The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

“Resurrection is  our hope in a hopeless situation” 

“Through him (Christ) you have come to trust in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are set on God.” 1 Peter 1:21

What is happening in Jerusalem? Why are we living through such tumultuous times? A series of events has left the people and their leaders in confusion and wonder:

Jesus has triumphantly entered the city on a colt. The people, including children, welcomed him by spreading palm branches and their cloaks in the streets. But the religious and political authorities were challenged by this show of triumph and power.

At the Mass of the Lord's Supper at Rome's Casal del Marmo juvenile penitentiary, His Holiness Pope Francis reminds us of how the Lord, in washing the feet of his disciples, teaches us the importance of humility and service that are born of a noble heart.

By Thaddeus Jones

On Holy Thursday His Holiness Pope Francis went to the outskirts of Rome to celebrate the Mass of the Lord's Supper at the Casal del Marmo juvenile penitentiary where he carried out the traditional rite of the washing of feet of twelve of the young people there. Diversity characterized the group, varying in ages from 14 to 25 years of age, ten young men and two young women, two of them of Sinti origin, the others from Croatia, Senegal, Romania, and Russia, representing various faith traditions.

Beloved brothers and sisters,

We are celebrating today great and ineffable mysteries: the institution of the priesthood and the Most Holy Eucharist, the new commandment of love. We are celebrating the risen Life of Christ, communicated to us by the Spirit in the Church. This year, I am particularly struck by the time, the climate in which they were instituted, almost founded: “on the night when he was betrayed” (cf. Jn. 13:2). We all know that the intention of the authors here is not simply to provide us with chronological information. Theirs is a theological indication, a “spiritual note”; the hour of Christ coincides with the hour of darkness.

I would thus like here to contemplate with you this great mystery, right where “it became dark over all the earth”, and where the angels later announced the Risen One.

During Chrism Mass in the Vatican on Holy Thursday, His Holiness Pope Francis thanks priests for the good they do, which so often goes unrecognized. And he encourages them to invoke the Holy Spirit as 'the breath of each day,' which, even in times of crisis, gives them joy and points them in the right direction, toward Christ.

By Deborah Castellano Lubov

"Priestly maturity comes from the Holy Spirit and is achieved when He becomes the protagonist in our lives."

His Holiness Pope Francis gave this reminder on Holy Thursday morning during the Chrism Mass in St. Peter's Basilica, as he urged priests to invoke the Spirit not only as "an occasional act of piety," but as "the breath of each day."

And Names Him ‘Malphono’ of the Syriac and Arabic Languages

On March 31, 2023, 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 ceremony of the launching of the books published by His Eminence Mor Theophilus Georges Saliba, Archbishop of Mount Lebanon and Tripoli, at St. Jacob of Serugh Hall in the Syiac Orthodox Archdiocesan Center in Baushrieh, Lebanon. During the ceremony, His Holiness honored His Eminence and named him ‘Malphono’ of the Syriac and Arabic languages.

On Holy Tuesday, the Church commemorates the Parable of the Ten Maidens.

Ten girls from the Catholicosate’s Sunday school were present in front of the Altar during the Vespers service, at the Armenian Orthodox Catholicosate of Cilicia, as the ten Maidens from the parable. Prayers and hymns on the theme were recited, reminding the faithful to be prepared for the Day of Judgment.

After the service, His Holiness Catholicos Aram I, Catholicos of the Armenian Church, Holy See of Cilicia, received the ten young girls and encouraged them to continue safeguarding their Christian faith and participate in the traditions of the Armenian Church.

On the occasion of Easter 2023, His Eminence Bishop Sani Ibrahim Azar, Head of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and The Holy Land (ELCJHL), delivered a message, which you can listen to it in the video.

His Holiness Pope Francis releases his Prayer intention for the month of April, and urges everyone to pray and work for a nonviolent culture which promotes peace.

By Devin Watkins

As the Church marks 60 years since Pope St. John XXIII published his encyclical Pacem in Terris, Pope Francis is calling on Christians to pray for a nonviolent culture.

The Pope released a video accompanying his prayer intention for April 2023, produced by the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network.

He recalled that “war is madness” which is “beyond reason”.

“Any war, any armed confrontation, always ends in defeat for all,” he recalled.

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.