His Holiness Pope Tawadros II, Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of St. Mark made a phone call this evening to His Holiness Pope Leo XIV of the Vatican to congratulate him on his new responsibility and his election as the leader of the Roman Catholic Church.

On June 7, 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 (MECC), visited the construction site of the Holy Cross Monastery in Sweden and inspected the ongoing work of construction of the new building for the Monastery.

On June 6, 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 (MECC), celebrated the Holy Qurobo at St. Mary Church in Tensta, Stockholm.

On Saturday, June 7, 2025, His Beatitude Patriarch Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, presided over a solemn Mass in celebration of the Jubilee of Families, organized by the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem as part of the ongoing spiritual and pastoral initiatives for the Jubilee Year 2025 in the Holy Land.

On Sunday morning, June 1, 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) presided over the Divine Liturgy at St. Jacob’s Church in Kokkinia, Greece, celebrated by His Grace Bishop Dajad Ashekian. Thanksgiving prayers were offered to honor the 30th anniversary of His Holiness’ tenure, led by His Eminence Archbishop Shahan Sarkissian, director of the Cilicia Library.

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.