Two months have passed since the earthquake that struck the North of the Antiochian Levant, and the affected people are still suffering from the repercussions of this disaster. In this context, the Antiochian Orthodox Media Center affiliated to the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch and All the East, in collaboration with the Antiochian Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia, New Zealand and the Philippines, published on the Patriarchate's Facebook page a video presenting the hymn of "Arise, O Antioch" as a greeting to Antioch, which was severely damaged by the earthquake.

The hymn is written by: Rev. Fr. Philip Saba, Assistant Priest at St. Nicholas Antiochian Orthodox Church, Punchbowl, Sydney, NSW, Australia.

It is translated into Arabic by: V. Rev. Fr. Georges El Tahan, Parish Priest of St. Elias Antiochian Orthodox Church, West Croydon, Adelaide, SA, Australia.

It is arranged by: Mary Semaan, Parishioner at St. Nicholas Antiochian Orthodox Church, Punchbowl, Sydney, NSW, Australia.

In his Palm Sunday Mass, His Holiness Pope Francis reflects on the faith Jesus placed in God, abandoning himself in his moment of pain because he knew that God's reason would save him.

By Francesca Merlo

His Holiness Pope Francis presided at the Solemn Mass for Palm Sunday of the Lord's Passion on Sunday April 2nd morning, his first public appearance after being released from Rome's Gemelli Hospital on Saturday April 1st. An estimated sixty thousand faithful took part in the the celebration that concluded with the recitation of the Angelus Prayer.

HOLY LAND - Symbols of Christian processions, the Kawas are not only part of the folklore of Jerusalem. They are also the guardians of traditions inherited from several centuries of history, who watch over an immutable principle of the Holy Land: that things remain as they are.

[…] Beyond their secular presence and their folkloric aspect, few things are known about kawas. Even the spelling of their name is debated: kawas, cavas, kavas, sometimes cawass... All of which piques our curiosity: who are they really? What is their history? What do they represent today and what is their role today when Christian processions are - most often - escorted by the police?

Beloved brothers and sisters,

I would like to welcome all our parishes, coming from all over Palestine and Israel. Together with you, I greet the many pilgrims who have joined us today on this beautiful day of celebration, prayer and communion. Faithful, religious, priests, bishops, Christians from different churches, we are all united with joy in the name of Jesus, the most beautiful name of all, one that we will never cease to pronounce and celebrate.

I am therefore happy to stand here together with you for this beautiful church experience. At the conclusion of this procession, we may be a little physically tired, but we will certainly leave here strengthened in faith and communion. Because communion in Christ, the unity of community, the feeling that we are all brothers and sisters in Jesus’ name, gives us renewed strength and warms our hearts. We need it. We need these experiences in which the power of the Spirit (cf. Rom. 15:19) unites us and works in us with power.

On the occasion of Palm Sunday, Reverend Dr. Habib Badr, President of the National Evangelical Union in Lebanon, and Honorary President of the Middle East Council of Churches, presided over the Divine Service, on Sunday 2 April 2023, at the National Evangelical Church in Beirut, Lebanon, during which he delivered a Sermon.

You can find the Divine Service in Arabic in the video.

Mt 21,1 - 9

The days are being fulfilled when Jesus will bring to an end His earthly journey, when He will be raised on the royal throne of the cross.

For this reason, the Lord goes up to Jerusalem, but He cannot enter it like all other times, like all other pilgrims.

Jesus enters it with the clear awareness that it is time to reveal His royal and messianic identity to all: He enters the holy city as a king, as the Messiah.

In other passages, the Gospels tell that the crowds wanted to hail Jesus as their king (Jn 6:15), but that he always avoided their demand. Not this time, not only does not avoid, but in fact he prepares the events for this royal entrance to happen.

Jesus knows very well that there in a few days He will conclude His Passion, and only now can He be sure that His gesture will not be misunderstood.

On the evening of Friday, March 18/31, 2023, in the context of the Service of the Small Compline and the Canon of the Theotokos, the Service of the Akathist was held in the Catholicon of the Church of the Resurrection, where the fours stasis of the Salutations to the Theotokos were recited.

The First Stasis was read by the officiating the service, His Beatitude Patriarch Theophilos III, Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem, the Second Stasis was read by the Geronda Secretary-General His Eminence Archbishop Aristarchos of Constantina, the Third Stasis was read by the Elder Sacristan His Eminence Archbishop Isidoros of Hierapolis, the Fourth and last was read by the Elder Dragoman Archimandrite Mattheos.

RAMALLAH, AL BIREH - On Friday, March 31st, 2023, the General Administration of the Latin Patriarchate Schools in Palestine launched, in the presence of His Beatitude Patriarch Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, the "Creative Teacher" and "Creative Student" competitions, in the Red Crescent Theater of al-Bireh, Ramallah. The event, entitled "Creative Day", was attended by many priests and sisters, as well schools administrative and teaching staff, parents and students.

The schools of the Latin Patriarchate believe that art contributes to refining taste and personality. Art elevates people's human and spiritual values. It also contributes to creating a positive social atmosphere characterized by interdependence, harmony and love.

After completing events on March 24, 2023, for Haigazian University and the Armenian Prelacy of Egypt, from March 25-27 the Reverend Dr. Paul Haidostian, Central Committee Chair and Acting President of the Union of the Armenian Evangelical Churches in the Near East, had the opportunity to strengthen the Union's Armenian Evangelical, Egyptian-Armenian and Ecumenical ties during his visit to Egypt.

On Saturday, 25 March, a Worship Service with Holy Communion was celebrated at the Armenian Evangelical Church of Alexandria, officiated by Reverend Dr. Paul Haidostian. Although it is a small community, over the past two decades the church has faithfully continued under the dedicated leadership of Samuel Khounganian, D.D.S., and his wife Limi. During the reception following the Communion Service Church members and representatives of the Armenian community had an opportunity for warm fellowship.

Following the Earthquake that Struck the North of the Antiochian Levant

“As a body is one though it has many parts, and all the parts of the body,
though many, are one body, so also Christ. […]
 If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it”
(1 Cor. 12:12.26a)

Dear brothers and sisters,

I would like to sincerely thank everyone for the generous and compassionate response to the appeal for those affected by the earthquake in Turkey and Syria.

I express gratitude especially to all the parishes of the Diocese, as well as many religious communities, families, individual donors, priests of the Latin Patriarchate who donated part of their salaries and to our friends from other Dioceses, parishes, communities and people from different parts of the world who have joined our appeal…

His Holiness Pope Tawadros II, Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of St. Mark, prayed the Holy Liturgy today in the Church of the Transfiguration in the LOGOS Center in the Papal Residence in the Monastery of St. Anba Bishoy in Wadi El-Natroun, Egypt, with the presence of the new Priests who were ordained at the beginning of the Great Lent as they spend the forty-day period following their ordination in the monasteries of Wadi El-Natroun.

His Holiness had delivered a lecture yesterday evening to the 25 new priests, at the conclusion of the training course they received in “Ecclesiastical Management and Development”, which began at Logos Papal Centre last Wednesday.

"Behold, you will conceive and give birth to a son"

NAZARETH - On March 24th and 25th, 2023, His Beatitude Patriarch Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, presided over the celebrations for the Feast of the Annunciation in the city of Nazareth, in Galilee. The solemn Mass was concelebrated by His Eminence Mgr Rafic Nahra, Patriarchal Vicar for Israel, and His Eminence Mgr Giacinto-Boulos Marcuzzo, Bishop Emeritus. 

On Sunday, the 13th / 26th of March 2023, the Fourth Sunday of Lent, of Saint John of the Ladder, the feast of the Adoration of the Cross was celebrated by transference in the Holy Monastery of the Holy Cross, located in West Jerusalem near the Jewish Knesset.

This Feast of the Adoration of the Holy Cross was celebrated here again, as per tradition, because in the territory of this Monastery, under Lot, at the command of his uncle, Patriarch Abraham, the three-composite wood of pine, cypress and cedar was planted, which after many years was used for the construction of the Cross, on which our Lord Jesus Christ was crucified.

(Jn 11:1-45) 

A key to understanding the passage of today’s Gospel (Jn 11:1-45) is that of friendship, of love.

The term “love” occurs three times in the passage (Jn 11:3,5,36), but it is the background to the entire episode; it refers above all to his friend Lazarus, whom Jesus loves, but it is evident also vis-à-vis his two sisters. Indeed, between Jesus, Martha, and Mary, there is a verbal exchange and gestures that reveal an intimate relationship, of expectation, and mutual love: the evangelist is keen to clarify that Mary was the one who had perfumed the feet of Jesus with ointment and had dried them with her hair (Jn 11:2); and when Lazarus is in danger of life, his sister send to inform Jesus (Jn 11:39). Therefore, John can say that Jesus loved Martha, her sister, and Lazarus (Jn 11:5).

At the Hheadquarters of the Ministry in Brasilia

On March 27, 2023, His Holiness Patriarch Mor Ignatius Aphrem II, Patriarch of Antioch and All the East and Supreme Head of the Universal Syriac Orthodox Church, visited Her Excellency Mrs. Rania Hajj Ali, Ambassador of the Syrian Arab Republic in Brazil, at the Embassy in Brasilia.

Their Eminences Archbishops: Mor Titus Boulos Touza, Apostolic Delegate for the Syriac Missions in Brazil, and Mor Joseph Bali, Patriarchal Secretary and Media Office Director, accompanied His Holiness during the visit.

At the Headquarters of the Ministry in Brasilia

On March 27, 2023, His Holiness Patriarch Mor Ignatius Aphrem II, Patriarch of Antioch and All the East and Supreme Head of the Universal Syriac Orthodox Church,visited His Excellency Mr. Mauro Vieira, Minister of Foreign Affairs in Brazil, at the headquarters of the Ministry in Brasilia.

Their Eminences Archbishops: Mor Titus Boulos Touza, Apostolic Delegate for the Syriac Missions in Brazil, and Mor Joseph Bali, Patriarchal Secretary and Media Office Director, accompanied His Holiness during the visit.

Due to illness, His Excellency Mr. Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, President to the Federal Republic of Brazil, apologized for not being able to receive guests, and His Excellency Mr. Geraldo Alckmin, Vice President received His Holiness Patriarch Mor Ignatius Aphrem II, Patriarch of Antioch and All the East and Supreme Head of the Universal Syriac Orthodox Church, at the Presidential Palace in Brasilia on March 27, 2023.

His Holiness was accompanied by their Eminences Archbishops: Mor Titus Boulos Touza, Apostolic Delegate for the Syriac Missions in Brazil, and Mor Joseph Bali, Patriarchal Secretary and Media Office Director, during this visit.

On March 26, 2023, His Holiness Patriarch Mor Ignatius Aphrem II, Patriarch of Antioch and All the East and Supreme Head of the Universal Syriac Orthodox Church, visited St. Georges Church in Brasilia.

Their Eminences Archbishops: Mor Titus Boulos Touza, Apostolic Delegate for the Syriac Missions in Brazil, Mor Severius Malke Mourad, Patriarchal Vicar in Brazil, and Mor Joseph Bali, Patriarchal Secretary and Media Office Director, accompanied His Holiness during this visit.

Brothers and sisters,

may the Lord give you peace!

As every year, on the occasion of this solemn Eucharistic celebration and the proclamation of the Gospel of the Annunciation, we gather here in the house of the Virgin Mary to contemplate once again the mystery of the Incarnation.

The Gospel passage proclaimed announces a great hope: “Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus. He will be great… and of his kingdom there will be no end.” (Luke 1:31-33)

Jesus’ name means “God saves.” According to the angel Gabriel, Jesus will be a Savior, He will be great and His Kingdom over the world will have no end.

This is an important and hopeful statement, and yet it appears far removed from our experience. As it seems hard to believe, when we look at what is happening around us, that Jesus rules over this world of ours, that the world has been saved.

On March 25, 2023, 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 at the Lady of Annunciation Cathedral in Brasilia on the occasion of the Feast of the Annunciation.

During the Holy Qurobo, His Holiness ordained 9 priests to serve in the Churches of the Syriac Mission in Brazil and decorated 4 priests with the Holy Cross as a token of appreciation for their ministry in the Church.