From Secretariat-General at the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem

On Tuesday, December 27/ the feast day of Saint Stephen the First Martyr (Old Calendar: January 9, 2024) the following Churches visited the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem for the celebration of our Christmas to relay modest holiday greetings:

1. The Franciscan Brotherhood – Custody of the Holy Land

2. The Latin Patriarchate in Jerusalem

3. The Coptic Church in Jerusalem

4. The Syrian Church in Jerusalem

5. The Ethiopian Church in Jerusalem

6. The Anglican Church in Jerusalem

7. The Lutheran Church

8. The Brotherhood of the Armenian Patriarchate in Jerusalem.

We are all still enlightened by the light of the feast we celebrated yesterday, the feast of Epiphany: we saw that God manifests himself, reveals himself to those far away, wants to reach every man with his light, which is the light of mercy and peace.

Today too, on this feast of the Baptism of Jesus, we are reached by the same light; today too, God reveals himself to us, and he does so in a way, that even today, may surprise us.

The Gospel passage for this feast (Mark 1:7-11) is sharply divided into two parts.

The first part (vv 7-8) speaks of John the Baptist, his preaching and the expectation that animated him: John knew the arrival of the Messiah, a strong Messiah, was imminent (Mk 1:7). The Baptist waited for a powerful Messiah who, with this strength of his, with the superiority of his power, would restore justice, chastise sinners, eliminate evil.

This is John's expectation, and it is, after all, the expectation of each of us.

What do we expect of God but that he would set things right, that he would eliminate injustice, and that he would do so forcefully? Don't we expect a God who can do everything, and therefore put an end to what makes us suffer? Do we not continue to expect this?…

As is customary on the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, His Holiness Pope Francis baptises 16 infants in the Sistine Chapel, welcoming them into their new life of faith.

By Francesca Merlo

His Holiness Pope Francis on Sunday 7 January 2023 baptised 16 infants on the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord.

Under the frescoes of the Sistine Chapel, His Holiness Pope Francis celebrated the Lord's gift of faith to these children, saying they are also protagonists of the ceremony, since they give witness of how to receive faith. 

Although the children were all silent as the Pope spoke, “it only takes one to give the first note and the concert starts,” he said. Should they in fact cry, he continued “let them cry!”. Likewise, “if they are hungry, feed them”. They decide on this feast day, as they prepare to receive the gift of faith.

From Secretariat-General at the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem

The Christmas Feast of Sunday, December 25, 2023/January 7, 2024, began with the Descent in the evening from the entrance to the Baptistery and the entrance to the Basilica, presided over by the Most Reverend Metropolitan Isychios of Kapitolias.

Then the sequence of Matins began, as written in the Minaion, in the Catholicon of the Basilica. During this time, His Beatitude Patriarch Theophilos the Third, Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem, the High Priests and the Priests proceeded to the Grotto, with, the President of the Supreme Ecclesiastical Committee, representative of the President of the Palestinian State Mr Mahmoud Abbas-Abu Mazen, Mr Ramzi Khouri and associates of his office on the right and the Consul General of Greece in Jerusalem Mr Dimitrios Angelosopoulos on the left and the representative of the King of Jordan.

In the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, One God, Amen.

I congratulate you, my beloved ones for the New Year and for the Glorious Feast of Nativity. I congratulate you from the land of Egypt, from the land of Saint Mark the Apostle, the Evangelist of Egypt. I congratulate you on this feast. I send congratulations on behalf of all Copts in Egypt. To all the Coptic dioceses and churches around the world. I congratulate the fathers; the metropolitans and bishops. And the fathers priests, hegumens, and presbyters. I congratulate church boards and deacons. I congratulate all the Coptic people who celebrate Christmas according to the Eastern calendar which falls on January 7th.

There are many reflections on Christmas. Perhaps the important question that concerns us all is: “Where is Christ?” The world has a lot of turmoil, wars and conflicts. But the question that has been asked since the incarnation of Jesus Christ is: “Where do we find Jesus?” When the angel appeared to the shepherds and told them: “I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people.” (Luke 2:10), they were shepherds doing a very simple job…

On the eve of the Feast of the Nativity and Theophany of our Lord Jesus Christ, January 5th, 2024, His Holiness Catholicos Aram I, Catholicos of the Armenian Church, Holy See of Cilicia, presided over the Christmas Vigil Service (Jrakaluyts - Lighting of the Candles), at St. Gregory the Illuminator Cathedral, in Antelias, Lebanon.

At the end of the Divine Liturgy, the grand sacristan of the Cathedral, His Eminence Arch. Gomidas Ohanian, lit a candle from the altar, symbolizing the Light of Christ, and handed it over to His Holiness Catholicos Aram I, who in turn passed the light to the faithful. Following this, the Pontifical Procession proceeded to the Main Hall of the Catholicosate where Blessing of Home service was held.

In place of the Union of the Armenian Evangelical Churches in the Near East UAECNE's traditional Christmas reception, a special gathering for Prayer for Artsakh, Palestine and Lebanon will take place on Saturday, 6 January, at 12:30 p.m., Beirut time, at the First Armenian Evangelical Church, Beirut.

His Holiness Pope Tawadros II, Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of St. Mark, received at the Papal Residence in Cairo, Egypt, on Tuesday 2 January 2024, Reverend Dr. Andrea Zaki, President of the Evangelical Community of Egypt, who led a delegation consisting of: the General Evangelical Council, Heads and Leaders of Evangelical Denominations, the Evangelical College of Theology, and the Coptic Evangelical Organization for Social Services. They congratulated His Holiness on the glorious Feast of Nativity.

His Holiness Pope Tawadros II welcomed the evangelical delegation, and spoke about the blessings of the birth of the Lord Christ, who gave us a new beginning, peace, hope for a better life, and announced God’s eternal love for man…

His Holiness Pope Tawadros II, Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of St. Mark, received, at the Papal Residence in Cairo, Egypt, on Tuesday 2 January 2024, His Beatitude Patriarch Anba Ibrahim Isaac, Coptic Catholic Patriarch of Alexandria, and Head of the Council of Catholic Patriarchs and Bishops in Egypt, accompanied by a delegation of Heads of the Catholic churches in Egypt.

The delegation that visited His Holiness Pope Tawadros II to congratulate him on the glorious Feast of Nativity included, in addition to His Beatitude the Patriarch: Their Eminences Metropolitan George Shehan (Metropolitan of the Maronite Church), Metropolitan Elie Warda (Metropolitan of the Syriac Catholic Church in Egypt), Metropolitan Krikor Aughosteynos Koussa (Metropolitan of the Armenian Catholic Church), Metropolitan Jean-Marie Shami (Metropolitan of the Roman Catholic Church), Chorbishop Mgr Paulus Sati (head of the Chaldean community), in addition to representatives of nuns and a number of Catholic entities in Egypt…

His Holiness Pope Francis releases his Prayer intention for the month of January, and invites Christians to embrace the diversity of charisms in the Church as a richness.

By Devin Watkins

“Let us pray that the Spirit help us recognize the gift of different charisms within the Christian communities, and to discover the richness of different ritual traditions within the Catholic Church.”

As the new year got underway, His Holiness Pope Francis released a video to accompany his prayer intention for the month of January 2024, during which Christians celebrate the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, on 18-25 January.

Most Reverend Eminence,

Your Excellencies, Most Reverend Fathers,

Dearest Brothers and Sisters,
may the Lord give you peace!

I usually begin my homilies and speeches with this greeting, which now seems more like a formality, something that is said without much thought, and perhaps even without much belief. Yet, that greeting says a great truth, that peace comes from Him, from the Lord Jesus, that it is an expression of His goodness. This is neither the time nor the place to enter into judgments and evaluations of the situation we are experiencing. We have already heard enough of them. They will not change the course of events and leave us as before. Here, today, we must and will turn our gaze to Christ and draw from Him the strength we need to intensify our trust, wounded by so much pain.

JERUSALEM - On Monday, January 1st, 2024, His Beatitude Patriarch Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, presided over a Mass at the Pro-Cathedral, in celebration of the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of the Eternal Son of God, which is God himself, and the annual celebration of The World Day of Peace, asking for the peace of God to reign in this new year. Concelebrating was Cardinal Fernando Filoni, Grand Master of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem, as well as several Bishops, and priests: in the presence of Italian Consul, different religious and consecrated sisters, as well as the faithful of Jerusalem.

In his homily at the New Year's Day Mass celebrating the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, His Holiness Pope Francis calls on us to "entrust this coming year to the Mother of God" and consecrate our lives to her. With her "tender love...she will lead us to Jesus." On this day the Church also marks the World Day of Peace.

By Thaddeus Jones

Presiding over the morning Mass in Saint Peter's Basilica on New Year's Day, His Holiness Pope Francis spoke about this day when we celebrate in a special way the Holy Mother of God, "a simple phrase that confesses the Lord’s eternal covenant with us." January 1st marks the Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God, and also the day the Church marks the World Day of Peace.

On Sunday, December 31, 2023, His Beatitude Patriarch Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, accompanied by His Eminence the Grand Master Cardinal Fernando Filoni; Ambassador Leonardo Visconti di Modrone, Governor General of the EOHSJ; and Dr. François Vayne, Director of Communications, visited Our Lady of Fatima parish in Beit Sahour to celebrate the feast of the Holy Family. 

The Parish priest, Fr. Issa Hijazin, welcomed them, and thanked the Latin Patriarchate and the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem for the work they are doing in the Holy Land.

From the Secretariat-General of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem

On Sunday before the Nativity of Christ, December 18/31, 2023 the annual memorial service of the Holy Sepulchre Fathers, Patriarchs, Bishops, Priests, Hieromonks, monks and nuns was held at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. The Liturgy was officiated by His Eminence Archbishop Dimitrios of Lydda with co-celebrants the Archimandrites Philoumenos, Dionysios, Claudios, Christodoulos, Amphilochios, Stephen and Hierodeacon Eulogios. Hierodeacon Simeon delivered the chanting as members of the Church of Jerusalem attended the service.

Every year the city of Bethlehem welcomes thousands of pilgrims, who come to witness the most joyful season for this town, but the ongoing conflict has limited the outward celebrations, yet this joy continuous to live in the hearts of the Christians of the Holy Land, as nothing can turn off the flame of joy brought to us by the Birth of the Savior, which is the hope and joy of the Church.

On December 24th, 2023, His Beatitude Patriarch Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, and his delegation were welcomed into the City of Bethlehem through a procession, which ended at the Basilica of the Nativity, announcing the beginning of the Prayers, which lead up to Christmas Eve Mass at the Church of Saint Catherine in Bethlehem, adjacent to the Nativity grotto.

On December 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 on the occasion of Christmas, at St. Georges Patriarchal Cathedral in Bab Touma, Damascus, Syria.

During the Holy Qurobo, His Holiness Patriarch Mor Ignatius Aphrem II was assisted by their Eminences Archbishops: Mor Cyril Babi, Patriarchal Vicar for the Patriarchal Archdiocese of Damascus, Mor Joseph Bali, Patriarchal Assistant, Mor Andrawos Bahhi, Patriarchal Vicar for Youth Affairs and Christian Education, Mor Augeen Al-Khoury Nemat, Patriarchal Secretary, and Armenian Orthodox Archbishop of Damascus Armash Nalbandian, as well as the clergy of the Patriarchate and seminarians of Mor Aphrem Theological Seminary.

His Holiness Patriarch Mor Ignatius Aphrem II delivered a sermon which you can read it in Arabic by clicking here.

Damascus, Syria, December 24, 2023

His Beatitude Patriarch John X, Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, and MECC President for the Orthodox Family, celebrated the Nativity Divine Liturgy at the Mariamiyah Patriarchal Cathedral in Damascus, assisted by His Grace Bishop Ioannis (Batach) and the Rt. Rev. Archimandrite Philip Vsevolodovich, Representative of the Russian Church to the Antiochian Church in Damascus, along with many priests and deacons.

In his Homily, His Beatitude wondered at the beginning whether we have truly embraced Nativity. He emphasized the meanings of Nativity, saying, "Nativity is peace, joy, salvation, and light."

In his Christmas message at the midday "Urbi et Orbi" blessing on Christmas Day, His Holiness Pope Francis speaks of how the Child Jesus reveals God's tender love for each one of us, which brings about "the joy that consoles hearts, renews hope and bestows peace." He prays for world peace and calls for every effort to stop violence and help those who are suffering.

By Thaddeus Jones

Greeting the crowds gathered in Saint Peter's Square from the central loggia of Saint Peter's Basilica, His Holiness Pope Francis offered his traditional good wishes on this Christmas Day with a message followed by his solemn "Urbi et Orbi" blessing, to the city and the world.

His Holiness Pope Francis expresses his closeness to victims of war, and urges the faithful to avoid consumerism at Christmas, and to celebrate the birth of Jesus without waste, by sharing what we have with those in need.

By Christopher Wells

“We are close to our brothers and sisters who are suffering from war,” His Holiness Pope Francis said during his recitation of the Angelus on Sunday.