatitude Mor Baselius Joseph, Catholicos of India, and their Eminences the Metropolitans; our spiritual children: Very Reverend Corepiscopoi, Reverend priests, monks, nuns, deacons, and the entire blessed Syriac Orthodox people throughout the world. May the divine providence embrace them through the intercession of the Virgin Mary, Mother of God, and St. Peter, Chief of the Apostles, and the rest of the Martyrs and Saints. Amen.

“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Psalm 119: 105)

The Sacred Scripture in the Life of the Church and the Faithful

Dearly beloved in Christ,

The word of God has accompanied the Church throughout her entire journey, sustaining her faith, shaping her worship, and empowering her witness. Radiant like the star of the East, it guides believers through the course of time, remaining the living and authoritative source that illumines the Church’s path. As the prophet David, the psalmist, proclaims: “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” (Psalm 119:105)

As times change and the world evolves rapidly, people today are overwhelmed by an abundance of information, whereby the capacity to discern between right and wrong is increasingly weakened. In this context, the soul’s longing is renewed for a true and faithful word that touches the spirit, penetrates the depths of the heart, and restores meaning to life…

His Holiness Pope Leo XIV travels to the Roman seaside district of Ostia to visit the Parish of St. Mary Queen of Peace and meets with children, young people, and elderly. During Mass, he stresses that the sign of an authentic Christian community is when 'welcome' is more than a word, but “a spirit—opening the door to everyone.”

By Salvatore Cernuzio

On the Sunday before the start of the Lenten season, the Roman neighborhood of Ostia welcomed His Holiness Pope Leo XIV in the afternoon. He arrived around 3:45 p.m. for his visit to the parish—the first of five Sunday stops leading up to Easter.

The Pope was greeted by the Cardinal Vicar Baldo Reina and the parish priest, Fr. Giovanni Patané. The crowd area around the parish was filled with people, greeting the Pope in a place marked by the spiritual legacy of Saint Augustine and his mother, Saint Monica.

Ahead of the start of Lent, His Holiness Pope Leo XIV invites Catholics to open ourselves to listening, fasting, and community, urging us to abstain from words of hatred in order to make space for words of hope and peace.

“I would like to invite you to a very practical and frequently unappreciated form of abstinence: that of refraining from words that offend and hurt our neighbor.”

His Holiness Pope Leo XIV made that invitation at the heart of his message for Lent 2026, which was released on Friday.

As Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, February 18, the Pope said this liturgical season offers Christians an opportunity to place the mystery of God back at the center of our lives.

It is rare for people to live without experiencing estrangement. Estrangement is moving from one’s place of birth to other places. It may be short or long, temporary or permanent. It may be voluntary or forced, or in search of a better place, better education, better work, or a better position.

We read about estrangement in Holy Scripture, and how many prophets lived as strangers and journeyed from one place to another, such as Abraham, the father of the fathers. We also read about the Holy Family, who lived as strangers in the land of Egypt for more than three years…

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
May the Lord give you peace!

With the beginning of Lent, the Church invites us to set out on a shared journey of prayer, penance, and conversion, a journey that will lead us to the beating heart of our faith: the solemnity of Easter. This time of grace is a precious opportunity to purify our hearts, renew our faith, and reorient our lives toward God. It is not merely a time of abstinence, but a call to rediscover the true meaning of our existence, to return to that first love who embraced us at Baptism.

In our diocese, and particularly in Jerusalem, the city that preserves the living memory of the Passion, Death, and Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, this spiritual journey gains a unique and deeply felt meaning. In the Holy Land, where the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, we are called to retrace with steadfastness the footsteps of the Savior, so we can enter more fully into the mystery of His redeeming love, and respond to His invitation to walk after Him…

'AI is a tool, not a voice': This World Radio Day, Vatican Radio celebrates its 95th anniversary with seven multilingual programs dedicated to the future of radio.

On 13 February 2026, on the occasion of World Radio Day (WRD), Radio Vaticana – Vatican News has organised a special initiative in seven languages with seven radio programs that will become themed podcasts dedicated to the future of radio, public service, innovation, and the relationship between media, society, and artificial intelligence.

The initiative comes the day after the 95th birthday of the Radio of the Popes: 12 February 2026. Founded in 1931 at the behest of His Holiness Pope Pius XI and created by the father of radio, Guglielmo Marconi, the Pope’s broadcaster is one of the oldest in the world, born to connect the Holy See with every part of the planet and to speak to diverse peoples, cultures, and languages.

At the initiative of His Holiness Catholicos Aram I, Catholicos of the Armenian Church, Holy See of Cilicia, and Honorary President of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), special courses on Artificial Intelligence (AI) have been launched for the members of the Cilician Brotherhood at the Catholicosate of the Holy See of Cilicia in Antelias, Lebanon.

Taking into consideration the steadily expanding development and application of technology, His Holiness Catholicos Aram I places particular importance on this field—not only in terms of its proper use, but also by examining and evaluating it from an ethical perspective. Guided by this approach, approximately two months ago, during his Pontifical Visit to the United States, His Holiness visited Silicon Valley—widely regarded as the global center of technological innovation—and held a full day of meetings with senior executives and experts from various technological sectors and companies.

On Friday, 6 February 2026, His Holiness Catholicos Aram I, Catholicos of the Armenian Church, Holy See of Cilicia, and Honorary President of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), received His Eminence Archbishop Mor Clemis Daniel Kourieh, Syriac Orthodox Archbishop of Beirut, and Member of the Executive Committee of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), and His Eminence Archbishop Mor Yostinos Paulos Safar, Patriarchal Vicar of the Archdiocese of Zahle and the Bekaa in Mount Lebanon, of the Syriac Orthodox Church.

On behalf of 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 (MECC), the Archbishops discussed with His Holiness Catholicos Aram I a number of Ecumenical relations, seeking his views and reflections.

His Holiness Pope Leo XIV releases a message to mark the 12th World Day against Human Trafficking, and pledges the Catholic Church’s commitment to confront and bring an end to this “grave crime against humanity.”

On the 12th World Day of Prayer and Awareness against Human Trafficking, His Holiness Pope Leo XIV has condemned the scourge of modern slavery, which has taken even more disturbing forms in our online societies.

In his message for the World Day, marked on Sunday, February 8, the Pope renewed the Church’s “urgent call to confront and bring an end to this grave crime against humanity.”

He focused on the Risen Christ’s greeting “Peace be with you,” saying these words offer “a path toward a renewed humanity.”

The Gender Justice Ministry at the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land (ELCJHL) held a second workshop to discuss the forthcoming research study about the impacts of the war on Gaza, particularly on women and children. The latest discussion with local experts and leaders was held at Al Quds Open University in Ramallah.

The workshop was opened with remarks by University President Dr. Ibrahim Al-Shaer, Bishop Dr. Imad Haddad, ELCJHL Bishop, and Palestinian Minister of Women’s Affairs Mrs. Mona Al-Khalili. All three speakers emphasized the importance of gender justice and efforts like this to protect vulnerable groups in society during times of war and conflict. The draft study was then presented by Judge Scarlet Bishara of the ELCJHL Ecclesiastical Court and Judge Somoud Damiri of the Sharia Court. This study was developed with the support of the Sawasya Programme, as part of ongoing efforts to enhance access to justice and strengthen evidence-based knowledge…

Mt 5: 13-16

Today's Gospel passage (Mt 5:13–16) begins with a pronoun: you.
“You are the salt of the earth…You are the light of the world” (Mt 5:13).

It is the same pronoun with which the passage we heard last Sunday, that of the Beatitudes, had ended. In fact, that passage concluded precisely with these words: “Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you....Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven” (Mt 5:11–12).

After speaking in general terms (“blessed are the poor,” “blessed are the meek”…), in the last Beatitude Jesus moved to direct address: Blessed are you…

This final Beatitude therefore refers to a particular experience of the early Christian community: that of tribulation and persecution: It is the moment when faith is put to the test, when one must pass through difficult times without any support, with nothing but pure faith.

It is the moment when everything seems to be fading away, when life risks having only the bitter taste of sadness and failure…

The Lenten Spiritual Exercises for His Holiness Pope Leo XIV, Cardinals residing in Rome, and head of Dicasteries will be preached by Trappist Bishop Erik Varden, scheduled for February 22-27.

The start of the Spiritual Exercises for Lent is set for Sunday, February 22, at 5:00 p.m. in the Pauline Chapel, in the presence of Pope Leo XIV, Cardinals residing in Rome, and heads of Dicasteries.

According to a note released on Wednesday by the Prefecture of the Papal Household, the annual Lenten Exercises will be preached by Bishop Erik Varden, on the theme “Illuminated by a Hidden Glory.”

The Cistercians of the Strict Observance (Trappists) has served as Bishop of Trondheim in Norway since 2019.