In October the Custody of the Holy Land officially took possession of the Church of St. John the Baptist, located in the area of Qasr Al-Yahud on the banks of the Jordan River, by Israeli authorities: the monastery was closed during the war of 1967 when the entire area became a minefield and was turned into a fenced military zone.

These are days of widespread concern for the wider Middle East region. In particular, what befell Armenians a century ago has shown itself once again in our lifetime.

Pope Francis is inviting leaders of other faiths to work together “with the gentle strength of faith to end all conflicts.” His appeal comes as part of his discourse at an International Meeting for Peace, held in Rome and organized by the Community of Saint Egidio, entitled “No one is saved alone. Peace and Fraternity.” Pope Francis set the tone of his speech on Tuesday by recalling the historic Assisi Meeting desired by Saint Pope John Paul II on 27 October 1986, in which for the first time in Church history the Pope invited leaders of other religions to join him in prayer for peace for the human family.

The apostolic nuncio to Syria met with diplomats accredited to the Vatican Thursday to inform them that an estimated 11 million Syrians are in need of humanitarian assistance. Cardinal Mario Zenari, apostolic nuncio to Syria since 2008, said that, after nearly 10 years of war, the Syrian people had now been hit with a “poverty bomb” amid the coronavirus pandemic. Zenari explained that “many Syrians have lost hope,” while lamenting that Syria seemed to have disappeared off the “media radar.” A statement from the Holy See press office Oct. 15 said that the cardinal met with members of the diplomatic corps accredited to the Holy See in the Vatican’s New Synod Hall to “rekindle attention toward the situation in Syria.”

His Excellency Arbchishop Atallah Hanna, Greek Orthodox Archbishop of Sebastia calls on to contribute in the “Hadinat Al Hayat” (i.e Life’s nurtures) campaign, in order to support the Saint George University Hospital (Al Roum) Beirut, so that it can resume its normal work and receive patients in all its departments.

We meet today, here at the Al-Hawash University, knowing well what the name of Al-Hawash carries in terms of a long lasting heritage and honor, in order to inaugurate this university hospital, named after Dr. Farzat Ayoub. We gather here to affirm first and foremost that we come from the heart of this land, from its womb, and we continuously look forward primarily to whatever is good and beneficial for its human. We meet, carrying in each one of us the hardship of this world, the cross of the East, and the suffering of its humanity. Despite all this, we are laying cornerstones, building universities, hospitals, and institutions, and sacrificially offering our blood and heart in order to present to our future generations a better future.

Beirut appeal of the Armenian Catholicosate Of Cilicia

The devastating blast of 4 August 2020 at the Beirut port put Lebanon once more on the front pages of the global media. The citizens are outraged but count on the support of the international community. Coming on the heels of the Covid-19 pandemic and the mishandling of the economy by the country’s corrupt leadership, this tragedy has compounded the suffering of the people.

of Al Hasaka, Syria by armed groups affiliated with the Turkish occupation

His Excellency Mr. Antonio Guterres, United Nations Secretary General

Your Excellency, dear Secretary General, we write to you with deep concern about the current humanitarian catastrophe that is taking place in Hassakeh – northeast Syria. Over one million Syrians are denied their basic human rights, namely their right to live. For more than 10 days, armed factions supported by the Turkish occupation have deliberately cut off water from the population thus subjecting them, especially children, elderly and vulnerable people, to thirst and critical health conditions. This comes at a time when the spread of COVID19 virus is taking its toll on the entire country.

We, the Pax Christi International community, write today to express our deep and abiding commitment to stand in solidarity with you, the faithful Christian communities of the Holy Land. We offer our hands and hearts in support of your struggle to achieve a just and lasting peace. And, of course, we pray that you continue to find strength and encouragement during these most difficult days.

We, the Patriarchs and Heads of Churches of Jerusalem, stand aghast at the sight of the devastating and shockingly perplexing explosion that took place at the Beirut port on August 4th. The loss of life, injuries, and destruction cause our hearts to deeply ache as we mourn for this tragedy. We stand with the people of Beirut and Lebanon as they mourn, lament and respond to this catastrophe.

We are following with great concern and sorrow the news about the explosion that hit Beirut Port yesterday evening, on August 4th, which resulted in tens of deaths and thousands of injuries. We raise our prayers for the souls of the deceased and for recovery of the injured.

During the weekly General Audience on Wednesday, Pope Francis prayed for Lebanon in the aftermath of the explosion in Beirut on Tuesday. "Yesterday in Beirut, near the port, there were massive explosions causing dozens of deaths, wounding thousands and causing serious destruction", said the Pope.

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.(1) At the beginning of this blessed fast of the Virgin, I address all of you with the most fervent greetings, praying that God may protect you and grant you success. We lift our eyes to our Mother the Virgin Mary, beseeching her to intercede to her Son that He may show compassion to the world and have mercy on us. We entreat her to embalm the wounds of us all, asking for her intercessions for the sorrowful, the grieving, the sick, the imprisoned, the missing, the kidnapped, and anyone in distress, grief, and tribulation.

which consists of changing the status of Hagia Sophia and to stop any action that will cause divisions

Mr. President, on 10 July 2020, the Turkish Council of State had decreed that the Hagia Sophia can only be used as a mosque and not for any other purpose. On the same day you issued a presidential decree ordering Hagia Sophia to be opened for Muslim prayers, which are planned to commence on July 24. Today we approach you to express our grave concern about the dangerous impact that this change of the status of the Hagia Sophia will have.

The Evangelical Middle East Commission (EMOK) criticises President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s order to convert Hagia Sophia into a mosque as a backward-looking step that does great harm to Christian-Islamic relations worldwide. Originally built in the 4th century, Hagia Sophia still retains its 6th century appearance. Until 1453 it was regarded as the most important church in the whole Orthodox world.

On July 9, 2020, His Holiness Patriarch Mor Ignatius Aphrem II visited His Beatitude John X, Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, at the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate in Damascus. His Holiness was accompanied by His Eminence Archbishop Mor Timotheos Matta Al-Khoury, Patriarchal Vicar in the Patriarchal Archdiocese of Damascus, and Very Rev. Raban Joseph Bali, Patriarchal Secretary and Media Office Director.

Under the theme “Creative Solidarity in Common Fragility,” people of faith all over the world are encouraged to demonstrate the power of prayer during the World Week for Peace in Palestine and Israel. This special week of prayer coupled with action is annually held 13 – 21 September and includes the International Day of Peace on 21 September.

On the second Sunday in July the International Day of the Sea is observed. Recalling the celebration at the Sunday Angelus, Pope Francis extended “an affectionate greeting to all those who work at sea, especially those who are far from their loved ones and their country.” He also had a particular greeting for those who gathered on Sunday morning in the Italian port of Civitavecchia-Tarquinia for the celebration of the Eucharist.

On Wednesday, June 25/ July 24, 2020, H.H.B. our Father and Patriarch of Jerusalem Theophilos stated the following regarding the keeping of the Status of the Church of Hagia Spophia: It is with utmost seriousness that We express Our concern over recent calls from members of the Turkish government to alter the current status of the Hagia Sophia from a museum to a mosque. This magnificent Byzantine Church structure, which captivates the world until today, has a history stretching even farther back into Christendom than the 6th century.

Former heads of Churches in Jerusalem issued a statement dated June 15, 2020 on the Israeli annexation plans, namely Patriarch Emeritus of the Roman Catholic Church Michael Sabbah, Bishop Emeritus of the Anglican Church Riah Abu El Assal, and Bishop Emeritus of the Lutheran Church Munib A. Younan.