On June 5, 2025, His Holiness Patriarch Mor Ignatius Aphrem II, Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, Supreme Head of the Syriac Orthodox Church of the World, and Honorary President of the Middle East Council of Churches, arrived to Stockholm for his apostolic visit to Sweden.

Jn 14:15-16,23-26

In the history of salvation, the Spirit of the Lord has intervened time and again, especially in the most difficult times, to bring salvation, to work deliverance, to show God’s intervention in the complex stories of humanity. He has descended on weak people and made them leaders of his people, he has spoken through prophets, he has brought withered bones back to life, he is a dynamic force that always gives power and strength.

In each of these events, whenever the Spirit became present, he made a new beginning possible.

On Tuesday, 21st May / 3rd June 2025, the Patriarchate commemorated the memory of the Holy, Glorious, and Great Divinely-Crowned Sovereigns and Equals-to-the-Apostles, Saints Constantine and Helen, at their Patriarchal and Monastic Church in Jerusalem. The Divine Liturgy was presided over by His Beatitude Patriarch Kyrios Kyrios Theophilos III, the Patriarch of Jerusalem, with the Overseer of the Church Order, Archimandrite Alexios and the presiding priests of the church concelebrating with him. Also in attendance in prayer were Hierarchs, Hieromonks, and Monks of the Brotherhood of the Holy Sepulchre, together with faithful Christians of Jerusalem.

On May 31, 2025, an official banquet took place at the Marriott Hotel in Athens to honor the 30th anniversary of His Holiness Catholicos Aram I, Catholicos of the Armenian Church, Holy See of Cilicia, and Honorary President of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC)’s enthronement as Catholicos. The event brought together members of the Greek Armenian community and representatives from the Greek Orthodox Church.

On Friday, May 30, 2025, the Greek translation of His Holiness Catholicos Aram I, Catholicos of the Armenian Church, Holy See of Cilicia, and Honorary President of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC)’s book, “The Armenian Church,” was presented at the Hellenic Parliament in Athens, with His Holiness in attendance. The event was graced by the presence of Archbishop Ieronimos II, the Archbishop of Athens and All Greece.

On Sunday, 19th May / 1st June 2025, the Sunday of the Holy Fathers of the First Ecumenical Council, His Beatitude Patriarch Kyrios Kyrios Theophilos III, the Patriarch of Jerusalem, visited the Community of Turan in Southern Galilee, located near the city of Nazareth, where He presided over the Divine Liturgy at the Holy Church of Saint George.

On the second day of his pontifical visit to Greece, on Friday, May 30th, His Holiness Catholicos Aram I continued meetings with high-ranking state officials and church leaders in Athens.

In the morning, at his hotel lobby, His Holiness Catholicos Aram I, Catholicos of the Armenian Church, Holy See of Cilicia, and Honorary President of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), met with the Director of the National Intelligence Service of Greece.

The Armenian Heritage Conference, organized by the World Council of Churches in partnership with the Swiss Protestant Church, addressed the consequences of the conflict in Artsakh/Nagorno-Karabakh with a focus on the protection of Armenian religious and cultural heritage, the human rights of the affected population, and the future security of the Armenian nation. The conference concluded its sessions on Wednesday, May 28, 2025, with a statement urging coordinated international action to safeguard these crucial aspects.

On May 30, 2025, His Holiness Patriarch Mor Ignatius Aphrem II, Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, Supreme Head of the Syriac Orthodox Church of the World, and Honorary President of the Middle East Council of Churches, visited His Beatitude Patriarch Cardinal Mar Bechara Boutros Al-Rai, Maronite Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, at Maronite Patriarchate in Bkerke.

On May 30, 2025, His Holiness Patriarch Mor Ignatius Aphrem II, Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, Supreme Head of the Syriac Orthodox Church of the World, and Honorary President of the Middle East Council of Churches, visited His Beatitude John X, Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, and President of the Middle East Council of Churches for the Orthodox family at his Residence in the Monastery of Saint Mary in Balamand.

On May 30, 2025—Feast of the Visitation and conclusion of the Marian Month—the Parish of Zababdeh, dedicated to Our Lady of the Visitation, joyfully welcomed His Beatitude Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, for a solemn celebration of the Holy Mass. The Patriarch’s visit was also marked by a profound honoring of Saint Marie-Alphonsine Ghattas, meaningful encounters with parish groups.

His Holiness Catholicos Aram I, Catholicos of the Armenian Church, Holy See of Cilicia, and Honorary President of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), arrived in Athens, Greece’s capital, on Thursday noon, May 29th, 2025. His first engagement was a meeting with Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, during which he conveyed greetings from Lebanese President General Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, along with several diplomatic proposals. The dialogue centered on the prevailing geopolitical dynamics in the Middle East, particularly concerning Armenia, Lebanon, and Syria.

Jn 17:20-26

Be one: This is the sentence that occurs most frequently in the Gospel of this seventh Sunday of the Easter season (John 17:20-26).

It is the last Sunday of the Easter season, before Pentecost. And on this Sunday we see the goal, the ripe fruit of God's gift that was given to us in Jesus' Easter.

Being one is first and foremost something that concerns the intimate life of Jesus and the Father: for Jesus affirms that he and the Father are one (“that they may be one, just as we are one” - Jn 17:22). But being one is also what Jesus asks for us, his desire: that all may be one (Jn 17:21), just as it has always been between him and the Father.

But what does it mean to be one?

On the morning of May 29, 2025, His Holiness Catholicos Aram I, Catholicos of the Armenian Church, Holy See of Cilicia, and Honorary President of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), departed for Athens, Greece, for an official visit, accompanied by a delegation from the Cilician Brotherhood.

The opening ceremony of the Armenian Heritage Conference commenced on May 27, 2025, in Bern, Switzerland. The event was organized by the World Council of Churches in partnership with the Swiss Protestant Church.

The opening ceremony featured welcoming remarks delivered by Rev. Rita Famos, President of the Protestant Church in Switzerland, and Rev. Prof. Dr. Jerry Pillay, General Secretary of the World Council of Churches.

His Holiness Pope Leo XIV reiterates his appeal for peace in Ukraine and calls for a ceasefire in Gaza, along with the liberation of hostages and renewed efforts to protect children.

By Christopher Wells

Pope Leo XIV forcefully appealed for a “ceasefire now!” in Gaza, along with the liberation of all hostages, and that humanitarian law be fully respected.

The journalist Gina Hanna conducted a television interview with His Holiness Pope Tawadros II, Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of St. Mark for the program “My Church in the Diaspora,” which is broadcast on Logos TV, affiliated with the Diocese of Los Angeles.

An Armenian Heritage Conference, organized by the World Council of Churches in collaboration with the Protestant Church in Switzerland, will take place in Bern, Switzerland, on May 27 and 28. The conference will focus on the consequences of the conflict in Artsakh, specifically regarding the protection of Armenian religious and cultural heritage, the human rights of its indiginous people, and the future security of the Armenian nation.

On the evening of Wednesday, April 30, 2025, the Armenian Church University Students Association (ACUSA) took part in the “Kasra, Fatha, Damma” program, hosting members from brothers of Taizé. The gathering aimed to bring together faithful from diverse communities across Lebanon to engage in discussions around issues that resonate with and unite the Lebanese people.

Lk 24:46-53

The Gospel of Luke re-reads the earthly story of Jesus by viewing it as a great journey that has a specific destination, namely Jerusalem.

It is a physical destination, but above all it is a spiritual and theological destination: Jerusalem is the place where one ascends to worship God; and Jesus, once he has ascended to Jerusalem, will offer true worship to the Father, his own life, which he offers as a gift of love for the salvation of all people.