On Wednesday, the 19^th of November, 2^nd of December 2014, Mr Zsolt Semjén, Deputy Prime Minister of Hungary, visited the Patriarchate accompanied by Mr Geza Mihályi, Hungarian Representative in Ramallah, and former Ambassador, Mr Csaba Czibere, Director General of the Middle East and North Africa Department.

His Excellency the Deputy Prime Minister of Hungary conveyed to His Beatitude the greetings of the President and the Cardinal of Hungary, inviting Him to visit Hungary anew, as His previous visit was fondly remembered.

In response, His Beatitude accepted the courteous invitation in due time, once His pastoral obligations will allow such visit.

During the meeting, Mr Semjén conferred on His Beatitude the supreme medal of his country, namely the Commander’s Cross with the Star, Order of Merit of Hungary (civilian division), in recognition of the harmonious cooperation between the Patriarchate and Hungary, and of the Patriarch’s support of Christians in the Holy Land.

His Beatitude gave a reply speech in English, see link: https://en.jerusalem-patriarchate.info/2014/12/02/10374

To reciprocate the honour, the Patriarch bestowed on Mr Semjén the medal of Supreme Taxiarch of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulcher.

Moved, the Hungarian Deputy Prime Minister thanked His Beatitude for this gesture, tightening the ties between Hungary and the Patriarchate, before going on to venerate at the Holy Sepulcher, Calvary and the Sacristy of the Church of the Resurrection, wherein the Holy Cross and the holy Relics are being kept.

From the Secretariat-General

httpv://youtu.be/uJ5yqzhursE

2 December 2014

Your Excellency, Dr. Zsolt Semjén Deputy Prime Minister
Distinguished Members of the Delegation,
Dear Friends
.
We welcome you warmly to the Holy City of Jerusalem and to our Patriarchate, and as we do so, we remember with warmth and gratitude our own visit to your beloved country two years ago. At that time we were impressed by the commitment of the government and the people of Hungary to the Holy Land, and we are glad that the ties that bind your country to this region are deepening.
.
The Patriarchate of Jerusalem shoulders the mission of preserving the integrity of the Holy Land. This integrity is predicated on the well-being, security, and flourishing of all our peoples. Here Jews, Christians and Muslims and others have lived together for millennia, and here we must forge a future in which all these communities can live in an atmosphere of peace, justice, and reconciliation. There is no other possible future here that respects the true identity and integrity of the Holy Land..

This means, of course, a stable and flourishing Christian community. We Christians are native to this region, and the Christian community appreciates deeply the support that we have received from the Hungarian government over the years. In addition to many other things, your government has supplied much-needed and valuable scholarships to young people in our Palestinian Christian communities, and we know the transforming effect that education has on our young people.
.
In this way, the Patriarchate forms a living bridge of spiritual encouragement between the government and people of Hungary, the Palestinian Authority and the State of Israel. At a time when our region is experiencing the breakdown of so many structures and traditional relationships, along with ensuing chaos, war, and terribly acts of terrorism and brutality, these bridges of hope are all the more crucial for us to build and maintain. We are deeply thankful for the efforts of your government in this work, and we are always delighted to welcome pilgrims from Hungary to the Holy Places, where they find spiritual refreshment.
.
Thank you for the honour that you have bestowed upon us, which we receive with humility and gratitude not on our own behalf, but on behalf of the Patriarchate, the Brotherhood of the Holy Tomb, and all the faithful of the Rum Orthodox Church in the Holy Land, and in recognition of the important bonds between the Patriarchate and our people in this region and the people of Hungary, we wish to bestow on you, Your Excellency, the Cross of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre..

May these mutual recognitions be signs of the commitment that we all must have for peace and reconciliation in the Holy Land and throughout the Middle East. May God bless your visit to the Holy Land, and may God bless all the peoples of your beloved country of Hungary.
.
Thank you

His Beatitude

THEOPHILOS III

Patriarch of Jerusalem

On the evening of Monday, the 18^th of November/1^st of December 2014, H.B. Theophilos, Patriarch of Jerusalem, visited Joppa accompanied by the Elder Secretary General, His Eminence Aristarchos, Archbishop of Constantina, and the Vice-President for Economic Affairs, the Very Reverend Archimandrite Jeronymus, Abbot in Fhes. There, Patriarch Theophilos participated in the tree lighting ceremony organized by the Boy Scouts of Joppa’s Rum Orthodox Arab-speaking Community and the Mayors of Tel Aviv and Joppa, in view of Christmas and the New Year.

In attendance at the ceremony was the Abbot of the Monastery of the Archangels in Joppa, His Eminence, Archbishop Damascene; the priest of the Rum Orthodox Arab-speaking Community of Joppa, f. Constantis, the Vice-Mayor of Tel Aviv and Joppa, the President of the Boy Scouts Association, Mr David Mansour, the President of the Municipal Council, Mr Victor Zakak, and Council members – all extending wishes for a peaceful celebration of Christmas and a happy New Year.

This well-organized event was attended by approximately two thousand residents of Joppa, Israelis and Arabs.

In the framework of this event, Christmas songs were performed, praising the Nativity as a message of peace and love for mankind.

The beautiful ceremony was sealed by His Beatitude’s address in Arabic.

From the Secretariat-General

httpv://youtu.be/KXjfEYIWO-E