Continuing his catechesis on the value of old age at the General Audience, His Holiness Pope Francis invites the elderly to overcome the temptation to stand aside, because the Lord never discards them, but rather restores their strength to serve.

By Benedict Mayaki, SJ

During the Wednesday General Audience, His Holiness Pope Francis continues his catechesis series on the elderly, reflecting on the account of the healing of Simon’s mother-in-law in the Gospel of Mark

With the blessing of His Holiness Catholicos Aram I and on behalf of the Armenian Church, Holy See of Cilicia, three young priests participated in the Oriental Orthodox Churches’ study visit to the Vatican organized by the Pontifical Council for the Christian Unity, from May 30th to June 6th, 2022.

The program was launched in 2020 but was shortly interrupted due to the pandemic.

On June 15, 2022, His Holiness Patriarch Mor Ignatius Aphrem II, Patriarch of Antioch and All the East and Supreme Head of the Universal Syriac Orthodox Church, presided over the evening prayer at St. Georges Patriarchal Cathedral in Bab Touma – Damascus.

Their Eminences Archbishops: Mor Cyril Babi, Patriarchal Vicar for the Patriarchal Archdiocese of Damascus, Mor Yacoub Babawi, Patriarchal Vicar for Monks Affairs and the Administration of Mor Aphrem Theological Seminary in Maarat Saydnaya, Mor Joseph Bali, Patriarchal Secretary and Media Office Director, and Armenian Orthodox Archbishop of Damascus Armash Nalbandian, were present at the evening prayer.

On June 15, 2022, His Holiness Patriarch Mor Ignatius Aphrem II, Patriarch of Antioch and All the East and Supreme Head of the Universal Syriac Orthodox Church, celebrated the Holy Qurobo for the feast of the Syriac Martyrs of Sayfo, on the altar of the Martyrs of Sayfo, at Mor Aphrem Monastery in Maarat Saydnaya.

His Holiness Pope Tawadros II, Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of St. Mark, delivered his weekly sermon in the meeting of Wednesday 15 June 2022, from St. Mark’s Cathedral in Alexandria; in the presents of a number of church’s pontiffs, the sermon was also broadcast on Christian satellite channels, Official Website of Coptic Orthodox Church and C.O.C channel of the Church’s media center on the Internet.

His Holiness Pope Tawadros II started a new educational series entitled “The Concept of Marriage Union”, where he dealt with the first of its episodes today about “Intellectual Union” through the fifth chapter of the Epistle of St. Paul the Apostle to the Ephesians, which is read in the wreath prayers (the Sacred Mystery of Marriage).

On June 15, 2022, His Holiness Patriarch Mor Ignatius Aphrem II, Patriarch of Antioch and All the East and Supreme Head of the Universal Syriac Orthodox Church, congratulated the seminarians of Mor Aphrem Theological Seminary in Maarat Saydnaya, on the occasion of the end of the academic year.

His Holiness Pope Tawadros II, Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of St. Mark, and Dr. Yasmine Fouad, Minister of Environment, signed a cooperation protocol between the Coptic Orthodox Church and the Egyptian Ministry of Environment. The Coptic Orthodox Church also released a document expressing its position on environmental protection in the presence of His Grace Bishop Yolyous, General Bishop of Coptic Cairo and the Bishopric of Public, Social and Ecumenical Services, and several ambassadors and representatives of United Nations bodies and civil society organizations.

On the occasion of the Sunday of Pentecost, the Antiochian Orthodox Media Center, affiliated to the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch and All the East, reposted a video entitled "Our Christianity and the Lord Jesus Christ", on the Patriarchate’s Facebook page. You may click here to watch it.

On Sunday, June 12th, 2022, under the auspices of His Holiness Catholicos Aram I, Catholicos of the Armenian Church, Holy See of Cilicia, Archbishop Gomidas Ohanian celebrated Divine Liturgy and performed the ordination of three Seminarians—Yervant Yeghyayan, Antranig Minassian and Serge Keosherian—­as deacons, who were led to the alter by V. Rev. Fr. Kevork Karageozian.

His Holiness Pope Francis cautions against getting accustomed to the war in Ukraine, and makes an appeal to "eliminate the scourge" of child labour, as the world marks the World Day Against Child Labour.

By Deborah Castellano Lubov

His Holiness Pope Francis is warning people not to get accustomed to the war in Ukraine, and is calling for the faithful to keep those suffering "this tragic reality" in our hearts and prayers.

On June 12, 2022, His Holiness Patriarch Mor Ignatius Aphrem II, Patriarch of Antioch and All the East and Supreme Head of the Universal Syriac Orthodox Church, celebrated the Holy Qurobo on the occasion of the Feast of the Pentecost, at St. George Patriarchal Cathedral in Bab Touma - Damascus.

His Holiness was assisted by their Eminences Archbishops: Mor Cyril Babi, Patriarchal Vicar for the Patriarchal Archdiocese of Damascus, Mor Timotheos Matta Al-Khoury, Archbishop of Homs, Hama, Tartous and Environs, Mor Anthimos Jack Yakoub, Patriarchal Vicar for Youth Affairs and Christian Education, and Mor Joseph Bali, Patriarchal Secretary and Media Office Director.

The Feast of Pentecost was celebrated on Sunday, May 30/ June 12, 2022, at the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem.

On this feast, the whole Church and especially the Church of Jerusalem commemorates in joy, gleefulness and doxology that fifty days after the Lord’s Resurrection, and ten days after the Ascension, the Lord, Who had ascended in the heavens and sat by the right side of the Father and deified the human form that He had received for us, fulfilled His promise to His disciples, and sent through the Father the Holy Spirit, the other Comforter, in the form of tongues of fire, which sat on top of each disciple’s head.

On June 13, 2022, His Holiness Patriarch Mor Ignatius Aphrem II, Patriarch of Antioch and All the East and Supreme Head of the Universal Syriac Orthodox Church, participated in the conclusion of the first stage of the restoration of the Citadel of the Crac des Chevaliers, with the presence of Her Excellency Dr. Lubana Mshawah, Minister of Culture, His Excellency Mr. Bassam Barsik, Governor of Homs, and His Excellency Mr. Peter Csulak, Charge d’Affaires of the Hungarian Embassy in Damascus.

The Saturday of the Souls was celebrated by the Patriarchate on May 29/ June 11, 2022, with the prayers for the repose of the souls of our departed fathers and brethren of old.

On Friday afternoon Vespers was held at the Church of Saint Constantine and Helen, where His Beatitude Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem Theophilos III led the Canon of the dead…

Love and sharing at the Effetà Institute of Bethlehem

BETHLEHEM – Imagined in 1964, and inaugurated in 1971, the Effetà Paul VI Institute officially celebrated, on June 7th, 2022, and in the presence of Mgr Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, its golden jubilee.

The pandemic will have delayed it by one year. Yesterday, the Effetà Paul VI Institute, located in the city of Bethlehem, officially marked its fifty-year anniversary with a Mass presided by Patriarch Pizzaballa, followed by a reception during which the journey of the Institute was briefly retraced.

The Effetà Paul VI Institute came to light in 1964, when Pope Paul VI – called “the Pope with a big heart” by Greek Patriarch Athenagoras I – visited the Holy Land. During his pilgrimage, noticing the presence of many deaf-mute children in Palestine who were not receiving the proper aid required, he decided to have an institution established especially for them.

KORAZIM - In Domus Galilaelae, where seminarians from all over the world are trained to serve the Church, three young men were ordained priests by His Beatitude Mgr Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, on Saturday, June 11th. A cause of great rejoicing for the Mother Church, especially for the parishes of Madaba, Amman and Zarqa North, to which the three ordained were assigned.

The celebration, which was in Italian but translated simultaneously in several languages (English, Arabic and Spanish), was concelebrated by Mgr Rafic Nahra, Patriarchal Vicar for Israel, Mgr Jean-Pierre Cattenoz, archbishop emeritus of Avignon, and Fr. Francesco Voltaggio, rector of the Redemptoris Mater seminary of Domus Galilaelae. It was also attended not only by the ordained's families and friends (who came from Colombia and California, Qatar, Italy and Eilat), but also by many Christian communities of Galilee, as well as the seminarians of the Patriarchal Seminary of Beit Jala and their rector, Fr. Bernard Poggi.

The priests of the Diocese of Damascus and Rural Damascus concluded the meeting, held with the blessing and presence of their great father, His Beatitude Patriarch John X, Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, in the Patriarchal Monastery of St. George Al-Humeyra, after taking participation in the Divine Liturgy on Thursday morning, June 9.

Over the course of the meeting, the fathers participated in the program of prayers in the monastery. They also had several sessions of meditation on the Bible, dialogue meetings, and workshops that dealt with the life of the priest on personal and pastoral levels.

We are pleased to announce the launching of the special publication dedicated to the 25th anniversary of the election and consecration of His Holiness Aram I as Catholicos of the Armenian Church, Holy See of Cilicia.

52 contributors from various fields: religious, ecumenical, academic, political, church administration, community leadership, among others, pay tribute to the service and mission of His Holiness on his silver jubilee by recalling notable moments and great achievements of his pontificate.

Continuing his catechesis on the value of the elderly and old age at the weekly General Audience, Pope Francis reflects on the Biblical figure of Nicodemus, and says the elderly are messengers of tenderness, wisdom and love.

By Deborah Castellano Lubov

The tenderness of the elderly shows us the tenderness of God.

Pope Francis stressed this during his Wednesday General Audience in St. Peter's Square, as he continued his series of catecheses "on the meaning and value of old age in the light of God’s Word." He reflected this week on the New Testament figure of Nicodemus.

The Pope said he wished to emphasize "the tenderness of the elderly" and grandparents, highlighting how God is equally tender with us.

His Holiness Pope Francis greets a Pan-Orthodox delegation of priests and monks of the Oriental Autocephalous Churches on Friday, reflecting on the Solemnity of Pentecost and “the full unity to which we aspire.”

By Vatican News staff reporter

At the heart of His Holiness Pope Francis’ address to young priests and monks from Oriental Orthodox Churches from different traditions was that of unity.