On Saturday, June 10th, 2023, His Holiness Catholicos Aram I, Catholicos of the Armenian Church of Cilicia, held a meeting with representatives from the Armenian organizations in Ontario, at St. Mary Church, within the framework of revitalization and reorganization of the diaspora following the 2023 declaration of the Catholicos as the Year of the Armenian Diaspora II.

On Friday evening, June 9th, 2023, an official banquet was organized in honor of His Holiness Catholicos Aram I, Catholicos of the Armenian Church of Cilicia.

HE Arch. Papken Tcharian—Prelate of Canada—HG Bp. Torkom Donoyan—Prelate of the Western Prelacy of the USA—Mr. Krikor Mahseredjian—co-Chair of the Central Council of the Catholicosate—Mr. Mher Karakashian—Chair of the ARF Central Committee in Canada—Ms. Dzovig Terzian—Chair of the Executive Council of the Prelacy—members from the Prelacy Executive Council and St. Nishan Church Board of Trustees and representatives of community organizations attended the banquet.

His Holiness Pope Francis pens a message for the annual World Day of the Poor, stressing that “whenever we encounter a poor person, we cannot look away, for that would prevent us from encountering the face of the Lord Jesus.”

By Joseph Tulloch

His Holiness Pope Francis has released his message for the annual World Day of the Poor, stressing that a “great river of poverty is traversing our cities”, and that every Christian is called to become “personally involved” in the struggle against it.

His message for the World Day, which will be celebrated this year on Sunday 19th November, takes the form of an extended reflection on the Book of Tobit.

On Wednesday evening, June 7th, 2023, the Pontifical Procession consisting of clergy, the Homenetmen Toronto band, scouts, and the ARF Canada youth chapter, arrived at St. Mary Church.

His Holiness Catholicos Aram I, Catholicos of the Armenian Church of Cilicia, entered the Church with the Hrashapar hymn, accompanied by the Prelate of Canada H.E. Arch. Papken Tcharian and the Prelate of the Western Prelacy of the USA H.G. Bp. Torkom Donoyan and Canonical Prayers were conducted.

Secretariat-General of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem

Sunday, May 29th/June 11th 2023 was celebrated by the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem as All Saints’ Sunday, the Feast of all the Saints of the Old and New Testaments, Patriarchs, Prophets, Forefathers, Apostles, Preachers, Evangelists, martyrs, confessors, retainers, new martyrs, Who are the fruit of the activity, of the manifestation of the Holy Spirit.

If the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete, did not come, we would not have the miracle of the institution of the Church and its Myriad Saints.

With the feast of All Saints, the cycle of Pentecost holidays closes.

His Holiness Catholicos Aram I, Catholicos of the Armenian Church of Cilicia, visited the Armenian community in Cambridge on Friday evening, June 9, 2023, and delivered his pontifical address at St. Nshan Church.

The Prelate of Canada HE Arch. Papken Tcharian and the Prelate of the Western Prelacy of the USA HG Bp. Torkom Donoyan accompanied His Holiness Catholicos Aram I, as the Pontifical procession—consisting of clergy and Homenetmen Cambridge chapter scouts—entered the Church with the “Hrashapar” hymn and Canonical Prayers were conducted.  

The Holy See Press Office announces that His Holiness Pope Francis continues to recover well from his surgery, having recited the Angelus Prayer in private before joining members of staff who have been assisting him for lunch.

Vatican News

As His Holiness Pope Francis continues his convalescence in Rome's Gemelli hospital, after abdominal surgery, the Holy See Press Office announced on Sunday that:

The medical staff has informed us that the post-operative recovery of Pope Francis is normal..

His Holiness Catholicos Aram I, Catholicos of the Armenian Church of Cilicia, met with the Right Honorable Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada, in Ottawa on the afternoon of June 6, 2023. The meeting, attended by Canada's Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Hon. Mélanie Joly, H.E. Arch. Papken Tcharian, Prelate of Armenian Prelacy of Canada, Mr. Hagop Der Khatchadourian, President of ANC-International, and Mr. Mher Karakachian, Chair of the Armenian National Committee of Canada focused on various topics concerning the Armenian-Canadian community and the broader international landscape.

On Thursday morning, June 8th, 2023, His Holiness Catholicos Aram I, Catholicos of the Armenian Church of Cilicia, accompanied by his Pontifical delegation consisting of the Prelate of Canada, Prelate of the Western Prelacy in the USA, Co-chair of the Central Council of the Holy See of Cilicia and Dean of the Armenian Theological Seminary, led by Canadian police procession, visited the Armenian Community in Niagara Falls.

His Holiness Catholicos Aram I was welcomed at the border by the Prelate of the Eastern prelacy of the USA and the faithful. There, USA police escorted the procession to the Cemetery of Niagara Falls, where a requiem service was conducted for the souls of the deceased members of the local Armenian community.

Celebrating Corpus Christi is “to affirm and live His Truth for us”

By: Miral Atik, Photos: Nicolawos Hazboun/ lpj.org

JERUSALEM – On Thursday, June 8th, 2023, at the Holy Sepulcher, in front of the the Aedicule, His Beatitude Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, presided over the celebrations for the feast of Corpus Christi, which celebrates the Solemnity of The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ.

Every year, on the Thursday after Trinity Sunday, the Roman Catholic Church honors Jesus Christ, Really, Truly and Substantially Present in The Most Holy Eucharist. This feast dates back to the 13th century, due to a convergence of two separate events, which includes a Eucharistic miracle that occured due to a German priest doubts of the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist.

The surgeon who operated on His Holiness Pope Francis on Wednesday 7 June 2023 afternoon tells journalists the operation went ahead without complications and the Pope is alert and in good spirits.

By Linda Bordoni

“The Holy Father is well, he is awake, alert, and has already joked with me!”

Doctor Sergio Alfieri, the surgeon who operated on His Holiness Pope Francis at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital on Wednesday afternoon, told journalists the operation went ahead without complications and the Pope is expected to make a full recovery within the usual timeframe for such an intervention.

He confirmed that the programmed surgical procedure to remove an incisional laparocele (hernia) caused by scarring from old surgeries was not an emergency operation.

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Excellencies and priests,

May the Lord give you peace!

"Remember!" This is Moses’ invitation to the people of God after they came out from the experience of the wilderness alive! (Deut 6:2).

"Do this in memory of me!" It is the Lord’s command in the Last Supper before He left His disciples and arose from the dead victorious (Lk 22:19).

Within the framework of his Pontifical visit to Canada, His Holiness Catholicos Aram I, Catholicos of the Armenian Church of Cilicia, met with representatives from Armenian organizations in Montreal at the Pastrmadjian Hall of Sourp Hagop Armenian School.

The main agenda of His Holiness’ Pontifical visits is reorganizing and revitalizing the Armenian diaspora as underlined in the Catholicos’ 2023 declaration.

His Holiness Pope Francis is admitted to Rome’s Gemelli Hospital where he will undergo abdominal surgery on Wednesday 7 June 2023, afternoon. He is expected to remain in hospital for some days to allow for full recovery.

By Vatican News

At the end of the General Audience on Wednesday morning His Holiness Pope Francis was admitted to Rome’s A. Gemelli University Hospital where he will undergo surgery in the early afternoon.

A statement released by the Holy See Press Office said the Holy Father “will undergo a laparotomy and abdominal wall surgery under general anaesthesia.”

On Tuesday, June 6, 2023, upon the invitation of His Holiness Patriarch Mor Ignatius Aphrem II, Patriarch of Antioch and All the East and Supreme Head of the Syriac Orthodox Church, the Holy Synod of our Syriac Orthodox Church started its sessions at the Patriarchal Residence in Atchaneh - Lebanon.

Their Eminences Archbishops of our Syriac archdioceses from all over the world are attending the Holy Synod.

An official banquet was organized in honor of His Holiness Catholicos Aram I, Catholicos of the Armenian Church of Cilicia, at Plaza Volare in Montreal, Canada, on the evening of June 4, 2023.

In attendance were the Prelate of the Armenian Prelacy of the Eastern USA, the Armenian Ambassador to Canada, the Honorary Consul of Armenia in Quebec, the co-Chair of the Central Council of the Catholicosate, the member of the Central Council residing in Canada, the ARF Bureau Chair, the Executive Chair of the Prelacy, as well members of the Religious and Lay Councils of the Prelacy and representatives of sister organizations.

By: Miral Atik/ lpj.org

RAFIDIA - From June 1st to June 3rd, 2023, His Beatitude Patriarch Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, made a Pastoral visit to the Parish of Rafidia - Nablus, Palestine, after having previously visited the parishes of Til’Al’Ali (Jordan), Bethlehem, Ramallah, and Aboud.

Nablus is located 63 km north of Jerusalem. It’s the second largest city in Palestine and is divided into three religions: the Samaritans, Christians, and Muslims. The Christians have existed in Nablus since the time of Jesus Christ and the city of Samaria is mentioned in the bible more than 100 times. Christians make up a small percentage of the population and resides in the Western part of the city, in a neighborhood called Rafidia.

On Saturday evening, June 3rd, 2023, His Holiness Catholicos Aram I, Catholicos of the Armenian Church of Cilicia, presided over the Divine Liturgy celebrated at Bon Pasteur Catholic Church in Laval, Canada, by H.E. Arch. Anoushavan Tanielian, Prelate of the Eastern Prelacy of the USA.

H.E. Arch. Papken Tcharian, Prelate of Canada, and V. Rev. Fr. Keghart Kusbekian, chair of the Religious Council of the Prelacy, and Cilician clergy joined the Catholicos in Prayer.

His Holiness Pope Tawadros II, Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of St. Mark, prayed today the liturgy of the feast of Pentecost in King Mariout, Egypt.

Following the Liturgy, His Holiness had a minor medical issue due to inflammation of the Seventh nerve.

Physicians advised his holiness to rest and to take some medications.

Hence, immediate meetings related to His Holiness are being postponed, while future meetings will be kept.

On Sunday, May 22nd/ June 4th, 2023, the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem celebrated Pentecost Sunday, that is, the fifty-day completion since the Ascension of the Lord and the day of the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.

On this day, according to the book of the Acts of the Apostles (Chap. 2), the Lord, who was gloriously taken up into the heavens, sent His holy disciples and Apostles, through His Father, His Holy Spirit. This paradoxical phenomenon was revealed “in a violent breath” and “filled the house where the disciples were sitting” and “in tongues of fire, which sat at the head of each one of them, were illuminated and spoke in other languages the greatness of God”.