On Saturday, the 17^th/30^th of August 2014, His Beatitude, Archbishop Theophilos of Jerusalem, arrived in Cyprus accompanied by the Elder Secretary-General, His Eminence Archbishop Aristarchos of Constantina, and the Reverend Archdeacon Evlogios.

His Beatitude was welcomed at Larnaca airport by His Beatitude Archbishop Chrysostomos of Cyprus and the Exarch of the Holy Sepulcher in Cyprus, Metropolitan Timotheos of Vostroi, accompanied by Hierodeacon f. Christodoulos.

From there, Their Beatitudes were driven to the recently renovated and inaugurated Exarchy of the Holy Sepulcher, where the Exarch had already prepared their welcoming.

At noon, Metropolitan Timotheos hosted Their Beatitudes and the Cypriot Education Minister, Mr Kadis, to lunch.

In the afternoon, Vespers was held at the Church of the Exarchy, led by the Patriarch of Jerusalem. In the evening, Archbishop Chrysostomos of Cyprus hosted the Patriarch, His retinue and other guests, to dinner at the Holy Archbishopric of Cyprus.

On the morning of Sunday, the 18^th/31^st of August 2014, the Joint Patriarchal and Primatial Service was led by Their Beatitudes, Patriarch Theophilos and Archbishop Chrysostomos. Co-officiating were the Exarch, Metropolitan Timotheos of Vostroi; Archbishop Aristarchos of Constantina; Metropolitan Gregorios of Mesaoria of the Church of Cyprus; Archimandrite Romanos of the Patriarchate of Antioch; Archdeacon Evlogios and Archdeacon Kyprianos. Cantors from the Youths of the Patriarchates of Alexandria, Antioch, Jerusalem and the Church of Cyprus, sang in Greek and Arabic in the Byzantine style. The participating youth observed the service and partook of consecrated bread and wine, whilst listening to Their Beatitudes’ words of blessing, consolation and spiritual teaching.

At noon, Archbishop Chrysostomos of Cyprus hosted the Patriarch, His retinue and all participating campers to lunch. During lunch, campers performed religious songs and traditional dances.

After repose, the Patriarchal and Primatial Retinues were hosted to dinner offered by Metropolitan Chrysanthos of Kition at his Bishopric.

After dinner, His Beatitude the Patriarch of Jerusalem and His Retinue boarded a Cyprus Airways flight for Ben Gurion airport.

From the Secretariat-General

On Friday, the 16^th/29^th of August 2014, H.B. Patriarch Theophilos of Jerusalem decorated Consul Aspasia Mitsi in the presence of the Greek Consul-General to Jerusalem, Mr Georgios Zacharoudiakis, and Hagiotaphite Fathers. The ceremony took place at the Patriarchate. Mrs Mitsi was decorated on the occasion of the end of her tenure at the Greek Consulate General of Jerusalem, in recognition of her devoted and fruitful services to our nation, but also to the Patriarchate in its religious, cultural and peacemaking role in Jerusalem and the wider Middle East area.

Moved, Mrs Mitsi thanked His Beatitude and pledged to devotedly serve our nation and support the Patriarchate from her new post in Vienna.

From the Secretariat-General

httpv://youtu.be/ETxtEfTIQ7I

On Monday, the 12^th/25^th of August 2014, H.B. Patriarch Theophilos of Jerusalem awarded the medal of Supreme Taxiarch of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulcher to Mr Salam Fayyad, the former prime minister of the Palestinian Autonomy.

The title was conferred on Mr Fayyad in recognition of his cooperation with and support of the Patriarchate.

Extending his thanks, Mr Fayyad pledged to carry on the aforementioned cooperation to the mutual benefit of Patriarchate members and citizens of the Palestinian State.

From the Secretariat-General

httpv://youtu.be/J2aB2W1FSpE

On Monday, the 5^th/18^th of August 2014, H.B. Patriarch Theophilos of Jerusalem conferred the honorary title of Crusader of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulcher to Mr Demetrios Makris, Managing Director of ISBS Hellas. The company is the technical support sponsor for the Patriarchate’s Web Division.

The decoration ceremony took place at the Hall of the Patriarchate in the presence of Mr Christos Nikolaou, General Manager of the Patriarchate’s Web Division, and Hagiotaphite Fathers, i.e. the Patriarchal Commissioner and the Elder Secretary-General.

Addressing Mr Makris, His Beatitude said that this honorary title is conferred on him in recognition and appreciation of his contribution to the Patriarchate’s online activities.

In his reply, Mr Makris assured His Beatitude that he will carry on with all his might, through means provided by the contemporary online technology, to support the Patriarchate so that it may maintain its religious, peacemaking, cultural and pastoral contribution to the Holy Land and beyond.

From the Secretariat-General

On the evening of Wednesday, the 3^rd/16^th of July 2014, H.B. Patriarch Theophilos of Jerusalem hosted an “Iftar”, namely a dinner on the conclusion of the Ramazan fasting period for Muslims.

The dinner was held at the Mövenpick Hotel in Ramallah, with both Muslims and Christians as guests. Its aim was to enhance the peaceful coexistence and cooperation between Christians and Muslims in the Holy Land.

Among others, guests included Mr Ziyad Baddak, Palestinian Autonomy Minister; Mr Adnan Husseini, Palestinian Ambassador to the Vatican; Mr Hanna Amire, Chairman of the Palestinian State’s Committee on Christian Affairs.

During dinner, the Patriarch of Jerusalem addressed guests in Arabic. See link: https://en.jerusalem-patriarchate.info/ar/2014/07/18/6646

From the Secretariat-General

On Monday the 1^st/14^th of July 2014, a group of fifty pious pilgrims, headed by the Most Reverend Theocletus, Metropolitan of Florina, accompanied by the Protosyncellus, Archimandrite Justinus, visited the Patriarchate.

The Metropolitan, the Protosyncellus and accompanying pilgrims were warmly received by H.B. Patriarch Theophilos of Jerusalem, and Hagiotaphite Fathers.

Patriarch Theophilos talked to the guests on the educational and sanctifying power of the Holy Shrines, those silent witnesses of the incarnation, presence on earth and salvation work of our Lord, Jesus Christ.

On the occasion of the meeting, His Beatitude Theophilos conferred on the Most Reverend Metropolitan of Florina, Prespes and Eordaia, the honorary title of the Supreme Taxiarch of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulcher. The Very Reverend Protosyncellus, Archimandrite Justinus, was awarded the title of the Crusader Minor. Both were honoured for their love and support of the Patriarchate; fr Justinus was also honoured for his services to the Orthodox faithful across the world by means of his radio show at 4ε station.

On their turn, the Metropolitan and Protosyncellus thanked His Beatitude for this distinction and pledged to happily continue their actions in favour of the Holy Shrines, their Bishopric and of the Church as a whole. After receiving the Patriarch’s blessing, they carried on their pilgrimage tour.

From the Secretariat-General

httpv://youtu.be/AdM1w1zQx1I?list=UUUJ0Grl082n5ebQS0hXtc7g

httpv://youtu.be/EbczezCX8O0?list=UUUJ0Grl082n5ebQS0hXtc7g

On Wednesday, the 19^th of June/3^rd of July 2014, the Most Reverend Eugenios, Metropolitan of Hierapytna and Sitia of the Church of Crete, heading a pilgrimage group consisting of a hundred priests and faithful of his god-saved Bishopric, visited the Patriarchate.

The Most Reverend Metropolitan of Hierapytna and pilgrims were courteously received by His Beatitude, Patriarch Theophilos of Jerusalem, and Hagiotaphite Fathers.

At the beginning of this visit, the Most Reverend Metropolitan of Hierapytna expressed his joy, emotion and gratitude to God for yet another visit to the Holy Land, the holy shrines of which have been preserved through the centuries by the Patriarchate of Jerusalem and the Hagiotaphite Brotherhood.

In His reply, His Beatitude thanked the Most Reverend Eugenios, Metropolitan of Hierapytna, for this pilgrimage initiative and explained to pious pilgrims the importance of their pilgrimage as an act of spiritual development which enhances their faith and greatly contributes to salvation.

His Beatitude went on to offer an engolpiyon [small icon worn on the chest] and cross to the Most Reverend Metropolitan, pectoral crosses to the priests, and Jerusalemite eulogias to pilgrims.

Amongst the pilgrims was the grey-haired Abbot of the “Axion Esti” Monastery of the Bishopric of Hierapytna, Archimandrite Anastasios, who offered a set of golden chalice, paten and coverings to be used during services at the All-holy Church of the Resurrection.

From the Secretariat-General

httpv://youtu.be/5VeZz5RSiGE

On Thursday the 6^th/19^th of June 2014, a meeting was held between the Presidents of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) at the Marriott Hotel in Amman.
At the meeting, the Orthodox Family was represented by His Beatitude Theophilos, Patriarch of Jerusalem, accompanied by the Elder Secretary-General, Archbishop Aristarchos of Constantina; His Eminence Archbishop Philoumenos of Pella, and the Hegoumen in Fhes, the Very Reverend Archimandrite Ieronymos.

The Roman Catholic Family was represented by the Patriarch of the Syrian Catholic Church in Antioch, Mr Ignatius Youssef III Younan; the Protestant Family by His Grace Munib Younan, Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jerusalem. His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the Holy See of Cilicia of the Armenian Apostolic Church, was unable to attend the meeting due to other obligations and authorized his co-Presidents to decide in his name.

The main topic of the Meeting, which was convened and hosted by Patriarch Theophilos of Jerusalem through the Council’s Locum Secretary-General, Mr Michel Jalakh, was to discuss and evaluate the current situation of the Middle East Council of Churches along general lines.

During their opening addresses, the Presidents of the Families underlined the significance of MECC’s work in terms of bringing out topics of concern to Christians in the Middle East and requirements for their coexistence with Muslims in these areas. Locum Secretary-General, Mr Michel Jalakh, thanked the Presidents for their support and presence at the Meeting, before informing them about the Council’s agenda on its fortieth anniversary.

The topics awaiting resolution are:

1. To overcome the financial and administrative problems the Council was recently faced with.
2. Transparency over the Council’s finances will strengthen the sponsors’ trust towards repeating their grants for the regulated operation of the Council, and their financial contribution to the needs of Christians in the Middle East.
3. Also underlined was the Council’s significance as the legal framework of the meeting between Christians in the Middle East and the urgent need to restore lost trust in it.

These topics were analyzed in Mr Jalakh’s report, which was praised and approved by the Presidents of the Council.

At noon, the Director of the Marriott Hotel hosted the Presidents and their retinues to lunch. Also invited were the Ambassadors of the European Union, Russia, Romania, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Greece, Libya, Morocco etc.

During lunch, His Beatitude Theophilos addressed those present in English, see link:  https://en.jerusalem-patriarchate.info/2014/06/19/7626

The Presidents reconvened after lunch until the evening hours of the same day.

The Statement released by the Presidents on the Meeting can be reached here: https://en.jerusalem-patriarchate.info/2014/06/19/7624

From the Secretariat-General

On Friday the 24^th of May/6^th of June 2014, His Beatitude Patriarch Theophilos of Jerusalem conferred on the Most Reverend Metropolitan Ignatius of Larissa and Tyrnavo the honorary title of the Grand Commander of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulcher, for his genuine love and support of the Patriarchate of Jerusalem, manifested mainly through pilgrimage tours to the Holy Shrines. Metropolitan Ignatius was in the Holy Land for purposes of veneration in the company of priests and a group of ninety pious pilgrims from his Bishopric.

Touched, Metropolitan Ignatius of Larissa thanked His Beatitude for the honorary distinction and promised to carry on his God-given contribution to the Holy Shrines and their guardians, the Hagiotaphite Brotherhood and the Mother of Churches.

On Friday the 24^th of May/6^th of June 2014, the Representative of Hungary to the Palestinian Autonomy in Ramallah, Mr Csaba Czibere was received by His Beatitude Theophilos, Patriarch of Jerusalem, on the occasion of the conclusion of his diplomatic mission. Mr Czibere thanked His Beatitude for the collaboration between the Patriarchate and his country, Hungary, which the Patriarch visited two years ago in order to join the celebrations commemorating St Stephen.

In the context of this visit, His Beatitude conferred on Mr Csaba Czibere the title of the Grand Commander of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulcher, as a token of appreciation for his personal support to the Patriarchate, and for his country’s financial contribution to the restoration of the roof of the Basilica of the Nativity in Bethlehem.

Mr Csaba Czibere extended his thanks and pledged to maintain his relation to the Patriarchate active, substantial and helpful, before offering the Patriarch a commemorative porcelain tray with a representation of his country.

From the Secretariat-General

httpv://youtu.be/QNTdQiywWt0