On January 1/14, 2020, the feasts of the Lord’s circumcision and of the commemoration of St. Basil the Great were celebrated with an All-night Vigil at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.

The Hagiotaphite Brotherhood went to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre at midnight and started the Service of Matins at the Catholicon. After Matins, the Divine Liturgy of St. Basil the Great was celebrated at the All-holy Tomb.

The Divine Liturgy was officiated by H.H.B. our Father and Patriarch of Jerusalem Theophilos, with co-celebrants the Most Reverend Metropolitan Isychios of Kapitolias, the Most Reverend Archbishops; Methodios of Tabor and Demetrios of Lydda, the Most Reverend Metropolitan Joachim of Helenoupolis and the Most Reverend Metropolitan Anthony of Glyfada from the Church of Greece,Hagiotaphite Hieromonks with first in rank the Elder Kamarasis Archimandrite Nectarios and Priests from other Orthodox Churches, Archdeacon Mark and Hierodeacon Eulogios.  The chanting was delivered by the Most Reverend Archbishop Aristovoulos of Madaba and Hierodeacon Simeon and the service was attended by many pilgrims from various countries, with the honorary presence of the Consul General of Greece in Jerusalem Mr. Christos Sophianopoulos with the Consulate staff.

The Divine Liturgy was followed by a litany three times around the Holy Sepulche and around the shrines.

Then His Beatitude cut the New Year Cake at the Office of Geronda Sacristan Most Reverend Archbishop Isidoros of Hierapolis and distributed to the people, wishing them “a happy New Year 2020”.

Finally, bells tolling, the Patriarchal Entourage returned to the Patriarchate Headquarters.

From Secretariat-General

On Monday, December 31, 2019/ January 13, 2020, the Patriarchate celebrated the commemoration of Saint Melani of Rome at the underground chapel dedicated to her in the Holy Monastery of Megali Panagia, which is adjacent to the Patriarchate on the south-west side.

Saint Melani belonged to a rich family, and lived in Rome during the reign of Onorius. She took a husband while still very young and bore two children, who died. Her husband and parents also died and then she sold all her belongings, went to a monastery in Egypt and fed thousands of monks and Christians. Then she came in the Holy Land, in Jerusalem and remained in this Monastery living in ascesis and turned the Monastery into a Nunnery, where many Nuns found refuge, and she reached great statures of ascesis.

Her commemoration was honoured with Vespers in the afternoon, led by Archimandrite Ieronymos with the co-celebration of Priest Nikitas and Hierodeacon Simeon and with the Divine Liturgy in the morning, led by Dragouman Archimandrite Mattheos, with the co-celebration of Archimandrite Ignatios and Hierodeacon Simeon. The chanting was delivered by the Most Reverend Archbishop Aristovoulos of Madaba and Monk Raphael, as the services were attended by the fifteen Nuns of the Monastery, Nuns of other Monasteries and local faithful and pilgrims.

After the Divine Liturgy the Abbess Nun Melani hosted the Fathers and the congregation at the hegoumeneion.

From Secretariat-General

On Thursday, December 27, 2019/January 9, 2020, the Patriarchate celebrated the commemoration of the First Martyr and Archdeacon Stephen at the Holy Church dedicated to him, which lies at the place of his stoning in Gethsemane and the Valley of the Cedars, near the Tomb of Theotokos.

According to the Book of the Acts of the Apostles (ch. 6-7), St. Stephen was elected by the Apostles to be one of the seven Deacons who were responsible for the ministering of the Refectories / the common meals in the first Christian Community of Jerusalem, which had Jews and Greeks Christians as members, because the widows of the Christians with a Hebrew descent were preferred in the common meals against the widows of the Greek Christians.

Stephen was full of faith and the Holy Spirit and for this reason the Jews brought him to the Sanhedrin. There, Stephen spoke referring to the history of the Jews and said he saw a vision with Jesus sitting on the right side of God the Father. Then the Jews arrested him, brought him to the Valley of the Cedars and stoned him to death, while a young man named Saul kept their garments and Stephen prayed “Lord, do not hold against them this sin”.

In his Holy Church, Vespers was held in the afternoon and the Divine Liturgy in the morning of the Feast, led by the Most Reverend Archbishop Aristovoulos of Madaba, with co-celebrants Archimandrite Makarios, Fr. Nectarios, Deacon Simeon and others.

After the Divine Liturgy there was a prayer at the place of St. Stephen’s stoning and after the Dismissal Archimandrite Epiphanios offered a reception.

From Secretariat-General

Two days after Christmas, on Thursday December 27, 2019/January 9, 2020, the Feast of the Synaxis of Theotokos was celebrated (one day later) at the Church dedicated to her in Beit Sahour, led by the Most Reverend Archbishop Philoumenos of Pella, with co-celebrants the Archimandrite Philoumenos, Hegoumen of the H. Monastery of Prophet Elisha, Arab-speaking Priests form Beit Sahour and the neighbouring Bethlehem and Beit Jala, and Deacon Demetrios. The Service was attended by Orthodox Christians of Beit Sahour and pilgrims.

The Episcopal Entourage and the faithful were hosted by the Hegoumen of the Shrine of the Shepherds Archimandrite Ignatios.

From Secretariat-General

On Wednesday, after the Christmas Feast, December 26, 2019/ January 8, 2020, the Patriarchate celebrated the Feast of the Synaxis of Theotokos, which is our gathering in a Meeting to honour Theotokos as the primary person among humans to participate in the Incarnation and the Nativity in the flesh of our Lord Jesus Christ. The Divine Liturgy was celebrated at the Monastic Church of Saints Constantine and Helen, with the participation of H.H.B. our Father and Patriarch of Jerusalem Theophilos, as well as Hagiotaphite Archbishops and Hieromonks, and Deacons. The chanting was delivered by the Byzantine Choir Leader of the Church Archimandrite Eusevios on the right, and by the Typikon Keeper Archimandrite Alexios on the left, as the service was attended by Nuns and pilgrims in contrition.

After the Dismissal of the Patriarchal Divine Liturgy, H.H.B., the Brotherhood and all Congregation, went to the Patriarchate Reception Hall.

The festal greetings followed, with His Beatitude’s blessing to all pilgrims.

This Feast of the Synaxis of Theotokos was also celebrated at the nearby town of Beit Jalla, with the Divine Liturgy led by the Most Reverend Archbishop Philoumenos of Pella. The Orthodox faithful of the town attended the service and everybody was offered a reception after the Divine Liturgy by the Hegoumen Archimandrite Ignatios.

From Secretariat-General

On the night of Christmas Eve, December 24, 2019/ January 6, 2020, the Episcopal Entourage came down in the Basilica through the Baptisery Gate, led by the Most Reverend Archbishop Methodios of Tabor, for the beginning of Christmas Matins.

During the Service of Matins, around 23.00 p.m. H.H.B. our Father and Patriarch of Jerusalem Theophilos came to the Altar from St. Nikolaos’ chapel and started the procedure of “taking the blessing”, the Priests followed, and they all put on their liturgical vestments.

Immediately afterward, as the kathisma “Come all ye faithful and see where Christ was born” the formal litany began to the Cave from the Main Gate of the Holy Altar, as His Beatitude was escorted on the right side by Dr. Mohammad Shtayyeh, Prime Minister of the Palestinian Autonomy and on the left by  the Greek Consul General, by Mr. Sami Daud, Prime Minister of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan and representative of His Majesty King Abdullah II of Jordan and other representatives of the Palestinian State.

In the Cave, the Gospel of the Nativity was read according to St. Luke: “In those days a decree went out from Emperor Augustus…” (Luke 2:1-20) by His Beatitude in Greek and by the Most Reverend Metropolitan Isychios of Kapitolias in Arabic.

 This was followed by a prayer and then His Eminence the Archbibishop Aristarchos of Constantina read His Beatitude’s Christmas message in Greek as per below;

 “Heaven and earth are made one today,

for Christ is born.

Today God is come upon the earth,

and man is gone up into the Heavens.

Today He Who by nature is invisible,

 for man’s sake is seen in the flesh.”

(Sticheron Idiomelo 2 – Christmas Entreaty)

Today the Church all over the world celebrates the Metropolis of the Feasts, the feast of the Nativity in the flesh of our Lord and God and Saviour Jesus Christ from the Virgin, in fullness of joy, gleefulness, thanksgiving and doxology.

On this feast the Church gives thanks to God, because being faithful, He fulfilled the promises He made to man through the Prophets. “He sent redemption unto his people” (Psalm 111:9). Being merciful and a philanthropist, “the times of ignorance God winked at” (Acts 17:30) and the times of man’s apostasy, and “became an emigrant to the land of those who had emigrated from His grace”. God sought the runaway man, the man who had run away from His communion according to St. Cyril of Alexandria (P.G. 75 908 C), found him as a lost sheep, which He reformed, regenerated, vivified, “transformed its elements” and rehabilitated in its former communion with Him in Paradise at the time of creation.

God the Father made this manifest through His Only Begotten Son. “But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons” (Gal. 4:4-5). The Father found it pleasing that “the Word was made flesh” (John 1:14). According to Saint Cyril of Alexandria; “God the Word Who was from the beginning in the bosom of the Father, suffered willingly kenosis for us and was made flesh, namely a man, humbled Himself for our sakes and became son of man, so that we might be rich in God the Father through Him, He received a body from the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary, not a soulless body, but a body with a logical soul (On incarnation, PG 77, 989D & 1092C), in order to make man “a communicant of the Divine Nature” (2 Peter 1:4). What He received by His Incarnation, namely the whole of humanity, the Lord sanctified with His life, and through the Cross, the Resurrection and His Ascension He raised it to heaven and put it on the right side of God. What a philanthropy! What a favour! What a gift! God came down to earth through Christ and raised man to heaven.

This mystery beyond nature and word took place in a specific time and place, during the reign of Caesar Octavius Augustus in Bethlehem of Judea, in the humble cave therein, with the cooperation and witness of the elements of nature and the Bodiless Hosts. These, according to the, Patriarch of Jerusalem Saint Sophronios, the theologian of the one hypostasis of Christ our God in two natures, wills and actions, were; “the motivated by the stars coming of the Wise Men, the heavenly initiation of the shepherds, the bringing of gifts and the worship” (Synodical Letter PG87, 3176D).  Wise Men Kings of Persia guided by a star and shepherds keeping the night watch, invited by Angels with the “Glory to God in the Highest and to earth peace, good will toward men” (Luke 2:14), met and fell down in astonishment and worshiped, “for they saw The One without Beginning lying down as a babe in the cave”.

This very beginning of Christ’s mysteries has been received from the eye and ear witnesses and kept intact throughout the centuries by the Church. Through this mystery, the Church educates, shapes, grants peace, vivifies and sanctifies its members. This is proclaimed to those near and afar, to the ends of the universe. For this reason, the Church exercises its peace-making mission all over the world, “the ministry of reconciliation” which was given to us by God (2 Cor. 5:18), “reconciling the world unto himself” (2 Cor. 5:19) through the Incarnation of His Son.

This transcendental and  salvific mystery is being preached by the Church of Jerusalem, the First Church of Christianity, at the place where it happened, the God-receiving Cave and the Basilica above it, which was constructed by the Byzantine Emperors Constantine and Justine, blessing its flock in the Holy Land and at all places around the world, merrily receiving all the pious pilgrims who honour Holy Bethlehem and worship the manger, “where the Uncontainable One hath reclined”, and prays for the prosperity, peace and the good state of the whole world.

And for His Excellency the President of the Palestinian State Mr. Mahmoud Abas Abu-Mazen, who honours the Feast, we wish health, strength and longevity, in order to lead His State to the gaining of all His aims, the allotment of all His rights in His native land”.

The Representative of the M.M. of the Patriarchate Priest Issa Mousleh read the Christmas message in Arabic. Then His Beatitude, the Archbishops the Priests and the Consul General venerated the star and the manger.

They all went up from the North Gate of the Cave for the litany three times around the five-aisled Basilica, chanting the Christmas Katavasiae: “Christ is born give Him glory…”, concluding in the middle of the Church for a prayer.

Matins and the Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom followed at the Catholicon of the Monastery, led by His Beatidute with co-celebrants  the Archbishops of the Patriarchate; Most Reverend Metropolitan Isychios of Kapitolias, Archbishop Aristarchos of Constantina, Methodios of Tabor, Demetrios of Lydda, Aristovoulos of Madaba, and the Most Reverend Metropolitan Paul of Drama from the Church of Greece, Hagiotaphite Hieromonks, Priests and Deacons, and the Divine Liturgy at the God-receiving Cave, led by His Eminence Metropolitan Joachim of Helenoupolis. The dismissal of the Divine Liturgy according to the Status Quo was at 3.30 a.m.

A reception followed, with the Patriarchal School Students singing the Christmas carols, and then a festal meal at the Hegoumeneion, offered by the renovator of the Monastery the Patriarchal Representative Most Reverend Archbishop Theophylaktos of Jordan.

In the morning of Christmas Day, around 9.00 a.m. according to the Status Quo, the Dragouman Archimandrite Mattheos went down to the Cave for veneration.

From Secretariat-General

The Feast of Christmas, the Metropolis of the Feasts according to the Church Fathers, was celebrated by the Patriarchate according to the old tradition in Bethlehem and at the place of Christ’s Nativity in the flesh.

1. On Christmas Eve

On Christmas Eve,  Monday morning, December 24, 2019/ January 6, 2020, the Patriarchal Hagiotaphite Entourage marched from the Patriarchate to Jaffa Gate, bells tolling, got on the cars and reached the Holy Monastery of Prophet Elijah which is locaded midway between Jerusalem and Bethlehem.

H.H.B. our Father and Patriarch of Jerusalem Theophilos was welcomed there by the Hegoumen of the Monastery Archimandrite Paissios, the customary Israeli State officials of the Political Civil Administration of Bethlehem and Hebron district, by the representatives of the Palestinian State and by the representatives of the flock of the Patriarchate from Bethlehem, Beit Sahour and Beit Jalla.

After the veneration at the Church of the Monastery, the prayer and the reception at the Hegoumeneion, the Patriarchal Entourage left, led by the customary five Israeli Police horsemen and reached the check point at Rachel’s Tomb.

There, Palestinian Police motorcyclists received the Patriarchal Entourage while on either side of the road faithful Christians, old and young people, children and infants were waiting to receive His Beatitude’s blessing. The Patriarchal Entourage reached Bethlehem Square, was received by the Patriarchal Representative Most Reverend Archbishop Theophylaktos of Jordan, the representatives of the Municipality and Prefectures, Hieromonks, and the married parish clergy of the Patriarchate and by many people, while the Byzantine choirs with Mr. Vasilios Gotsopoulos in Greek and Mr. Samour Lawrence in Arabic where chanting the Christmas apolytikion on the way to the humble door of the Basilica.

Upon entering the Basilica, they were welcomed by the Greek Consul General on the right and the Mayor of the town on the left, and marched through the middle of the Basilica, which is a unique right of the the Rum Orthodox, and going up to the ikonostasion, they turned on the right, through St. Nikolaos’ chapel and went down to the God-receiving Cave for veneration.

Going up through the north gate of the Cave, the Royal Hours of Christmas were read at the Catholicon, officiated by His Beatitude, our Father and Patriarch of Jerusalem Theophilos. The service was completed with the insence offering, and was followed by Vespers and the Divine Liturgy of St. Basil the Great, with the dismissal at 3.30 p.m. according to the Status Quo.

This was followed by the marching to the Monastery from the Baptisery Gate, where a festal meal was offered.

In the evening, around 6.00 p.m., with the hospitality of the renovator of the Monastery, Patriarchal Representative Most Reverend Archbishop Theophylaktos of Jordan, His Beatitude hosted a reception for the Palestinian President His Excellency Mr. Mahmoud Abas- Abu-Mazen, His Excellency Minister Sami Daoud the representative of His Majesty Kind Abdullah II of  Jordan the Hashemite Custodian of Christian and Muslim holy sites, His Excellency the Palestinian Prime Minister Dr. Ramzi  Khouri Palestinian Minister and Chairman of the Supreme Presidential  Committee for Church Affairs as well as many other officials and diplomats.

In addition to wished of a blessed Christmas and a happy and prosperous New Year, His Beatitude assured the audience that “In addition to our active local role, and efforts to relay the voice of Jerusalem to the world, the Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem is exercising its historic role at the international level as well”. His Beatitude further stressed that we must view in the strength of Orthodox Unity as the strengthening of the Orthodox faith, and in its weakness, a weakening of our faith.

The complete text of His Beatitude’s address is found below;

“Mr. President Mahmoud Abbas

Mr. Prime Minister Dr. Mohammad Shtayyeh

Representative of His Majesty King Abdullah II, Mr. Sami Dawood

Chairman of the Supreme Presidential Committee for Church Affairs, Dr. Ramzi Khoury

Ladies and gentlemen,

We gather today in the birthplace of Christ, the source of light that reached out to the world, the land of the Redeemer, to celebrate the birth of the Messenger of Love and Peace, in a land that longs for peace, and under a leadership  of which the main concern is to achieve peace to ensure a bright future for its people. People that have long sacrificed for their dignity, freedom and the realization of their legitimate dream of independence and self-determination.

We believe that we are able to make peace and live up to its requirements, no matter how difficult it may be. This demands that we transcend ourselves above our own limits, so that we can look at others as God sees them, and accept others as God accepts them, so that we can realize and achieve righteousness and truth for us and others.

This year’s Christmas comes, and the Middle East region is overwhelmed by regional tensions and conflicts. In Lebanon, the Lebanese are protesting against the country’s worsening economy, in Syria Christmas still holds hope that the country will see a way out of the current impasse, and hopefully this new year will be a year of security for Syrians of all political, ethnic and religious affiliations. Yemen continues its internal war, which we pray to end as soon as possible, and we pray to the Creator to give Iraq and Libya the stability they have lost years ago.

On the bright side, in the Holy Land, we celebrate the legal victory of the Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem in our battle for the defense of Jaffa Gate properties in the Holy City as part of the consecutive battles fought by the “Mother of All Churches” to preserve its  heritage, and the authentic Christian presence in the Holy Land, especially in the city of Jerusalem, which God has blessed. In addition to practicing our duty in protecting the “pilgrim route” between the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and the Church of the Nativity, between the place of Christ’s birth and the place of his crucifixion.

We are also celebrating the birth of Christ today as we have completed important housing projects in Bethlehem, Beit Sahour and Beit Jala. In 2020, we are looking forward to executing a project of 400 apartment and a commercial center in Beit Hanina, Jerusalem, where we have been working on obtaining the necessary licenses for years. This huge project will reduce immigration from the Holy City and contribute to strengthen the resolve of its people. In the same context, we are preparing this year for the restoration of St. Dimitri’s School Building in the Old City, to provide a comfortable atmosphere for students and to preserve this historic building; in addition to dozens of charitable projects which our Patriarchate is implementing with the support of its flock in particular and the community in general. And the doors of the Patriarchate shall always remain open for the flock of our community and all the Palestinian and Jordanian peoples Christians be it or Muslim. 

Mr. President,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

In addition to our active local role, and efforts to relay the voice of Jerusalem to the world, the Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem is exercising its historic role at the international Orthodox level as well. Our Patriarchate has opened its doors to host our brothers, the heads of the world’s Orthodox churches, to meet at our second home in Amman under the Auspices of The Hashemite Custodian of Islamic and Christian Holy Places, your brother Mr. President, His Majesty King Abdullah II, to discuss issues of global Orthodox unity; that in its’ strength we view a strengthening to our faith, and in its’ weakness, a weakening of our faith.

Your Excellency Mr. President.

Ladies and gentlemen

“The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us” (John 1:14), let us rejoice and pray “This is a great mystery” (Ephesians 5:32) which appeared among us. The message of Christmas is a message of love, humility, peace and a meeting of hearts. Living the love and its consequences becomes permanent through a true relationship and reconciliation between man and God, between man and his/her fellow man, through a relationship of reconciliation and openness between man and himself/herself. This reconciliation in its three dimensions fills the human heart with peace, the peace of God coming from the highest, which helps people to deal with the daily living pressures and difficulties of life, and to meet the challenges with wisdom and love. The heavenly peace, which we all desire, enables believers, with the support of divine grace, to deal properly with economic, political and social difficulties.

Christmas is the feast of joy. Joy is to find power through forgiveness and love in tears, to reap success from failure, and to achieve ascension through humility and holiness. Christmas is the feast of joy built on the rock of faith.

Your Excellency,

In the name of the “Mother of all churches” and its community, we wish you a glorious Christmas filled with holiness and love, and a blessed new year full of goodness, blessings and peace; and we thank Your Excellency for your heartfelt Christmas message.

We lastly take this opportunity to give thanks to the Supreme Presidential Committee for Church Affairs and its’ Chairman, His Excellency Minister Dr. Ramzi Khoury. As well as the Head of the Presidential Bureau Her Excellency Ms. Intisar Amarah, Presidential Protocol Department and the Heads, Generals and Officers of the different Palestinian Security bodies for their tireless efforts and contribution to the success of this year’s Christmas processions.

Along with the angels, we pray to God, ” Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth …” (Luke 2:14).”

With the above the Feast of Christmas Eve in Bethlehem ended.

From Secretariat-General

On Friday morning, December 21-2019/ January 3-2020, Matins was held at the Monastic Church of Saints Constantine and Helen of the Hagiotaphite Brotherhood.

For pilgrimage reasons the Royal Hours of Christmas were added to this Service, but according to the Typikon the Service of the Royal Hours is on Monday December 24-2019 / January 6-2020.

The Service was officiated by H.H.B. our Father and Patriarch of Jerusalem Theophilos, who read the Gospel of the 1^st Hour, while the Gospels of the other three Hours were read by Archbishops of the Patriarchate.

From Secretariat-General

On Wednesday afternoon, December 19/2019, January 1/2020, after Vespers at the Monastic Church of Saints Constantine and Helen of the Hagiotaphite Brotherhood, the Service of the Holy Unction followed, as a preparation for the forthcoming Christmas Feast. The Service was officiated by H.H.B. our Father and Patriarch of Jerusalem Theophilos, with six Archbishops as co-celebrants, to complete the number of seven. At the end of the Service, they anointed each other, the Hagiotaphite Fathers and the large number of the faithful present.

From Secretariat-General

On Tuesday, December 18/31, 2019, the Patriarchate celebrated the commemoration of our Father among the Saints Modestos, Patriarch of Jerusalem.

The Church of Jerusalem celebrates St. Modestos as a memorable Head of its Throne, distinguished on the 7^th century A.D. (632-644), the successor of Patriarch Zacharias, who took over the Patriarchal pastoral care after the Persian raid and the abduction of the latter in 614. At that time, with his God-inspired actions St. Modestos became a healer of the contrite souls and a re-constructor of Churches and Monasteries from their ruins after the Persian raids. St. John the Merciful, the Patriarch of Alexandria was his helper in this project then.

This Holy Shepherd was honoured by the Church of Jerusalem at the Holy Church-chapel dedicated to him which hosts the Saint’s Tomb, in Abu-Tor, opposite the Hill of Holy Zion, in new south Jerusalem, with Vespers in the afternoon and the Divine Liturgy in the morning of the feast, which was officiated by the Most Reverend Archbishop Makarios of Qatar, with co-celebrants the Archimandrites Ieronymos, Demetrios and Makarios and Hierodeacon Simeon, as the chanting was delivered by Mr. Vasilios Gotsopoulos and Monk Nikolaos.

During the Divine Liturgy H.H.B. our Father and Patriarch of Jerusalem Theophilos came for veneration with His entourage.

The Patriarchal and Episcopal entourages with the congregation were offered a reception at the courtyard of the Church by the good keeper of the Monastery Monk Antiohos, who has also renovated and protected the Church from the recent burglary attacks.

From Secretariat-General