In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. One God. Amen. May His grace and mercy rest upon us, from now and forevermore. Amen.
I would like to congratulate you on the upcoming Feast of Nayrouz, also known as the Feast of the Martyrs. It is the oldest feast and is the celebration of the beginning of the ecclesiastical Coptic year, which began in the year 284 A.D. during the rule of the Roman Emperor Nicledianos.

His Holiness Pope Francis celebrates the concluding Mass for the 52nd International Eucharistic Congress in Budapest, Hungary, as a ‘Statio Orbis,’ a liturgy manifesting the unity of the whole Church around the table of the Lord.

By Christopher Wells

Jesus’ question to His disciples in Sunday’s Gospel — “Who do you say that I am?” — is addressed to each one of us personally, His Holiness Pope Francis said in his homily at the concluding Mass for the 52nd International Eucharistic Congress.

On September 11, 2021, Syriac Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch and All the East His Holiness Patriarch Mor Ignatius Aphrem II received His Eminence Cardinal Mario Zenari, Apostolic Nuncio in Damascus, at the Patriarchate Headquarters in Bab Touma – Damascus, Syria.

The meeting was attended by his Eminence Archbishop Mor Joseph Bali, Patriarchal Secretary and Media Office Director.

On Saturday 29 August/ 11 September 2021, the Patriarchate commemorated the Beheading of Saint John the Baptist at the Holy Monastery dedicated to him on the south-west side of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the heart of the Christian quarter.

On this feast the Church recalls the Gospel narratives (Mark chapter 6, Matthew chapter 14) in joyful mourning; in them, Herod the Tetrarch could not bear Saint John’s reprimands for living together with Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, so he imprisoned the Saint.

CYPRUS - From September 3- 8, 2021, His Beatitude Pierbattista Pizzaballa made his first pastoral visit as Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem to the Latin Community in the four parishes of Cyprus, namely Larnaca, Nicosia, Paphos and Limassol. A visit to Kyrenia was also on the program.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. One God. Amen. May His grace and mercy rest upon us, from now and forevermore. Amen.
Sermon Highlights:
~ Various titles given to Psalm 37
~ 3 traits of the successes of wickedness
~ Comparing grass to trees, an analogy for contemplation

At noon on Tuesday, 7th of September 2021, H.H.B. our Father and Patriarch of Jerusalem, Theophilos III, accompanied by the Director of the Patriarchate’s Finance Department, His Eminence Metropolitan Isychios of Kapitolias, and Geronda Chief Secretary, His Eminence Archbishop Aristarchos of Constantina, visited the Holy Monastery of Prophet Elijah, located between Jerusalem and Bethlehem near the place of the “Seat of the Virgin Mary”.

The General Secretariat for the Synod of Bishops presents the base text and “vademecum” – or handbook – to guide the journey of the Synod on Synodality.

By Salvatore Cernuzio

Listening without prejudice; speaking out with courage and parrhesia; dialoguing with the Church, with society, and with the other Christian confessions.

On Sunday 23 August / 5 September 2021 the Dormition Icon of the Theotokos was returned to the Metochion of Gethsemane in a Procession from the Shrine of Theotokos’ Tomb, with the completion of nine days after the Feast of Dormition.

For this feast, the Divine Liturgy was celebrated at Gethsemane by the Master of Ceremonies Archimandrite Bartholomew and the Ministering Priests of the Shrine.

For more than a year, we have all experienced the devastating effects of a global pandemic—all of us, whether poor or wealthy, weak or strong. Some were more protected or vulnerable than others, but the rapidly-spreading infection meant that we have depended on each other in our efforts to stay safe. We realised that, in facing this worldwide calamity, no one is safe until everyone is safe, that our actions really do affect one another, and that what we do today affects what happens tomorrow.

His Holiness Pope Francis releases his prayer intention for the month of September, and invites us to pray that everyone might make choices which promote a simple and sustainable lifestyle.

By Devin Watkins

As the Church begins the annual Season of Creation on 1 September, His Holiness Pope Francis is inviting everyone to pray for “an environmentally sustainable lifestyle”.

Syria’s first seminary has opened in Damascus by the Syrian Catholic Mergita Church, Dean Rajin (Father Youssef Lajin) mentioned the academy’s “open to everyone” and “service” purpose. He said that the Holy See’s nuncio to Syria is also deeply pleased with their pioneering work, saying that this seminary is a new thing in Syria. 90 per cent of Syria’s population is Muslim, and a very small number of Christians are constantly exodus.

On Saturday, 15/28 August 2021, the Patriarchate celebrated the feast of the Dormition of the Theotokos in Gethsemane at the Holy Church with the Tomb of the Mother of God.

On this feast, the Church reminds the faithful of our faith that the Theotokos conceived from the Holy Spirit and bore in the flesh our Lord Jesus Christ, she died and was buried in Gethsemane, but was translated by the hands of her Son in the heavens and her immaculate body was preserved.

BETHLEHEM - The Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem and Bethlehem University have signed two agreements. The first one involves the implementation of a project to increase the skills of young people and create job opportunities in the parishes of the Latin Patriarchate and in some parishes of the Custody of the Holy Land in the West Bank.

On Tuesday, August 31st, 2021, a consultation meeting on humanitarian assistance to our community in Lebanon was held between H.E. Archbishop Anoushavan Tanielian - Prelate of the Eastern Prelacy of the USA, H.G. Bishop Torkom Donoyan – Prelate of the Western Prelacy of the USA, and H.E. Archbishop Shaheh Panossian - Prelate of Lebanon, in the presence of His Holiness Catholicos Aram I, at St. Mary Monastery, in Bikfaya, Lebanon.

On August 29, 2021, His Holiness Patriarch Mor Ignatius Aphrem II, Syriac Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, celebrated the Holy Qurobo for the first time in Budapest.

He was assisted by his Eminence Mor Timotheos Matta Al-Khoury, Archbishop of Homs, Hama, Tartous and Environs, in the presence of His Eminence Mor Joseph Bali, Patriarchal Secretary and Media Office Director. The Qurobo was attended by a small group of faithful due to the COVID-19 restrictions.

Expert restoring ancient religious manuscripts Rajaa Rajha says, "First of all, making the paper saves money as it is hard to get it in Syria and has to be brought from other countries. Second, I cannot use the paper that is available in the market because it contains impurities. The material that is added to the manuscript should be acid-free. So I make paper that is safe for the manuscript."

The Procession of the icon of the Dormition of the Theotokos to Gethsemane took place at dawn on Wednesday 12/25 August 2021.

The ceremony was held according to the Typikon order of the Church of Jerusalem, and at 5:00 a.m. the Procession of the icon of the Dormition began from the Metochion of Gethsemane, opposite the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, where it is kept all year round.

At the General Audience on Wednesday, His Holiness Pope Francis warns about a type of “formalism” which can lead to hypocrisy, and in turn threatens the unity of the Church.

By Christopher Wells

His Holiness Pope Francis continued his commentary on St Paul’s Letter to the Galatians at Wednesday’s General Audience, highlighting the dangers of a purely formal adherence to the Law.

On August 24, 2021, His Holiness Patriarch Mor Ignatius Aphrem II, Syriac Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, received the Head of the High Evangelical Synod of Syria and Lebanon, Rev. Dr. Joseph Kassab, at the Patriarchate Headquarters in Bab Touma – Damascus, Syria.

Rev. Samuel Hanna, Vice President of the High Evangelical Synod of Syria and Lebanon, Rev. Boutros Zaour, Pastor of the Evangelical Church of Damascus, and Rev. Ibrahim Nseir, Head of the Evangelical Synod of Aleppo, accompanied Rev. Kassab in his visit.