On Thursday, November 4th / 17th 2011, a 50member team of the Hellenic Air Force (H.A.F) visited the Patriarchate.

This visit at the Patriarchate took place in the frame of the visit of the above team to the state of Israel for the cooperation of the military air forces of the two countries specifically for the air operation exercise in the area of Ovda in southern Israel by the name of “burning and unburnt bush”.

This visit to the Patriarchate took place with the cooperation of the Hellenic Embassy in Tel-Aviv. Spokesman of the Embassy, Colonel Nikolaos Kouroumanis accompanied the above-mentioned team. The above-mentioned team was accepted by His Beatitude our Father and Patriarch of Jerusalem Theophilos.

The head of this team thanked His Beatitude for the time he devoted for the visit to the Holy Land and to the Patriarchate and explained to His Beatitude that the success of the Mission of the team is attributable to the readiness of the armed air forces at any given moment to protect our homeland.

His Beatitude commended the members of the team on their devotion to the duty of protecting our country, on their success of their Mission and underlined the importance of their visit to the Holy Land and the Patriarchate.

The Holy Land stated His Beatitude, sanctified by the blood of the cross of our Savior Jesus Christ, safeguarded in centuries since the establishment of the first Christian foundation of the Holy Land, the Patriarchate of Jerusalem and the Brotherhood of the Holy Sepulcher, the Order of the Great. The Patriarchate and the Brotherhood perform in the Holy Land ecclesiastical, sanctifying deed through the Divine Worship, the sacraments, the education of the Orthodox congregation as well as peacekeeping and conciliatory among the conflicting ethnic and religious factors in the Holy Land.

Stating these, His Beatitude wished them to have with the grace of the Holy Sepulcher the power to protect the principles and values contested and shaken nowadays as the country, the Church and the family.

His Beatitude gave every member of the team icons of the Holy Sepulcher, the History of the Church of Jerusalem by Chrysostomos Papadopoulos and other blessings from Jerusalem and medals of the two-thousand year anniversary of Christianity.

Chief Secretary’s Office

(translated from the original document in Greek by Mrs. Irini Valasi)

On Saturday, October 30th / November 12th 2011, the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management of the Autonomous Republic of Srpska, in the frame of the wider Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Mr. Miroslav Milovanović, accompanied by one of his counsels, under the Manager of the Office of Srpska in Israel Mr. Ariel Livne and by the Special Advisor of the Delegation of this country to Israel Mr. Aleksandar Nikolić, visited the Patriarchate.

His Holy Beatitude our Father and Patriarch of Jerusalem Theophilos cordially accepted him. The attendants of the Minister presented him to His Beatitude as the newly elected Minister with a broad and hopeful vision for work regarding the development of the environment of the Republic of Srpska in the sectors of agriculture, forestry and water management in cooperation with international organizations and with factors of the State of Israel where and for this purpose their visit takes place mainly emphasizing the cooperation with the Minister of Agriculture of Israel.

The Minister thanked His Beatitude for the time devoted by Him to accept him at the Patriarchate. He considers as he said the event of his visit to the Holy Land, the State of Israel and the Patriarchate, to be of outmost importance to his life and his political service.

His Beatitude expressed joy on this visit at the Patriarchate, the very ancient religious Christian institution in the Holy Land which has always kept relations of good cooperation with the country and the Church of Serbia promoting the unity in Christ and Church of all the Sub-Orthodox Christian nations to preserve the diverse cultural, linguistic and other particularities and traditions. The Patriarchate said His Beatitude encompasses in itself the Revelation of the Old and the New Testament and practices in the Holy Land deed of sanctification for Its believers as well as peacekeeping and conciliatory for the multinational and interreligious environment where it lives. The Patriarchate has as its tactic to act in a conciliatory way for the healing of schisms within the Orthodox Church.

The escort of the Minister President of the Office of Srpsca in Israel Mr. Ariel Livne, who has recently celebrated his 90th birthday, greeted His Beatitude on behalf of the President of the Republic of Srpska and thanked him for the work that the Patriarchate of Jerusalem practices locally and internationally and for Its fine relations with the Republic of Serbska.

On this visit, the Minister gave His Beatitude an album with the cultural and forest treasures of Srpska and asked for His Blessing for the veneration at the Most Holy Sepulcher and the Holy Calvary.

Blessing them, His Beatitude gave the medal of the Patriarchate on the 2000-year anniversary of Christianity and the newly edited book of History of the Church of Jerusalem by Chrysostomos Papadopoulos.

Chief Secretary’s Office

(translated from the original document in Greek by Mrs. Irini Valasi)

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On Monday, October 25th / November 7th a group of seventy young people from the Republic of SERBSKA, accompanied by the Minister of Family Youth and Sport of the above mentioned country Mrs. Nada Tesanovic and by the advisor of the Delegation of this country in Israel Mr. Alexander Nicolic visited the Patriarchate.

They were cordially welcomed by His Beatitude our Father and Patriarch of Jerusalem Theophilos.

They, through their representatives, expressed their gratitude to His Beatitude for the reception at the Patriarchate and offered him symbolic presents of the monasteries and the art of their country.

His Beatitude speaking, commended them as young people on taking on their pilgrimage tour to the Holy Land that our Lord Jesus Christ sanctified by His presence in flesh and His work.

His Beatitude wished them to have the grace and the blessing of the incarnated, crucified and resurrected Jesus Christ saying “Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me”, (Matthew 19, 14) and “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest”. (Matthew 11, 28)

“The Patriarchate and the Brotherhood of the Holy Sepulcher”, said His Beatitude, “are guardians of these Holy Lands and witnesses of the merciful and saving work of Christ. The Patriarchate undertakes peaceful and conciliatory work among the religions, and their followers with whom the Church associates in the region of Serbia, Srpska, and the broader region of the Balkans”.

Having received the blessings and the presents of His Beatitude these young people left for their visit to the Holy Sepulcher.

Chief Secretary’s Office

(translated from the original document in Greek by Mrs. Irini Valasi)

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On Tuesday, October 19th/ November 1st 2011, 77 pilgrims, directors of tourist agencies in Russia led by the former General Director of the Ministry of Tourism of Israel Mr. Rafi Ben Hur, visited the Patriarchate.

Mr. Ben Hur explained to His Beatitude his personally taken initiative to organize pilgrimage tours from Russia to the Holy Lands located in Israel, which with God’s help and the blessing of His Beatitude has met with success and this visit is one of its fruits.

His Beatitude cordially welcomed this pilgrimage group that organized the pilgrimage tour to the Holy Land and underlined the importance of their work that is the coming of pilgrims to the Holy Land and the deriving edification and spiritual enhancement of the souls of the pilgrims because of the theory (seeing in theology) of the holy Land and their connection with the Holy Revelation of the Old and New Testament.

He also heightened the contribution of the pilgrims to the peaceful, social and political life in the Holy Land and the peaceful interfaith co-existence.

In this way, he underlined the contribution of the pilgrims to the centuries-lasting work of the Patriarchate of Jerusalem namely safeguarding the Most Holy Shrines and conducting services and liturgies in them for the help and salvation of its believers and the pilgrims.

During the above His Beatitude blessed them and wished the successful progress of their pilgrimage work giving everyone blessings from Jerusalem.

Chief Secretary’s Office

(translated from the original document in Greek by Mrs. Irini Valasi)

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On Sunday, October 17^th/30^th 2011, His Holy Beatitude our Father and Patriarch of Jerusalem Theophilos decorated in Paris His Eminence Archbishop of Komana Gabriel Exarch of the Ecumenical Patriarchate with the knighthood Cross decoration of the Holy Sepulcher.

This honorary distinction took place in the Patriarchate and in the frame of a pilgrimage visit of the Archbishop of Komana Gabriel to the Holy Land together with a group of clergy and laity fromFrance under his pastoral guidance and care.

During this visit, His Eminence celebrated in the Holy Sepulcher and concelebrated with His Beatitude at the Holy Pilgrimage of the Annunciation of the Theotokos inNazareth.

Decorating His Holy of Komana, His Beatitude stated to Him that the honorary distinction that is attributed by the Patriarchate of Jerusalem only in very special occasions,  is attributed to him due to his contribution as a clergyman and Primate to the Church in general, especially to the Zion Church Mother of Churches.

Touched with emotion His Eminence of Komana thanked his Beatitude stating that in the name of his Archdiocese, he commits himself to helping the Patriarchate actively by providing a Father of the Holy Sepulcher with a scholarship to study at the Theological School of Saint Sergius inParis or in any other way, he will be advised to.

Thanking him His Beatitude stated that in due time the Patriarchate will positively use this contribution.

Chief Secretary’s Office

(translated from the original document in Greek by Mrs. Irini Valasi)

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On Saturday, October 16^th / 29^th 2011, Delegation of The Hellenic Retail Business Association under Mr. Antonios Zaimis, General Manager with his small Escort and with the escort of the Representative of the Greek Embassy in Tel-Aviv Mr. Panagiotis Sinanoglou visited the Patriarchate.

The above-mentioned delegation was accepted cordially by His Beatitude our Father and Patriarch of Jerusalem Theophilos.

In the frame of this meeting, there was discussion concerning the progressive and under terms treated economic crisis in Greece and a wish for its effective and total treatment was expressed. In addition, discussion was conducted on the ongoing political crisis in the Middle East and on the role that Greece plays with its stance and interventions as well as the peacekeeping tactic of the Patriarchate of Jerusalem supporting the amelioration of the peace-keeping procedure and its completion.

There was also discussion regarding the creation of improving conditions in the business environment and commerce in the frame of improving relations between Greece and Israel as well as Cyprus and Israel.

Chief Secretary’s Office

(translated from the original document in Greek by Mrs. Irini Valasi)

On Saturday, 9^th/22^nd October 2011, the Abbot of the Holy Monastery of the Holy and Glorious Great Martyr George the Triumphant  in Lydda and the Commission of the Arabic speaking Greek Orthodox Community of this city visited the Patriarchate.

The purpose of this visit was to invite His Holy Beatitude our Father and Patriarch of Jerusalem Theophilos, so as to preside over the feast of the Inauguration of the Holy Church of  Saint George in Lydda and the transporting of this venerable body on the 3^rd/17^th of the following November.

His Beatitude asked them about the activities and the progress of the Community in general and about the progress of the Youth and the Sunday school, gave them His blessings and promised that with God’s help he will respond positively, to preside over the all-embracing feast of Saint George.

Chief Secretary’s Office

(translated from the original document in Greek by Mrs. Irini Valasi)

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On Monday, October 4^th / 17^th 2011, a twenty-member group of nuns from the Holy Monastery of Saint John the Theologist under their Mother Superior nun Episteme, being on a pilgrimage visit to the Holy Land visited the Patriarchate.

The nuns paid their respects to His Beatitude our Father and Patriarch of Jerusalem Theophilos who accepted them warmly and chanted to Him “God grant You many years”/ “Eis Polla Eti Despota” and “Preserve, O Lord, our Master and Hierarch…” / “Ton Despotin kai Arhierea…”

His Beatitude welcomed them stating that they are sanctified by their visit to the Holy Calvary and the Most Holy Sepulcher and the other Holy Lands which received the blood of Jesus and were given life by the blood of the crucifixion, the life-giving and saving blood of Christ, becoming witnesses of Christ’s Salvation Act in the lands where It was conducted and stronger in their spiritual and ascetic strive.

His Beatitude wished them a successful and effectual continuation of their ascetic strives with the power of the Most Precious Cross and the Most Holy and Life-giving Sepulcher and gave them blessings from Jerusalem.

Chief Secretary’s Office

(translated from the original document in Greek by Mrs. Irini Valasi)

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On Wednesday, September 29^th /October 12^th 2011, a group of 40 Orthodox young people and artists from Ukraine, being on a pilgrimage visit to the Holy Land, with the blessing and order of His Beatitude Metropolitan of Kiev Vladimir and in cooperation with the Palestinian Autonomy escorted by Mrs. Anna Kabanova from Ukraine, President of the Society of the Ukraine-Palestinian friendship and Mrs. Violet Araz, secretary of  Mr. Hanna Issa, in charge of the department of help of the Churches next to the President of the Palestinian Autonomy Mr. Mahmud Abbas Abu Mazen, visited the Patriarchate.

His Beatitude our Father and Patriarch of Jerusalem Theophilos accepted these individuals cordially, gave His blessings and congratulated them on their musical and artistic performances. These young people, who constitute a choir, sang to His Beatitude church hymns and traditional moving songs from Ukraine.

Having all received the blessing of His Beatitude and the presents from Jerusalem He gave, they continued in order to venerate the Most Holy Sepulcher.

Chief Secretary’s Office

(translated from the original document in Greek by Mrs. Irini Valasi)

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On Sunday, September 26^th /October 9^th 2011, a small group of pilgrims from Georgia visited the Patriarchate as a delegation on behalf of the Patriarchate of Georgia. The delegation was led by the secretary of the Patriarchate of Georgia Mrs. S. Tinatin and members of the Embassy of Georgia in Tel-Aviv.

The above mentioned delegation was accepted at the Patriarchate by His Holy Beatitude our Father and Patriarch of Jerusalem Theophilos who, welcoming them, spoke about the duty of the sister Orthodox Churches to cooperate based on mutual respect, love and peace in Christ for the benefit and interests of the souls of their congregation.

The above-mentioned delegation expressed the wish of His Beatitude Patriarch of Georgia Helias to visit the Holy Land and the Patriarchate in private since he had already paid his visit for peace to the patriarchate some years ago.

His Holy Beatitude accepted this request to be realized in due time and all the necessary for that visit preparation.

Wishing them farewell, His Beatitude provided them with the medal of the 2000 years of Christianity and the book of the History of the Church of Jerusalem by the Father of the Holy Sepulcher Archbishop of Athens Chrisostomos Papadopoulos with pictures of the Most Holy Sepulcher and a CD with Its History.

Chief Secretary’s Office

(translated from the original document in Greek by Mrs. Irini Valasi)

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