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THE PATRIARCHAL SCHOOL OF ZION CEREMONY FOR THE NATIONAL ANNIVERSARY OF MARCH 25, 1821

On the afternoon of Monday, March 12/25, 2024, a school ceremony of the Priestly Patriarchal School of Holy Zion took place for the national anniversary of March 25, 1821.

The ceremony was organized and performed by the Managing Director of the School, Elder Dragoman Archimandrite Matthaios, the teachers and the students of the School.

This event was honoured by the presence of H.H.B. our Father and Patriarch of Jerusalem Theophilos, the Chairman of the School Board, His Eminence Archbishop Isidoros of Ierapolis, the Consul General of Greece in Jerusalem Mr Dimitrios Angelosopoulos with his family, Holy Sepulchre Fathers and monks, nuns and members of the Greek Parish of Jerusalem.

During this ceremony, a preface was given by the Schoolmaster Archimandrite Matthaios and a solemn speech by the Greek Literature teacher Zoe Paparnaki, the students recited poems, sang patriotic hymns and presented on stage and on screen the sufferings of our nation during the four hundred years of hard times, death, barbaric slavery, child mutilation, unbelievable tortures, with particular emphasis on the cases of the new martyrs, who refused to convert and were martyred.

Through the acts on stage and those watched on screen, the spectators were filled with feelings of ardent faith, extreme patriotism and national pride.

Words of approval, satisfaction and praise for the success of the ceremony were expressed by H.H.B. our Father and Patriarch of Jerusalem Theophilos and the Consul General to the Principal Archimandrite Matthaios, the teachers and the students of the School, after the wish that they may have a good academic performance and become worthy successors of the Holy Sepulchre Fathers.

From Secretariat-General




SUSPENSION OF MONASTIC SCHEMA

The monastic schema of nun Marianna Agathokleous, Abbess of the Holy Monastery of Saint George in the Jewish Quarter of Jerusalem is suspended until her chastisement. The reason for this is that she abandoned her ministry and went to Australia without proper permission.

From Secretariat-General

 




VISITS TO HIS BEATITUDE

On Thursday, March 8 / 21, 2024, H.H.B. our Father and Patriarch of Jerusalem Theophilos received the Ambassador of Romania to Israel Mr Radu Ioanid.

During this visit, discussions took place about the dire situation of the war in the Holy Land and Gaza and about the relationship of the Patriarchate of Jerusalem with the Patriarchate of Romania and the State of Romania in the past and today.

In this meeting, His Beatitude underlined the absolute need for the unity of the Orthodox Churches and the contribution of the Patriarchate of Jerusalem to this matter through the Amman meeting of the Orthodox Churches in February 2020 (The Amman Fraternal Familial Gathering of the Orthodox Primates and Delegates Dialogue and Unity).

From Secretariat-General




VISITS TO HIS BEATITUDE 2024_03_06

On the morning of Wednesday, February 22/March 6, 2024, our Father and Patriarch of Jerusalem Theophilos received:

1. The distinguished professor of the Arabic language literature and steward of the Kufr-Smea Community of the northern Israel region of Acre – Ptolemais, Mr Youssef Nasser, with his lawyer son, Mr Kais, who thanked His Beatitude for His historic visit. Thanks to His many efforts, the newly built Church of Saints Constantine and Helen hosted the Patriarchal Divine Liturgy, which solved the long-standing conflict in the Community of Kufr Smea.

  1. Representatives of the youth of the Armenian Community of Jerusalem, who expressed their gratitude for His Beatitude’s support in the problem created for the Armenians by the opaque multi-year lease of land within the borders of the Armenian Community.

From Secretariat-General




VISITS TO HIS BEATITUDE

On Saturday, February 18/March 2, 2024, H.H.B. our Father and Patriarch of Jerusalem Theophilos received the people attending the Churches of the Community of Taybe, a county neighboring Ramallah, and was informed about the ecclesiastical, liturgical, social, and other various activities of their Community.

From Secretariat-General




VISITS TO HIS BEATITUDE

On Tuesday, February 14th / 27th 2024, H.H.B. our Father and Patriarch of Jerusalem Theophilos received:

  1. The German Archaeologist Dr.Dr.Dr. h.c. Dieter Vieweger for a discussion on the continuation of the archaeological excavations in the area of the hill of Holy Zion, where the Last Supper and Pentecost took place and where the Patriarchal School is housed.
  2. The new Ambassador of Georgia to Israel Mr Zaza Kandelaki for the credentials at the beginning of his diplomatic service as the representative of the country of Georgia in Israel and for the continuation of the relations of the Patriarchate of Jerusalem with the country of Georgia and the expression of thanks, because the Patriarchate agreed for the establishment of a cultural centre on the Eastern bank of the place of the Baptism of the Jordan River, with the agreement of the Jordanian Government. On the subject of the establishment of this cultural centre, His Beatitude said that the Patriarchate agreed on the condition of safeguarding its rights in the Holy Land, for which the Ambassador committed himself, thanking him for the visit.
  3. The Priest of the Zababde Community of the Samaria region Fr Lucas with his wife to discuss matters of the Zababde parish.

From  Secretariat-General




VISITS TO HIS BEATITUDE

On Monday, February 13/26, 2024, His Beatitude received:

  1. His Eminence Metropolitan Timotheos of Bostra, Exarch of the Holy Sepulchre in Cyprus for issues of the Exarchy of the Holy Sepulchre in Cyprus.
  2. Mrs Maria Zozonaki, working in the Jerusalem department of the European Union, for a discussion of support issues for the Patriarchate.
  3. Fr Yiannick Provost, Priest of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in France, with his wife Anastasia, who came to visit the Holy Places.

From Secretariat-General

 




VISITS TO HIS BEATITUDE

On Saturday, February 11 / 24, 2024, His Beatitude our Father and Patriarch of Jerusalem Theophilos received:

  1. A twenty-member group of the Turan Community of northern Israel led by their priest Fr Nektarios Raja and the Church attendants of this Community, who sought the blessing of His Beatitude and His moral and material support. His Beatitude responded to their request.
  2. The Inspector of Arabic Schools of the Patriarchate in Israel and Palestinian Authority and former member of the Jordanian Parliament, Mr Yonde Kawas and Mr George Sahar, working in the department of the World Council of Churches for matters of schools and the Patriarchate’s cooperation with the World Council of Churches.
  3. A group of thirty people from the youth of Kufr Yassif, a county in the north of Israel, led by their priest Fr Sabba Mahouli, the Elder and their son, who presented to His Beatitude in audio-visual material with the youth activities of their parish and expressed their gratitude. His Beatitude blessed them and strengthened them with a financial blessing.
  4. A three-member group of Trustees of the Zdeide Community of Northern Israel under their Priest Fr Antonio Azini, who discussed issues of their Community and praised His Beatitude for His initiative in the solution of the Kufr Smea Community issue of northern Israel.

From Secretariat-General

 




REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF BULGARIA VISIT THE PATRIARCHATE

On Thursday, February 9/20, 2024, H.H.B. our Father and Patriarch of Jerusalem Theophilos received the Bulgarian Ambassador to Israel Ms Slavena Gergova and the head diplomatic representative Mr Vesselin Delchev.

These honourable representatives of Bulgaria were informed by His Beatitude on the centuries-long and today’s multifaceted work of the Patriarchate, purely pastoral, and ecclesiastical, but also political and peaceful.

He also informed about the Synodical system of administration of the Orthodox Church and the relations between the Patriarchate of Jerusalem and the Patriarchate of Bulgaria.

From Secretariat-General

 




THE KAZAKHSTAN AMBASSADOR TO ISRAEL AND CYPRUS VISITS THE PATRIARCHATE

On Wednesday the 8th/21st of February 2024, the Ambassador of Kazakhstan to Israel and Cyprus, Mr Satybaldy Burshakov, along with his wife and a group of associates, visited the Patriarchate, as he retires from his office.

 His Excellency the Ambassador was received by our Father and Patriarch of Jerusalem Theophilos and Holy Sepulchre Fathers and thanked His Beatitude, for the excellent cooperation with his country in interfaith and peace issues and His visits to conferences organized in Kazakhstan. The Ambassador gave His Beatitude the highest award of his country.

  In response, His Beatitude awarded Mr Burshakov the medal of the Grand Commander of the Order of the Knights of the Holy Sepulchre in appreciation of his cooperation and his interest in the Patriarchate, thanked him, and wished him the continuation of this cooperation for the maintenance of peace in the Holy Land and the whole world. His Beatitude also gave Mr Burshakov’s wife an excellent painting of the city of Jerusalem

  From Secretariat-General