The Archbishop of Canterbury of the Anglican Church the Most Reverend Dr. Rowan Williams, a scholar and writer, well disposed towards Orthodoxy, has visited the Holy Land again. Previously he had visited mainly with the aim of aiding the residents of Bethlehem and had invited His Beatitude Patriarch of Jerusalem Theophilos III to participate in the Lambeth Conference of the Anglican Church (19 July -3 August 2008). On Sunday 8^th /21^st of February a reception in his honour was held at the Anglican Church of Saint George the Great Martyr in East Jerusalem by the Anglican Bishop in Jerusalem His Eminence Right Reverend Suheil Dawani. Invited to this reception, amongst others were the representatives of the Christian Churches in the Holy Land, representatives of the Department on Christian Communities of the Ministry of Religion, representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Israel and representatives of the Israeli Police in Jerusalem.

At the reception the Archbishop of Canterbury the Most Reverend Dr. Rowan Williams was welcomed on behalf of the Anglican Church in Jerusalem by the Anglican Bishop His Eminence Suheil S. Dawani who thanked him for his visit to the Holy Land, the land where, he said, Lord Jesus Christ deigned to visit in body and was Incarnated for us, the land where a small flock resides, a Christian Community which is now decreasing due to the political tension. His Eminence Suheil Dawani expressed his wish that the mutual respect between the followers of the three Abrahamic religions will constitute the basis and the foundation for peace in Jerusalem whilst retaining its beauty, which is also essentially its diversity.

In the name of the Christian Churches in the Holy Land His Beatitude Patriarch of Jerusalem Theophilos III addressed the Archbishop of Canterbury the Most Reverend Dr. Rowan Williams. His Beatitude was escorted by His Eminence Isihios Archbishop of Capitolias, His Eminence Aristarhos Archbishop of Constantina, His Eminence Dorotheos Archbishop of Avila, Hierodeacon Fr. Athanasios and the Rum-Orthodox Dr. Halil Andraous.

The address of His Beatitude Patriarch of Jerusalem Theophilos III is as follows:

“Your Grace, the Most Reverend Dr Rowan Williams

Your Eminences

Dear Brothers and Sisters

Distinguished guests

“You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your father in heaven”. (Mathew 5:13-16).

On behalf of church leaders in the holy land, We welcome His Grace, The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. rowan Williams to the holy city of Jerusalem.

We are physically only a few hundred meters away from the church of the Holy Sepulcher and a relatively short travel away from Bethlehem’s Church of Nativity.

Despite this close proximity between the two Holy cities, the faithful cannot visit one or the other freely. This situation can only be described as tragic. It is hugely unacceptable when political failures are expressed in restricting freedom of worship especially at a time when we, religious leaders, push for inter-religious dialogue and the principles of convergence and coexistence.

But not all dissimilar ideologies deal with their differences using the same methods practiced by politicians. The convergence between the Orthodox Church and the Anglican Communion carries in its spirit a role model for bringing together diverse ideologies throughout the world.

The dialogue between Orthodox Churches and the Anglican Communion began in 1973, when the Anglican-Orthodox Joint Doctrinal Discussions held its first meeting in Oxford. Through its first phase of 1976, second phase in 1984 and the conclusion of its third phase concluded in the Cyprus Agreed Statement, considerable agreement was reached over a range of issues.

We and Our Jerusalem Patriarchate of Jerusalem share these important intentions and drive for these honorable fraternal relations.

Our convergence should be developed to include more faiths and take hands –on forms of manifestation through cooperation to achieve justice and peace so as to ultimately bridge the distance between the church of Nativity and the church of Holy Sepulcher.

The current political misfortune lived in the Middle East, especially in our beloved Holy Land, carries within its reality tragic human experiences. We church leaders, guardians of faiths and carriers of holy messages intend and persevere to effect a continuation to merge through dialogue that produces practical unified vision on how responsibility can be taken towards achieving justice and peace and forming a conduit for diffusing tension and support for positive political action.

We speak with utmost sincerity about our existence as clergy and about efforts towards the realization of justice, peace and stability. At the same time, we have to be very cautious in taking the religious dimension of the political conflict and not to mistaken it for a political tool but rather as an integral part of the conflict’s resolution.

Such responsibility may touch upon causing a change in the moral climate that governs this part of the world. Such change, given the nature of the relation between human and religion in the Holy Land, can only be achieved through the solid will of religious leaders and when encouragement is given to our respective congregations to rediscover the true meaning of justice and peace in the ultimate spiritual context.

We believe that we are in the company of one of the world leaders in promoting dialogue and coexistence. The work of Your Grace in this aspect has been inspirational, to say the least, to many of us who share the same values and vision, We commend the statement given Al-Azhar University in Cairo in the Third anniversary of the 11^th of September terrorist attacks, when Your Grace pointed that the followers of the will of God should not be led into ways of violence. This drives Us to say: no doubt in my mind that The Most Reverend Rowan Williams is one of the utmost “Orthodox” believers in justice and peace for all human kind.

We would also like to extend our thanks and gratitude to our host and friend Bishop Suheil Duawani who has showed great responsibility in supporting and cooperating with many initiatives and events that serve the purpose of promoting Justice and Peace in the Holy Land.

Thank you”.

In response, the Archbishop of Canterbury the Most Reverend Dr. Rowan Williams said the following:

‘For someone to live in Jerusalem or to visit it is a grace, a blessing, a gift from God, a challenge and an opportunity to self-reflect. The work of God for mankind in the Holy Land urges and implores us to empathize with Jerusalem.  Jerusalem is a city in which all nations are called upon to live ‘Let’s rise to the mount of the Lord’. This happened on the day of Pentecost and it happens also today. Jerusalem is destined to have its gates open to everyone, but for some they are closed. For some, entrance is excluded.’

‘The way of life for the inhabitants throughout the centuries in a Jerusalem which had its doors open to everyone, sets the example for peace in the present. Let’s remember the words of the ancient ascetic hermits “our life and our death entirely depends upon the life and death of our neighbour. If our neighbour lives, we live also with him; if he dies we also die with him”.

The following Monday 9^th/23^rd February 2010, the Archbishop of Canterbury the Most Reverend Dr. Rowan Williams, escorted by His Eminence Michael Jackson Anglican Bishop of Ireland, His Eminence Suheil Dawani Anglican Bishop in Jerusalem and other clergy, visited His Beatitude Patriarch of Jerusalem Theophilos III at the Patriarchate.

During this visit His Beatitude Patriarch of Jerusalem Theophilos III addressed the Archbishop of Canterbury as follows:

“Your Grace, Archbishop Rowan

Bishop Suheil,

Bishop Michael,

Your Eminences,

Dear Fathers

With great joy we welcome you, Your Grace Archbishop Rowan, and those with you, to our Patriarchate once again.

As we welcome you, we remember with deep gratitude our time with you at the Lambeth Conference in Canterbury and the Walk of Witness against Global Poverty in London in 2008. We honor you in your archpastoral ministry of peace and justice both at home and around the world, and we recognize the care and concern that you have always shown to the Holy Land. We commend your thoughtfulness, and the wisdom and discretion that always mark your words and deeds.

We are also appreciative of the way in which, by your writings and your primatial ministry, you have helped to deepen the knowledge of Orthodoxy among Western Christians and thereby helped to a lay a further foundation for the unity of all Christians.

Your efforts to articulate the message of the Gospel in an increasingly secularized society are a reflection in a different place of the ministry of the Patriarchate of Jerusalem here to maintain the sacredness of Jerusalem and the integrity of the Holy Places in our region.

Jerusalem forms a kind of “universal parish”. Here millions of pilgrims come every year – Jews, Christians, Muslims and even those of no particular religious affiliation – and it is the special ministry of the Patriarchate to offer spiritual consolation and encouragement to all who come in search of the presence of God.

We know that you understand that a strong and vibrant Patriarchate ensures a strong and vibrant Christian presence in the Holy Land. We value your efforts on our behalf and we continue to ask for your prayers as we seek to be a living sign in the Holy Land of the message of mutual respect, reconciliation and peace that is our responsibility in the Gospel of Our Lord Jesus Christ.

And in asking for your prayers we assure you of our own prayers for you and for the unity and well-being of the Anglican Communion with which, for so many generations, the Orthodox Church has enjoyed such close and mutually beneficial relations.

Despite the current tensions within the Anglican Communion, we continue to be committed to dialogue. Our dialogue helps us all to re-discover the shared sources of the fullness of the Christian faith, especially in the Holy Scriptures as well as the Church Fathers and Saints whom we hold in common. It is by returning to the shared heritage, we believe, that we shall find the best way of healing the divisions that keep us separated from each other. For it is not in administrative structures or any form of accommodation, but in faith, that our unity in Christ will be firmly established.

This year Christians in both the East and the West enjoy the opportunity of celebrating the Feast of the Resurrection on the same day, and so we have also entered into the fast of Great Lent together.

‘Attend, O Heaven, and I will speak, and will sing of Christ,

who came to dwell among us in flesh which he took from the Virgin’.

We sing these words at the beginning of Great Lent in the Canon of Saint Andrew of Crete, and they remind us of the truth that we begin Lent with the remembrance of the Incarnation of the Logos. Our celebration of the Sunday of Orthodoxy yesterday is just this, an affirmation that God came to share our human nature, and so to teach us that our human nature comes from the same divine source.

In this spirit of our common humanity redeemed by Our Lord Jesus Christ, we bestow our Patriarchal blessing on your trip to the Holy Land, and we thank you again for your visit to the Patriarchate”.

To this address the Archbishop of Canterbury the Most Reverend Dr. Rowan Williams responded broadly as follows:

‘It is for us, Your Beatitude, Bishop of the Jerusalem Church, a particular pleasure to meet with you again. We highly appreciate the stance of your Church and Your acceptance and participation in the Lambeth Conference. We pray for your Church as the local Church of Jerusalem that contributed greatly in conserving the Christian presence and identity in the Holy Land. The increasing presence of Christians in the Holy Land is a gift from God to the world. This is indeed possible because the Lord said to Paul, the Apostle of the Nations:  “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (B’ Corinthians 12,9)

Regarding the ‘Sunday of Orthodoxy’ which You celebrated yesterday, the Anglican Church views the decision of the 7^th Ecumenical Synod on the reinstatement of the Holy Icons that they truly reflect the uncreated Light of the Lord and from Him as a source is diffused to the (faces) Saints. For all this we thank God and we thank Your Beatitude for the testimony which You give.

In light of the forthcoming visit of the Archbishop of Canterbury to Gaza the following day, His Beatitude spoke regarding the support of our Patriarchate for the people who were affected during last year’s clashes. His Beatitude spoke to the Archbishop of Canterbury about the financial and managerial crisis of the Middle East Council of Churches and the efforts of the Patriarchate of Jerusalem to upgrade its role as a Christian organization, empowering it to be a single unified Christian voice and a testament for Christians in the Middle East and for the peaceful co-existence of Christians and Muslims. For this His Beatitude requested the support of the Archbishop of Canterbury.

When asked about his Church, the Archbishop of Canterbury explained that it is founded on the apostolic faith and tradition, in which its structure is not hierarchical but based on a collective way of life and administration. However this system has a weakness in co-operation which sometimes creates difficulties, because each of the thirty one (31) Anglican Churches sometimes decides on its own regarding issues which require a collective undertaking and decision making process such as bioethics, sexuality and women in the priesthood, etc.

The Most Reverend Dr. Rowan Williams said ‘This is why we invited other Christian Churches, like Yours, to the Lambeth Conference to listen and to be of help. We have accepted the ordination of women into the priesthood and we are already facing the ordination of women to the level of Bishop which has become a serious problem for us.

In addition the Church of England takes part constitutionally in the issuing of state laws. This privilege is difficult because the truth has to be confessed in a secular environment’.

‘The Church of England has experienced a decline in the participation in sacraments of its believers over the last fifty years. In the last twenty years protestant groups have emerged with intentions rather of evangelizing and not so in participating in the sacraments.

However in the last five to six years around five hundred New Congregations of our Anglican Church have surfaced. This is encouraging, as well as the advent of approximately twenty people who were ordained into the priesthood. I consider these to be signs of God’s Grace within our Church, for which we implore Your prayers’.

His Beatitude concluded by referring to the historical connections of the Patriarchate of Jerusalem with the Anglican Church and the British Commonwealth. His Beatitude Patriarch of Jerusalem Theophilos III thanked the Anglican Church for their help towards the church of Jerusalem in Qatar during the first stages of its founding there and accepted an invitation from the Archbishop of Canterbury for an official visit to the Anglican Church when time permits.

His Beatitude offered the Archbishop of Canterbury a commemorative gift for his visit to the Patriarchate, a ceramic icon of ‘Theotokos of Bethlehem’ and the Patriarchate’s precious publication of sacred objects with illustrations from the Church of Resurrection edited by Professor Nikolaos Olymbiou. To the escort of the Archbishop, His Eminence Michael Jackson Bishop of Ireland, His Beatitude offered a book of illuminated manuscripts of the Patriarchate of Jerusalem by Professor Vokotopoulos. To the rest of the escorts, medals were given depicting 1500 years of the history of Jerusalem together with a photo album on ceremonies of Jerusalem by photographer Ms. Gali Tibbon.

The Archbishop of Canterbury kindly reciprocated by offering his Beatitude a volume of prose by English authors regarding the spirituality of the Anglican Church.

Also present at the meeting was the elderly Jerusalemite Dr. Ioannis Tlil, an old and distinguished member of the Church and Jerusalem’s community, who offered to the Archbishop of Canterbury a book entitled ‘I am Jerusalem’. This was followed by a commemorative photograph taken for the visit of the Anglican delegation with His Beatitude at the Throne.

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“Mr President,

Honourable Ministers,

Members of Parliament,

Distinguished Guests,

“For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given and the government will be upon his shoulder. His name will be called the Angel of Great Counsel; for I shall bring peace upon the rulers, peace and health by Him. Great shall be His government, and of His peace there is no end…” (Isaiah 9:5&6).

Events and gatherings such as this one are of great importance for promoting values that are greatly needed in our present day.

The special character and position of the Churches is alluring to the uniqueness of this Holy Land. Sacred and spiritual, this region is host to the three monotheistic religions; Judaism, Christianity and Islam, as well as being host to multi- culturalism and most importantly ethnico-religious diversity.  We, the community of the Holy Land in general and Christians in particular must always strive to speak united, invigorating one vision for peace and harmonious co-existence.

As we have recently said to a conference for interfaith dialogue at Georgetown University in Washington DC, in the cause of denouncing violence and promoting peace-building, the role of religious leaders, especially the clergy, is both crucial and fundamental. We do not believe that clergy should take the role of politicians; clergy have different, but equally serious ethical, social and pastoral responsibilities.  But we do consider that, just as political leaders must be shaped by the moral principles of their religious traditions, in the same way religious leaders have a role in forming congregations and communities of faithful people to exercise responsible citizenship. This role manifests itself at the grass-roots level through educating our congregations and the general public on the importance of peaceful symbiosis; in providing social services that focus on the equality of all people regardless of religious or ethnic affiliations; In taking strong positions in denouncing all forms of violent acts;  in leading and participating in public and private dialogue between different religious communities and ethnicities; And in supporting initiatives, institutions and leaders who are committed to the same social and civic good.

As we have gathered here today in a clear expression and manifestation of inter-religious history, understanding and existence, we have to admit that political polarization and ideological zeal and eagerness have increasingly posed a serious challenge to our humble efforts and great intentions. Since we have accepted the calling of the Almighty to become servants of His divine message, it is our duty to relentlessly enhance our efforts for improving the living and socio-economic conditions in which people of the Holy Land experience, thus further promoting a peaceful and just solution to alleviate the suffering of all affected.

To many people around the world the relationship between religion and political unrest has been complicated and vulnerable; It is our obligation as religious leaders, to lay foundations enabling all political efforts to defuse such complexity and present religion ad the most effective tool in reconciliation and peace building.

The historic rights, privileges and ancient customs, accorded to the Patriarchate of Jerusalem and to the Christian churches in the Holy Land, have been substantiated during the many years in what we now call the “Status Quo”. This doctrine, especially in our beloved Holy Land must be safeguarded by the understanding, respect and protection of the “laissez faire” practiced by the governing authority to ensure our very existence and help further our work of calming effect and inducement of peace.

We are appreciative of the Authorities’ efforts in facilitating the access for pilgrims and worshipers and we commend them to continue and push further this holy and important provision; and allow Us to say: “more can always be done”. In this context and to underline the concerns common to our Christian community as a whole, We acknowledge the many positive steps that the State of Israel has taken to evaluate our concerns, and We stress the need for the continuation of progress for:

–         Free movement of the faithful;

–         Provisions of entry visas for clerics;

–         Honouring the privileges of Tax exemtion sancrioned by the sacred history; and

–         The historic standing of the ownership of Church property.

The inauspicious endeavours to attaining peace should not be ignored this festive season. This should be a reminder amidst our joyful celebrations that God’s will is loud and clear for both the political and religious leadership to persevere in our commitment to reaching peace.

Our work as religious leaders in the Birthplace of the Prophetic and Incarnate message is to raise awareness amongst people that peace not war, dialogue not indifference, respect not bigotry and bridges not barriers are the way to forge lasting peaceful ties between  believers of the various faiths who share this Holy Land namely Judaism, Christianity and Islam.

Rest assured that both the Christian institutions and leadership, in the Holy Land are willing to employ their blessings and resources in furthering peace in the region because we believe that this constitutes one of the fundamental commandments of our faith which solidifies our existence and determines our mission.

Our fraternal noble wishes for this happy occasion on the New Year to all Jews, Christians and Muslims, who persistently pursued peace during times of great turmoil, as they set a role model for all those who believe in the true prophetic message of the incarnation of the divine logos. And to those, we extend our hand for assistance and offer our humble blessings.

As the custodians and servants of the Holy Places that bare testimony to the sacred history of redemption and salvation of human kind, we time and again commit ourselves to promoting peace and invite every human being to “soul searching”; in order to recognize the other’s entitlement to peace, respect and dignity; and we should always remember to behave in the same way as we woild like people to behave towards us. For it is written “…whatever you want man to do to you do also to them for this is the Law and the Prophets” (Matthew 7:12)

Your Excellency, we express our sincere thanks to you for this cordial invitation and courteous hosting. We call upon the Lord Almighty to bless this coming New Year with fruitful achievements to warm our hearts, enlighten our minds and guide all the citizens of the State of Israel to fulfillment and prosperity.

Happy New Year.

“Your Excellencies, Your Eminencies,

Distinguished participants,

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

We greet you warmly on the occasion of this important Forum, with the Christmas message, the message of the reconciliation between heaven and earth which took place on the very locality over which this blessed meeting is taking place. Two years have passed since the launch of this initiative in Amman and much have been achieved through promoting this incarnate message of reconciliation, not only between God and man, but also between humans sharing common humanity. We re-applaud the choice of subject for our work and in the difficult endeavor of the resolution of conflict and of building and sustaining peace, for the art of dialogue and listening is of supreme consequence.

While the hearts and minds of hundreds of millions of people around the world turn to Bethlehem around this time of the year, the people in Bethlehem and in the Holy Land turn their hearts and minds to the world in search for assistance, hoping for peace to reach this part of the world. For many years Christmas in the Holy Land registers an irony of reality. Jesus Christ, the incarnate Logos of God the Father, intervened our human history and liberated our humanity from the evil of darkness by shedding upon us the light of wisdom, the light of righteousness. Where the world joyfully celebrates Christmas, the people who share this very earth over which Jesus Christ delivered this message, live deprived of practical manifestation of this message of peace. From within this scene of unrest ad instability emerges this community of the Almighty as an “endangered” component of the Holy Land to add to the issues we have to address, practically on the ground, in order to fulfill the commitments we made before the Lord and amongst ourselves.

As we convene around this dedicated manifestation to inter-religious action for peace and justice in this part of the world, represented in the Palestine Israel Ecumenical Forum, we have to admit that political polarization and ideological zeal and eagerness have increasingly posed a serious challenge to our humble efforts ad great intentions. Since we have accepted the Lord’s calling to become servants of his message, it is our duty to relentlessly increase our efforts for improving the living and socio-economic conditions in which people of the Holy Land experience, thus further promoting a peaceful and just solution to alleviate the suffering.

To many people around the world the relationship between religion and political unrest has been complicated and vulnerable; it is our obligation, as religious leaders, to lay foundations enabling all political efforts to defuse such complexity and present religion as the most effective tool in peace building.

We believe that the Palestine Israel Ecumenical Forum constitutes a legitimate platform from which, to launch comprehensive and collective efforts towards achieving peace that could be felt by individuals in our communities within the Holy Land. Prophet Jeremiah laments by saying: “Pease, peace. Bur where is peace? They were ashamed because they failed”.  (Jer. 6:14-15). We are confronted with political inability to carry on, but we need to submit to the fact that there is no shame in perseverance. We encourage and stand by politicians and decision makers to be more courageous and determined as ever, in order to fulfill the Lord’s message of peace, justice and reconciliation.

The Patriarchate of Jerusalem once again loudly reaffirms its commitment and support for all peace initiatives in our beloved region and calls upon all concerned parties to join efforts and to rise up to the challenge imposed upon our common humanity in a manner that will lead to the formation of a “de facto” united front for peace in the middle east/ capable of invariably defeating all forms of extremism through dialogue and awareness.

We thank you for your invitation to give these remarks, and we pray for God’s blessing upon all of you and upon the work of this seminar and upon all people working for peace. For “blessed are the peace-makers” (Matth. 5,9).

So that the voice crying in the wilderness (Matth. 3:3) would be transformed; praising God and saying: “Glory to God in the highest,and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”(Luke 2:14).

Thank you.

Bethlehem, 11 December 2009

Theophilos III,

Patriarch of Jerusalem

A nursing home for the elderly and people with special needs with the name ‘Four Homes of Mercy’ or ‘Siksek’, has been operating continuously since 1940 in the area of Bethany, not far from the Holy Convent of Martha and Maria, the sisters of Lazarus.

This philanthropic complex of buildings was established by the personal initiative of the Siksek, an Orthodox family, with the blessing of the late Patriarch of Jerusalem Venedictos and land which was donated by King Hussein of Jordan in 1962, and operates due to the initiatives and donations from philanthropic donors, organizations, and individuals.

The residents of this institution live free of charge, and irrespective of dogma or religion, are people such as the elderly, the infirm, adults and mainly children with mental or physical disabilities that are either serious or incurable. The social offering to society of this institution is recognized locally and internationally.  The dedicated service of the personnel and the transparency of the management of the Institution provide trust for financial donations which transcend the economic stalemate and continues to operate.

This institution has on its premises an Orthodox Chapel where priests of the Patriarchate are invited to perform the Holy Liturgy and other services.

His Beatitude Patriarch of Jerusalem Theophilos III responded to the invitation of the Institution to perform the ceremony of the Sanctification of the water in occasion of the renovated parts inauguration. The renovation of these parts was possible with the sponsorship of the Welfare Association, the National Development Centre (NDC), and Liz Mulford with the French Cooperation.  His Beatitude was escorted by His Eminence Isychios Metropolitan of Capitolias, the Elder Chief Secretary His Eminence Aristarchos Archbishop of Constantina, Reverend Archimandrite Fr. Ieronymos, deacon Rev.Fr. Athanasios and Dr. Ioannou Tleel who has been a staff member for many years.

Amongst the participants at the ceremony were Mr. Gregor Manzuk , Representative of the IOCC organization, the President of the Pontifical Mission, Mr. Sami el Youssef, and the Vice President of the Wehdat  Alquds Organisation, Mr. Ahmad Rowedi.

At the entrance of the institution, His Beatitude was welcomed by the Board of Directors of the Institution and representatives of the Philanthropic Institutions of the Saint Jacob Cathedral of Jerusalem, from whence they escorted Him to the Chapel, where they chanted at the ceremony of the Sanctification of the water. His Beatitude inaugurated the renovated new parts and blessed them.  After the ceremony, a modest reception followed where Dr. Eiden, replacement Director of the Institution, addressed His Beatitude and the participants. Dr. Eiden referred to the more than seventy year old social service of the Institution and the improvement of the quality of living conditions and therapy of the patients from its renovated parts, as well as to the honour His Beatitude gives with his presence to the workers and residents.

His Beatitude praised the management, the board and the staff for the dedicated service to the patients, offered a contribution of $5,000 USD and was then shown the wards of the patients, which He blessed with the Sanctified water.

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On Monday 11^th/24^th of August 2009, His Beatitude Patriarch of Jerusalem Theophilos III, received the Archbishop and Primate of the Anglican Church of Canada Most Rev. Fredrick James Hiltz, who was escorted by the Anglican Bishop in Jerusalem Right Rev. Suheil Dawani.

During the visit a discussion was held about the jurisdiction of the Patriarchate in the Holy Land up to Qatar, where the Patriarchate recently founded a new church. A discussion was also held on the existing religious coexistence in Jerusalem and that real ecumenism is a dialogue and community in love and truth, based on the life of the Church through its history. Further discussion took place on the Holy City of Jerusalem regarding it as the centre of the world, where pilgrims arrive, give praise to God and are transformed.

This work of spiritual completeness and salvation occurs through the Church, existent throughout the centuries in a state of spirituality, yet nevertheless with its physical heritage, its fortune in the sense of the Holy Places, convents, residences, charitable and educational institutions. An important amount of the Patriarchate’s budget is disposed for its philanthropic and educational stewardship.

The Anglican Archbishop thanked His Beatitude for the welcome and audience, and referred to their meeting a year ago in the framework of the Lambeth Conference where His Beatitude Patriarch of Jerusalem Theophilos III was invited as a guest of the Archbishop of Canterbury Most Reverend Dr. Rowan Williams.

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On Thursday 13^th of August 2009, His Beatitude received Dr. Halil Antraous, a Medical doctor from the city of Koufr-Yiasif in North Galilee and member of the Orthodox Church, who is committed to the Patriarchate. Dr. Antraous was accompanied by a team of 10 representatives of the Druze community from an area of the Golan Heights under Syrian rule prior to 1967 and since then under the control of Israel. These Druze residents of the Golan Heights number around 16,000 and are separated from the rest of the Druze of Israel which number around 80,000.

Worldwide the Druze number around 1,500,000. They follow the Muslim religion along with some particular teachings of the Druze faith.  The representatives stated, that all people living in Syria are considered as ‘Arab Syrians’ and not as Muslims, Druze or Christians. An extensive discussion took place on the peacemaking and reconciliatory role of the Patriarchate for the religious co-existence of the peoples in the Holy Land.

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On Thursday August 13^th 2009, the outgoing Director of the IOCC in Eastern Europe, Mr. Dirk Lackovic-van Gorp, visited His Beatitude Patriarch of Jerusalem Theophilos III together with his successor Mr. Gregory Manzuk.

Within the scope of this visit a discussion took place regarding the charitable activities of the IOCC (INTERNATIONAL ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN CHARITIES, INC.). This organisation is supported by donations from the members of the Orthodox Churches of America, the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs and ecumenical friends. It operates a representation in Jerusalem under a staff of six employees.

During the tenure of Mr. Dirk Lackovic-van Gorp, the organisation financially assisted the Patriarchate in response to the needs of the victims of the military conflict in Gaza. His Beatitude thanked Mr. Dirk Lackovic-van Gorp for this and emphasised, to the visiting representatives of the IOCC, the activities of the Patriarchate where aid and support is needed, such as the construction of churches, housing and schools and thanked them for their financial assistance to date.

The new representative of the IOCC, Mr. Gregory Manzuk, of Slovakian and Ukrainian descent is the son of a long serving priest of the Orthodox Church in America. Mr. Manzuk is a specialist in International Relations and peace. Mr. Dirk Lackovic-van Gorp, assured His Beatitude of the continuance of the good cooperation from his successor. His Beatitude presented a gift to the new IOCC Director, a commemorative medallion, which was issued for the 2000 years celebration of Christianity.

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His Beatitude Patriarch of Jerusalem Theophilos III addressed the “East-West Dialogue Peace-Building Seminar,” which took place in Jordan, at the King Hussein Bin Talal Convention Center on August 12th, 2009.

During His address, His Beatitude expanded on the following matters:

1)    The great importance of the seminar for the potential contribution of peaceful relations in the area.

2)    The unique and symbiotic relationship that the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem, now over two thousand years old, has developed with the Arab Muslim world, and in particular with the Muslim faithful of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.

3)    The efforts for peace that have been actualized in the area, such as the “Council of the Religious Institutions of the Holy Land”, and the peaceful role that the Patriarchate can play to the forthcoming generations in the context of the basic principles of Christianity.

4)    The role of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan in the region and the peaceful coexistence of the Islamic world with the adherents of the other monotheistic religions.

The following is the full text of the speech given by His Beatitude at the seminar:

Remarks at the East-West Dialogue

Peace-Building Seminar

at the king Hussein Bin Talal Convention Center

Jordan

12 August 2009

His Beautitude

THEOPHILOS III

Patriarch of Jerusalem

“Your Royal Highness Prince Ghazi,

Distinguished Participants in this Seminar,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

We greet you warmly on the occasion of this important seminar and we applaud the choice of subject for our work. In the difficult endeavor of the resolution of conflict and of building and sustaining peace, the art of dialogue and listening is of supreme consequence.

It is right, also, that we mark at this seminar the leading role that the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan has played as a “home of peace initiatives”. We salute especially the role of His Majesty, King Abdullah II bin al-Hussein, and His Royal Highness Prince Ghazi, whose tireless efforts on behalf of all the peoples of our region and for the promotion of mutual understanding and respect among people of different cultural, ethnic and religious identity are well-known both here and around the world.

In this context we are reminded of the proclamation of The Amman Message by His Majesty in 2004, which is itself both an important exposition of the tenets of Islam as well as a milestone in the quest of peaceful co-existence between Islam and those of the other monotheistic faiths.

In these few brief remarks we would like first to highlight the role of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan in our region. Jordan is indeed the only (Arab) Islamic country in the Middle East in which there is true freedom of religion. Here, where the majority of the population is Muslim, there are flourishing communities of those who adhere to other faiths, especially Christianity. All citizens are given equal protection under the law regardless of religious affiliation and we know from our own experience that Christian and Muslim live side by side in peaceful co-existence.

But more than this, all Jordanian citizens, regardless of religious affiliation, have equal opportunities and rights, and we note the presence of Christians at every level of the society, including business and government.

This integration is a significant achievement and may serve as a model for other countries of our region. We have a long history of living together and we know and understand each other’s culture and customs.

As we think particularly of the subject of this seminar – the art of dialogue and of listening for conflict resolution and peace-building – we recall the familiar words of Our Lord Jesus Christ. In the Gospel of Luke (6:31), Jesus enunciates a central principle of Christian ethics, a principle that is shared by almost every religious tradition in one form or another:

“Do to others as you would have them to do to you”.

Known often as the “Golden Rule” this teaching is the basis of what we call the “ethnic of reciprocity”, that fundamental understanding of human society that one has a right to just treatment and one has a responsibility to ensure the same just treatment of others.

Τhis is the basis of all proper dialogue and all effective listening.

The Christian faith is not solely a private, personal matter. Christians are commanded by Our Lord to show forth their daily lives. In the Gospel of Matthew (5:16), Jesus reminds us of this with these words: “Let your light so shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven”.

This is a further summons to the Church to be actively involved in the kind of dialogue and listening that leads to the resolution of conflict and the building of lasting and durable peace.

If we may speak for a moment in more theological terms, to listen effectively is not dissimilar from the practice of prayer. Whatever we are engaged in the public liturgical prayer of the Community, or the discipline of private personal prayer and devotion, prayer is first and fore most the act of placing oneself in the presence of God in order to listen. Without the openness of the Community of faith and the individual believer to God in this profound act of listening, there can be no progress in the spiritual life. This is, we believe, a crucial basis for understanding the task of listening to our fellow human beings.

We have good models upon which to build.

The Rum Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem, having existed in this region for 2000 years, has developed deep symbiotic ties with the Arab Muslim world in general and with the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan in particular. We know the peoples of different religious traditions can live together in peaceful co-existence, for we see its fruits here. And in this way we believe that we have the full trust of others in the Islamic world.

We also believe that the Patriarchate can be a true bridge of trust in the task of the healing of memories. As we all know, memories in this region are deep and have a lasting effect on our common life. As we think of East-West dialogue, we cannot forget, for example, the searing memory of the crusades, which still colors the understanding of many in our region towards the West. This is not the only memory that must be healed, and we can all think of others.

This is not to say that others do not have an urgent part to play in the peace process. But we do believe that the Patriarchate has a unique role in reducing the effect of such bad memories between East and West. Islam first met Christianity in the Orthodox Church, and the best way forward in the healing of memories is in the mutual understanding – the dialogue and listening – between the original local Church of this region and Islam.

In this connection we note also the work of two other bodies that are engaged in similar work to this seminar. Last March we were in London for the C-1 World Dialogue which is co-chaired by the Grand Mufti of Egypt, Sheikh Dr. Ali Gomaa, and the Bishop of London, Dr. Richard Chartres. His Excellency Dr. Mustafa Ceric, the Grand Mufti of Bosnia, and we are founding Vice Chairs of this Dialogue. His Royal Highness Prince Ghazi also had had a significant role in the establishment of this Dialogue.

In addition to this Dialogue, there is the work of the Council of Religious Institutions of the Holy Land, which continues to be a force for conflict resolution and peace-making in our region. Only last week, members of the Council met in Jerusalem to examine the question of education and the provision of textbooks for schools in both Israel and the Palestinian Authority that seek to tell truthfully the complex and often difficult story of our Holy Land.

We cannot emphasize too strongly how significant the subject of this seminar is, and the potential contribution that this seminar can make to the peace process. And we would also like to emphasize the urgent need for actions to follow words. In the theological traditions of Judaism, Christianity and Islam, the concepts for “word” and “action” are closely related, and we must live out that relationship in all that we do to ensure that this region may become an even greater beacon of hope to those who seek to build a new future for humanity throughout the world.

We thank you for your invitation to give these remarks, and we pray for God’s blessing upon His Majesty and all the Royal Family, and upon all the people of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, as well as upon all of you and upon the work of this seminar.

God bless you – Thank you”

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His Beatitude Patriarch of Jerusalem Theophilos III participated in the assembly of the ‘Council of Religious Institutions of the Holy Land’ that took place on August 5^th, 2009, at the American Colony Hotel in East Jerusalem.

The ‘Council of the Religious Institutions of the Holy Land’ was first formed in the year 2005. It was formed with the initiative of the U.S. State Department and with the agreement of representatives of the three religions of the Holy Land, Judaism, Christianity and Islam, to continue and complete the task of the Alexandria Interfaith Summit, convened in 2002 at Alexandria, namely the peace initiative of religions to contribute towards the solution of the Israeli – Palestinian issue.

The primary objectives of this council are:

1. To foster an environment of mutual respect between the followers of the three religions in the Holy Land, and the respect of the Holy Places sacred therein.

2. The avoidance of defamation, offence or derogatory representations to the other, and to respect the individual dignity and freedom of people.

3. The respect of the religious character of Jerusalem, and the possibility to secure open access to the city for the followers of the three religions and all people that visit it.

The members of this Council believe that the three religions are able to contribute to the peace and reconciliation and the fostering of a political climate of detente. Without a solution to the religious problem of Jerusalem, it is not possible for a political solution to exist.

The primary theme of the present meeting concerned was of school text books for schools in Israel and the Palestinian Authority, entitled ‘The Israeli Palestinian School Book Project’. The conference started with a brief welcoming address by the convener of the Council, Rev. Dr. Trond Bakkevitz, who underlined the importance of the school text books in the schools of Israel and Palestinian Authority for the rapprochement of the two peoples, the fostering of a climate of political trust, reconciliation and peaceful coexistence.

At this meeting the following leaders of the Christian Churches of the Holy Land took part: His Beatitude Patriarch of Jerusalem Theophilos III, His Beatitude Latin Patriarch in Jerusalem Fuad Twal, and former Latin Patriarch in Jerusalem His Beatitude Michelle Sabah, Canon Dr. Shehadeh Shehadeh on behalf of the Anglican Bishop Rev. Suheil Dawani, Lutheran Bishop Munib Younan and others. The representatives of Judaism were the Director General of the Chief Rabbinate of Israel Mr. Oded Wiener, Rabbi of Savion David Brodman, the Chief Rabbi of the city of Haifa Shear Yeshuv Cohen and the interfaith advisor to the Chief Rabbinate Rabbi David Rosen.

It was not possible for representatives of the Islamic community and the Palestinian Authority to attend due to the recently created political tension. Present, however, was Mr. Basri Saleh, Deputy Minister of Planning of the Palestinian Authority, representatives of the field of education from Israel and the Palestinian Authority, and also representatives of foreign diplomatic delegations.

After the opening address of the Secretary, His Beatitude Patriarch of Jerusalem Theophilos III addressed the participants at the meeting in the name of the Christian religious leaders as follows:

Remarks at the Planning Meeting

Of the Israeli-Palestinian School Book Project

Under the auspices of the Council of the Religious Institutions

Of the Holy Land

At the American Colony Hotel

Jerusalem

5 August 2009

His Beatitude

THEOPHILOS III

Patriarch of Jerusalem

Your Excellencies,

Honourable Ministers,

Members of the Council,

Brothers and Sisters,

Dear Friends,

We greet you warmly, and we welcome you all to the Holy City of Jerusalem for this important planning meeting for the Israeli-Palestinian School Book Project. The Greek Orthodox Patriarchate remains a dedicated member and firm supporter of the Council of Religious Institutions of the Holy Land and we recognize the importance of this particular project.

The commitment of the Patriarchate to education is well known. We have a great deal of experience in the field of education in our region and our schools are well known both for the quality of the education that they provide, as well as for the welcome that we give to study, regardless of ethnic or religious affiliation.

Education is, of course, one of the chief methods, by which we are able to fight prejudice and ignorance. No society can thrive without a strong educational system and education brings with it a deeper understanding of our world and equips our young people with the tools and skills that enable them to become citizens who are able to make a contribution to our common life.

Education is not simply utilitarian: learning is good for its own sake, and we all know the benefits that come from an education, that strives to broaden the mind and challenge the intellect. In the Christian tradition we have long understood the value of a broad education.

Ignorance is the main cause of distance and difficulty between our communities, and ignorance is one of the factors of life in our region that is the most important to address and correct. Whatever our personal beliefs and convictions, we must know about each other. Jewish students must know about the Christianity and Islam; Christians must know about Judaism and Islam, and Muslims must have a basic grasp of Judaism and Christianity. And they must know and begin to appreciate each other’s histories in this region.

Jerusalem, in this case, and We mean the Old City, should be declared and turned into an inter-faith and multi-culture study centre.

In particular, we should ensure that the Old City of Jerusalem -which is a living community- remains for us a unique opportunity for interfaith and multi-cultural study. Here in Jerusalem we can experience at first hand an interfaith and multi-cultural society living in co-existence.

The future of the Holy Land depends on the building of a society of genuine diversity, mutual respect and reconciliation. In this task education is key, and the Council can and must do all in its power to ensure that our schools and young people have the best trained teachers and the best resources possible, and to this end We are pleased to support the School Book Project and We look forward to seeing the fruits of its work.

Rabbi David Rosen hereby representing the Chief Rabbinate of Israel followed His Beatitude with another address, referring to the Alexandria Interfaith Summit, the forerunner of this Council, consisting of political and religious personalities of Jewish, Christian and Muslim faiths, with their own initiative and purpose of contributing to the efforts of peace in the Middle East. He also mentioned the meeting of the religious leaders in Washington, prior to the Annapolis Summit. He thanked Rev. Dr. Trond Bakkevitz for his strength in mobilizing the initiative of peace and overcoming the disappointments of our local failures.

He also thanked the representatives of the Norwegian Government and the U.S.A for their efforts towards peace. He underlined the importance of the Council’s mission to promote mutual respect between the three religions, individual human dignity and freedom, and the stance against insult and defamation of others. “These beginnings indeed constitute,’ he said ‘the basis of a peaceful political solution and reconciliation’.

Mr. Louis Moreno, the representative of the American Embassy, continued.  Mr. Moreno noted that beyond the importance of upholding the Road Map and beyond the importance of the existence of two states, there is great importance in the avoidance of creating a climate of heated atmosphere and combating the undermining of one national entity by the other.

Successively Mr. Greg Markese emphasized the value of this Project for the preparation of the peaceful coexistence of the two peoples.

Rev. Dr. Trond Bakkevitz, in between speakers, also highlighted how important the churches, schools and the various educational organisations are in spreading the teaching about the human person as an image of God.

Following this dialogue, Chair Professor Race Wexler, a member of the Council and a representative of the U.S. State Department, underlined the importance of education for peaceful coexistence, and noted that this had been the inspiration of the ‘Council of the Religious Institutions of the Holy Land’. He analysed the methods of actualising this project through the gathering of information and acquiring knowledge through special teams, assisted by the education ministries of the countries involved in the initiative towards peace. At the end of the meeting, Rev. Dr. Trond Bakkevitz expressed his satisfaction of the level of the presentations and pointed out the absence of the Palestinian and Muslim presence. The responsibility for the appointment of these representatives lay with the Palestinian Authority.

During the lunch of the Representatives at the Council, a discussion took place regarding the drafting of a statement about the future of Jerusalem. The outline of the exchange of views was as follows:

‘This matter, namely the future of Jerusalem, was discussed by some members of the Council in Oslo and Washington. All religions have a place in Jerusalem; all religions have a historic bond with Jerusalem. When referring to Jerusalem, we mean the Old City. The heart of the problem is essentially two places of pilgrimage: the Temple of Solomon and the Tomb of the Patriarchs in Hebron. At these places there is mutual distrust between followers of Judaism and Islam. The respect for the history and the confines of each religion, as in the case of Patriarch Sofronios and the Khalif Omar Hatamb, is possible to constitute the outset for the solution of the political problem. There is the view that the political problem creates the religious one, while there is the prevailing notion that the religious problem at these sacred places is also creating the political polarization. Through education is fostered a climate of religious tolerance and coexistence’.

An examination then took place of the scheduled planning of the activities for the ‘Council of Religious Leaders of the Holy Land’ in the year 2009 to 2010. Specifically this included prioritising Jerusalem; open access to the Holy Places, education, the political interaction of the Council towards the Israeli government, the Palestinian Authority and Non Governmental Organisations.  Final concerns included the creation of a website for the Council, the appointment of new Islamic representation on the Council, and the determination of dates for the next two convocations of the Council; November 3^rd, 2009 and April 22^nd, 2010.

Chief Secretary’s Office

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His Beatitude Patriarch of Jerusalem Theophilos III visited the Holy Monastery of St. John the Baptist by the Jordan River and the traditional Biblical place where the Lord was baptised. The visit took place on Wednesday July 8^th 2009 in cooperation with the Patriarchate of Jerusalem and the Ministry of Tourism of Israel. During the visit, the Ministry was represented by its Senior Deputy Director-General Mr. Raphael Ben-Hur and his colleagues, while His Beatitude was escorted by the Elder Chief Secretary His Eminence Aristarchos Archbishop of Constantina, the Superior of St. Gerasimos Rev. Archimandrite Chrysostomos and deacon Rev. Fr. Athanasios.

This area has been a military zone since 1967 and the Israeli Defence Forces permit pilgrims to visit the site twice a year, on the 5^th /18^th of January, the eve of Epiphany, for the ceremony of the Blessing of the waters performed by the Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem and, on Holy Tuesday, for the traditional pilgrimage baptism of believers. This allowance resulted from a suggestion made by the late Patriarch of Jerusalem Diodoros I to the I.D.F authorities.

The I.D.F, in cooperation with the Israeli Ministry of Tourism, provided access to the site on the occasion of the Patriarch’s visit to view the premises of the Holy Monastery of St. John the Baptist, partially demolished since 1967 and to assess the possibility for its renovation. Approval for renovation work already exists and in order for the project to be initiated, it requires the submission of an architectural site analysis and the goodwill of a benefactor to finance the expenses.

After the visit to the Holy Monastery, His Beatitude together with Mr. Raphael Ben-Hur, the General military Commanding officer of Jericho Mr. Itzik Deri, the General military Commanding officer of Bethlehem Mr. Iyad Sirhan, the civil engineer Mr. Ofer Meital and the architect Mr. Ron Margolin, visited the place of the Baptism at the Jordan River and inspected the works carried out by the I.D.F, namely the support of the river bed for the safe access of pilgrims to the river waters and the construction of a stone platform and stone roofing for the performing of the Blessing of the waters ceremony by the Patriarch. This platform and its surroundings is the Patriarchates’ property.

The Patriarch of Jerusalem Theophilos III conveyed appreciation for the cooperation between the Ministry of Tourism and the Israeli Defence Forces which led to this facilitation, an event that preludes the gradual and permanent prevalence of peace, enabling the more frequent and easy visitation of pilgrims for their customary baptism and sanctification at the traditional Biblical place of the Lord’s Baptism.

Chief Secretary’s Office

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