The National Evangelical Synod of Syria and Lebanon (NESSL) opened its 62nd General Assembly Monday, September 1, 2025, at the Dhour Chweir Evangelical Center in Lebanon. The three-day gathering, held Sept. 1-3, brings together pastors, delegates and church leaders for worship, celebration, reflection and decision-making on the life and mission of the Synod.

The Assembly theme, drawn from Isaiah 43:18-19, is: “Do not remember the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing.” The theme underscores God’s promise of renewal and hope amid ongoing challenges in Syria, Lebanon and the broader region.

In her address, the Reverend Najla Kassab, President of the World Communion of Reformed Churches (WCRC), said the gathering reflected a message of hope: “In the middle of all the challenges the General Assembly carried a message of hope rooted in our coming together as a body of Christ dedicated to serve the people in the region and secure human dignity for all.”

On September 2nd, 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 St. Quryaqos Church in Urnus.

Their Eminences: Mor Timotheos Samuel Aktas, Archbishop of Turabdin, Mor Philoxenus Yusuf Cetin, Patriarchal Vicar of Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir, Mor Dioscoros Benjamin Atas, Patriarchal Vicar of Sweden, Mor Philoxenus Saliba Ozmen, Archbishop of Mardin, Diyarbakir and Environs, Mor Gregorius Malke Urek, Patriarchal Vicar of Adiyaman and Environs, Mor Joseph Bali, Patriarchal Assistant, Mor Christophoros Markose Abraham, Patriarchal Secretary for the Affairs of the Church in India, Mor Youhanon Lahdo, Archbishop of Sweden and Scandinavia, were also present.

His Holiness Pope Leo XIV renews his invitation for Christians to join together on September 1 to celebrate the World of Prayer for the Care of Creation, which draws inspiration from the 1,700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea and the theme: “Seeds of Peace and Hope.”

By Vatican News

On September 1, Christians across the world unite to mark Creation Day, the annual celebration of the mystery of Creation.

On August 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 (MECC) celebrated the Holy Qurobo at Mor Gabriel Monastery in Qartmin, on the occasion of his Feast. More than 6000 people gathered for the occasion.

On Thursday, the 15th/28th of August 2025, the Patriarchate solemnly celebrated the Feast of the Dormition of our most-blessed and all-glorious Lady, the Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary, in the Church of the Dormition of the Theotokos in Gethsemane.

For this feast, Vespers was held in the afternoon of the eve, presided over by His Eminence Archbishop Theophanes of Gerrash, with the participation of local faithful and a few pilgrims from abroad.

The Patriarchate of Cilicia of the Armenian Catholics announces the launch of the official website dedicated to the Canonization of Blessed Maloyan. The purpose of this website is to provide the faithful with all necessary information to participate in this major ecclesial event. It contains comprehensive details on the procedure for Lebanese citizens to obtain travel visas, in addition to complete travel packages that include airfare, accommodation, and transportation. The website also provides the required facilities for our faithful in the diaspora who wish to take part in this historic occasion at the heart of the Universal Church.

His Holiness Pope Tawadros II, Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of St. Mark, delivered his weekly sermon this evening during the Wednesday meeting from St. Mark’s Grand Cathedral in Alexandria. The sermon was broadcast on Christian satellite channels and the online C.O.C Channel, affiliated with the Media Center of the Church.

Before the Vespers prayers, His Holiness visited the art exhibition of the secondary school youth of Alexandria and took commemorative photos with the top students of the General Secondary, Technical Diplomas, and equivalent certificates.

Pope Tawadros then prayed Vespers, with the participation of Their Graces Bishop Pavly (General Bishop of the Montaza sector churches), and Bishop Hermina (General Bishop of the East Alexandria sector churches), along with the Hegumen Abram Emil (General Deputy of the Patriarchate in Alexandria), the priests of the church, some priests from Alexandria, the deacons’ choir, and a large congregation that filled the church.

His Holiness Pope Leo XIV has united his voice to the Latin and Greek Orthodox Patriarchs’ joint appeal for an end to the war in Gaza and for humanitarian aid to flow freely into the enclave.

By Devin Watkins

The Latin and Greek Orthodox Patriarchs of Jerusalem released a joint appeal for peace in Gaza on Tuesday, August 26, saying there is no reason to justify “the deliberate and forcible mass displacement of civilians.”

On August 28, 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) arrived to Mardin Airport starting his first apostolic visit to the Archdiocese of Turabdin.

With a Cross-Resurrectional ethos, today, Wednesday, the 14th/27th of August 2025, at 7.30 p.m., on the Eve of the Feast of the Dormition of the Theotokos, the Holy Sepulchre Brotherhood marched in procession from the Central Monastery to the Holy Shrine of Gethsemane for the Epitaph service, the Lamentations for the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos.

This most moving, majestic, and in many respects unique ceremony has held its place in the Church order and the Status Quo of the Church of Jerusalem for a long time.

This service was preceded by an All-Night Vigil, on the night of the 13th to the 14th of August 2025, at the Holy Tomb of the Theotokos, presided over by the Hegoumen of the Shrine, His Eminence Metropolitan Joachim of Helenoupolis.

To our beloved students,
To the esteemed parents,
To the priests and religious who serve in our Church schools,
To the principals, teachers, and educators,
To the General Secretariates of Christian Schools in the Holy Land,

The Lord May give you Peace!

We stand at the threshold of a new scholastic year. Once again, our schools throughout the Holy Land open their doors to welcome tens of thousands of students—Christian and non-Christian alike—who sit side by side at the same desks, united by a love for learning and animated by hope in the future. Each one of them is a precious gift from God, a sacred trust placed in our care.

Yet, with deep sorrow, this joy does not extend to our children in Gaza, who for the third consecutive year are deprived of their right to education because of the war. Their schools have been destroyed, their classrooms have closed. We carry them in our prayers, imploring that peace may soon prevail so that they may return to their desks and reclaim their childhood.

Lk 14: 1,7 -14

The invitation to lunch at the house of one of the Pharisee leaders provides Jesus with an opportunity to re-flect and share his thoughts with the other guests. His reflection begins with observations about the guests. As is often the case, Jesus starts with what he sees and then makes broader reflections on life, the way people live in the world, and what they strive for in vain.

He tells two short parables: The first is about the seating of wedding guests (Lk 14:8-10), while the second is a short story about inviting those to your table who can give you nothing in return (Lk 14:12-14).

Jerusalem, August 26, 2025

At the Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem and Honorary President of the Middle East Council of Churches, His Beatitude Patriarch Theophilos III, together with the leaders of the Armenian, Franciscan, Latin, and Anglican Churches, received United States Senators Chris Van Hollen and Jeff Merkley for a solemn deliberation on the grave tribulations confronting Christians in the land sanctified by the life, crucifixion, and glorious resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Jerusalem August 26th,2025

“In the path of righteousness there is life, in walking its path there is no death” (Proverbs 12,28). 

A few weeks ago, the [Israeli] government announced its decision to take control of Gaza City. In recent days, the media have repeatedly reported a massive military mobilization and preparations for an imminent offensive. The same reports indicate that the population of Gaza City, where hundreds of thousands of civilians live — and where our Christian community is located — is to be evacuated and relocated to the south of the Strip. At the time of this statement, evacuation orders were already in place for several neighborhoods in Gaza City. Reports of heavy bombardment continue to be received. There is more destruction and death in a situation that was already dramatic before this operation. It seems that the [Israeli] government’s announcement that “the gates of hell will open” is indeed taking on tragic forms. The experience of past campaigns in Gaza, the declared intentions of the [Israeli] government with regard to the current operation, and the reports now reaching us from the ground, show that the operation is not just a threat, but a reality that is already in the process of being implemented. 

On August 23, 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 Special Ecumenical Service held in Stockholm in the presence of His Majesty the King of Sweden, other royalties and dignitaries.

‏It is with great spiritual joy that I stand among you as we commemorate two great events which became milestones in the history of global christianity. Namely, the council of Nicea in 325 and the 1925 Stockholm Conference.

‏ In Nicea, the bishops and teachers of the church arrived from different parts of the world carrying with them their physical wounds as a result of different persecutions by civil authorities and spiritual wounds resulting from heretical teachings and divisions challenging the faith and unity of the church. They were able to articulate in a profound way the faith of the church in the triune God and explain the mystery of the Incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ. In reality they were seeking to restore peace and unity in the church.

On August 23, 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) met His Excellency Rev. Jerry Pillay, General Secretary of the World Council of Churches and Bishop Dr Heinrich Bedford-Strohm, the World Council of Churches moderator.

On Saturday, His Holiness Pope Tawadros II, Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of St. Mark consecrated the Church of Saint Mina in the Fleming district of Alexandria.

Upon his arrival, the clergy of the church received His Holiness with reverence, while children presented to him bouquets of flowers in a gesture of welcome. Pope Tawadros proceeded directly to the commemorative plaque marking the consecration of the church, which he blessed by making upon it the sign of the Cross. Photographs were then taken of His Holiness surrounded by the bishops, priests, and members of the church council.

Ahead of the Day of Prayer and Fasting for Peace on August 22, called by His Holiness Pope Leo XIV, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem highlights the power of prayer to open people to trust and seek to do good, even in the Holy Land, where finding common ground is nearly impossible.

By Francesca Sabatinelli

His Beatitude Patriarch Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, has expressed gratitude for Pope Leo XIV’s constant attention and hope that people’s hearts may change.

In his message to participants in the 2025 Ecumenical Week in Stockholm, His Holiness Pope Leo XIV reaffirms that "in our world bearing deep scars of conflict, inequality, environmental degradation, and a growing sense of spiritual disconnection," it is crucial for Christians to continue working and praying together.

By Deborah Castellano Lubov

"May the Holy Spirit, who inspired the Council of Nicaea, and who continues to guide us all, deepen your fellowship this week, and awaken fresh hope for the unity which the Lord so ardently desires among His followers," Pope Leo XIV said Friday in a message sent to the participants in the 2025 Ecumenical Week, taking place this week in the Swedish capital of Stockholm.