On August 22, 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),participated in the Ecumenical Celebration organized by the Church of Sweden at the Philadelphia Church in Stockholm.

On Tuesday, the 6th/19th of August 2025, the Patriarchate celebrated the Despotic Feast of the Transfiguration of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The centre of this feast was Mount Tabor, for upon it, according to the most ancient tradition of the Church, the event of the Lord’s Transfiguration took place.

According to the Gospel narratives, the Lord took with Him three of His disciples, those called the “foremost”, Peter, James, and John, and ascended a high mountain. In front of them, the face and garments of the Lord became white beyond the brightness of the sun, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and the Prophets Moses and Elias appeared with Him—the one, Moses, as representative of the departed, and the other, Elias, as representative of the living. They conversed with Him and spoke concerning His Passion upon the Cross, which was to be accomplished in Jerusalem. Then the Apostle Peter proposed that they should make three tabernacles and remain upon the mountain. And a voice was heard from heaven, saying: “This is My beloved Son; hear ye Him” (Luke 9:35, Mark 9:7, Matt. 17:5).

Lk 13:22-30

The central theme of today’s Gospel (Lk 13:22-30) is that of salvation.

Jesus is on his way to Jerusalem, passing through towns and villages. On the way, a man asks him: “Lord, are there few who will be saved?” (Luke 13:23). Once again, Jesus’ answer goes beyond the question: it is not important how many are saved, whether they are few or many. What is important is to be saved.

And, as always, there is something paradoxical about salvation that does not fit the mold of our human logic and that Jesus allows to shine through in his account, which he offers as an answer, full of paradoxes.

On the occasion of the Pilgrimage Day of St. Mary Monastery, the Christian Education Department of the Catholicosate of the Holy See of Cilicia, with the blessing 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) and under the directorship of V. Rev. Fr. Stepanos Pashayan, organized a Pilgrimage Week leading up to the celebration. During this period, Divine Liturgies, special services, prayers, and Bible studies were conducted in the monastery’s chapel. This year, from August 10 to 15, 2025, these spiritual gatherings were led by the young priests of the Cilician Brotherhood.

Before sharing a lunch with the poor supported by Caritas Albano in the Gardens of the Pontifical Villas, the Pope explained that each one of us is made in the image of God, and that “we can find God’s presence in everyone.”

By Alessandro Di Bussolo

Amid the beauty of nature and creation in the Gardens of the Pontifical Villas at Castel Gandolfo and beneath the large gazebo set up for the lunch with the poor, Pope Leo XIV, speaking off the cuff, invited everyone to reflect on the fact that “the most beautiful of all creation is that which was made in God’s image—that is, each one of us.”

On August 17, 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. Aphrem Cathedral in Sodertalje - Sweden.

On August 16, 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), consecrated St. Mary Church in Eskilstuna - Sweden.

On August 15, 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 on the occasion of the Feast of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, at St. Mary Church in Tumba - Sweden.

Dear brothers and sisters, 
may the Lord grant you peace! 

Today we are celebrating two important moments: the Solemnity of the Assumption of Mary and the anniversary of the foundation - precisely on August 15, 1425 - of the Olivetan Oblates of Mary (today “Oblates of St. Francesca Romana”), who were then granted the privilege of leading a regular religious life by Pope Eugene IV in July 1433. 

So allow me to re-read what we live in the light of the Word of God that we have heard. I would like to dwell first on the reading from Revelation. It is a passage that has accompanied us several times during these painful months and has given us food for thought. Indeed, it is precisely at this time that we feel a strong need for true and meaningful words for ourselves. It is precisely the pain of this time, that does not allow us to make speeches about peace that are embellished and abstract, and therefore not credible, nor to limit ourselves to the umpteenth analysis or denunciation. Rather, it is about standing as believers within this drama, that will not end any time soon. 

These are strong words spoken by Jesus in today’s Gospel passage (Luke 12:49-53). The passage is divided into two parts, which apparently do not have much in common.

In the first part (Luke 12:49-50), Jesus speaks about himself and his mission. In doing so, he uses two very strong images: that of the fire that he has lit and that of the baptism that he knows he needs to be baptized.

In the second part (Luke 12:51-53), however, Jesus speaks of the disciples and what happens to them when they allow themselves to be ignited by the same fire that Jesus ignited, when they allow themselves to be immersed in his own baptism.

"We convey to you the condolences of the President of the Republic for the martyrs of St. Elias Church in Dweilaa, and we affirm our solidarity and standing together hand in hand to build the future of Syria"

Damascus – August 13, 2025

His Beatitude Patriarch John X, Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, and President of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) for the Orthodox Family, received Dr. Maher Al-Sharaa, Secretary-General of the Presidency of the Republic, who was sent as an envoy by President Ahmad Al-Sharaa of the Syrian Arab Republic, leading a presidential delegation at the Patriarchate in Damascus. Dr. Maher Al-Sharaa conveyed the President’s condolences for the Martyrs of St. Elias Church in Dweilaa, Damascus, affirming that this crime undermines the spirit of coexistence in Syria. He also expressed the President’s appreciation for His Beatitude Patriarch John X and for the authentic Christian community, which regards the Patriarchate in Damascus as a symbol of its identity and a testimony to its pioneering role in the history of the East.

His Holiness Pope Leo XIV issues a rescript effectively placing the Pontifical Committee for the World Day of Children within the Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life.

By Salvatore Cernuzio

From an organization directly under the Pope’s authority, the Pontifical Committee for the World Day of Children—established last year by His Holiness Pope Francis to organize and coordinate the so-called “WCDs”—has now been placed within the Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life.

This decision was made by His Holiness Pope Leo XIV following an audience granted to the Substitute of the Secretariat of State, Archbishop Edgar Peña Parra, on August 6, and was made public in a Rescript.

His Holiness Pope Leo XIV has returned to the hilltop town of Castel Gandolfo, where he will celebrate Mass and enjoy the cooler weather over the feast of the Assumption of Mary.

By Devin Watkins

The Holy See Press Office announced that His Holiness Pope Leo XIV returned to Castel Gandolfo by car on Wednesday afternoon.

The Pope stayed at the papal summer residence in the hilltop town near Rome for several days in July. 

While there, he celebrated Mass in the local parish of St. Thomas of Villanova, visited the Vatican Observatory, and met with various local residents.

Dear brothers and sisters,  
dear poor Sisters of St. Clare,  
may the Lord grant you peace! 

I would like to begin my short meditation today on the Solemnity of St. Clare with a passage from the second reading, which is taken from the second letter to the Corinthians. 

God is light. And primitive man was created and clothed in light. And this light shone in the heart of man. But our heart is like earthen vessels. It breaks easily. And so it was when Adam sinned and disobeyed God’s commandment. But Christ has clothed us with light again, has restored in us the original fellowship with God. Contemplating His face, we behold God’s glory, we experience redemption, communion. Of course, we remain earthen vessels. But our limitations and sinfulness are no longer a condemnation. On the contrary, God’s strength and greatness are revealed in our weakness and sinfulness. Precisely because we are “earthen vessels”, small and sinful, it is clearly shown that “this surpassing power may be of God and not from us” (2 Cor 4:7). 

From the General Secretariat of the Greek Patriarchate of Jerusalem

On Sunday, 28 July / 10 August 2025, the commemoration of Saint John the New Hozevite, from Romania, was celebrated at the Holy Monastery of the Hozevites.

Saint John was distinguished for the high standards of his monastic asceticism and priestly calling, chiefly for his humility, despite his high education, his poverty, his vigil, and his love in Christ, and he was deemed worthy by the Holy Spirit of many gifts and miracles.

On August 11, 2025, the Memorial Day of St. Clare of Assisi, His Beatitude Patriarch Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, presided over a solemn Mass at the Clarisse Convent in Jerusalem.

The celebration was marked by the concelebration of several bishops, Franciscan friars, the Clarisse sisters, and representatives from various religious orders. Among the faithful gathered were the Deputy Consul and Head of the Religious Affairs Section at the French Consulate, coming together to honor the life and enduring witness of St. Clare.

On August 8, 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 his brother in Christ His Holiness Catholicos Aram I, Armenian Orthodox Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia, and Honorary President of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), at his residence in Bikfaya.

On August 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), received His Beatitude Mor Baselius Joseph, Catholicos of India, at the Patriarchal Residence in Atchaneh - Lebanon.

Today’s passage from the Gospel (Lk 12:32-48) is closely related to last Sunday, when the Lord Jesus told the parable of the rich fool (Lk 12:13-21): Today the meaning is clarified, the content deepened and, in a sense, we are given the key to understanding something that had been left suspended. 

On previous Sundays, we were left with some important questions: What is the good part that Mary had chosen and that will not be taken from her (Luke 10:42)? And what are the goods that do not perish, what does it mean to be enriched before God (Lk 12:21)? 

Statement Issued by the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch and All the East

Damascus, August 6, 2025

In the aftermath of the heinous attack on the Church of St. Elias in Dweilaa, Damascus, which claimed the lives of dozens of martyrs; as a reaffirmation by the Church of Antioch of the steadfast faith of Her children, handed down from their forefathers; and as a confirmation of the uninterrupted continuation of prayer services in the aforementioned church, which resumed immediately following the vile assault;

the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch and All the East hereby announces the commencement of restoration works on the Church of St. Elias in Dweilaa, Damascus, beginning next week. In the meantime, all prayer services will be held in the Church Hall until the restoration is complete.

As we remain anchored in hope, we reaffirm our unwavering commitment to the faith and, through this very steadfastness, our rejection of all fear and terror. We implore the Lord God to steer the vessel of our salvation through the turbulent waves of this world, He Who is blessed forever.