On Thursday the 30^th of October/12^th of November 2015, a group of 30 Greek pilgrims from the island of Thera and Ioannina, led by the Most Reverend Epiphanios, Metropolitan of Thera, Amorgos and Islands, visited the Patriarchate. They were accompanied by Archimandrite Christoforos Karamolengos.

The pilgrims were warmly welcomed by His Beatitude Theophilos, Patriarch of Jerusalem, in the presence of Hagiotaphite Fathers and the Hegoumen of the Monastery of Chozeba, Archimandrite Constantinos. At the meeting, the Patriarch spoke of the significance of the pilgrimage to the Holy Land and the continuous presence of the Greek parish there since the establishment of the first Apostolic Church of Jerusalem to the present day, the operation of the Highest Theological School of the Holy Cross in Jerusalem and the visits of numerous Greek pilgrims in spite of their country’s adverse situation.

The Metropolitan and accompanying priests thanked His Beatitude for meeting with them and asked for His permission to officiate at Golgotha, the All-holy and Life-giving Sepulcher and the Holy Monastery of Chozeba, to which Metropolitan Epiphanios offered an exact replica of the Holy Icon of Theotokos of Chozeba, the “Hozoviotissa”.

Gifts of love were also offered to His Beatitude, which He reciprocated by offering the Most Reverend Metropolitan an engolpion of mother-of-pearl, an icon of Theotokos Jerusalemite and the “History of the Church of Jerusalem” edition. Eulogias were also offered to all pilgrims.

From the Secretariat-General

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vDOvgLUp9dQ

On Wednesday, the 19th of October/10th of November 2015, a delegation of the Hellenic Coast Guard and the Hellenic Police/Anti-terrorist Service, accompanied by Mr Vasileios Koinis, representing the Greek Consulate-General to Jerusalem, visited the Patriarchate.

The Police delegation, headed by Major General Antonios Bakas, consisted of Mr Eleftherios Chardalias, Ms Zacharenia Makri and Mr Nikolaos Zapaniotis. The Coast Guard delegation, headed by Rear Admiral Nikolaos Patrinos, consisted of Mr Georgios Seferiades, Mr Georgios Koulikas and Mr Argyrios Markopoulos.

Guests were warmly welcomed by Patriarch Theophilos of Jerusalem, in the presence of Hagiotaphite Fathers. In the context of the meeting, the Patriarch referred to the Patriarchate of Jerusalem as the oldest religious institution in the Holy Land, its significance and role there, as well as its religious property, its substantial mediating role for the preservation of the status quo in the Holy City of Jerusalem, its religious character in particular.

On the occasion of the meeting, His Beatitude offered guests Jerusalemite eulogias and the “History of the Church of Jerusalem” edition. On their part, visitors extended thanks for the constructive information, and offered the Patriarch gifts of their love before going on to venerate at the All-holy Church of the Resurrection.

From the Secretariat-General

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RjRMIuBfGm8

On the morning of Friday, the 24^th of October/6^th of November 2015, Greek University Rectors visited the Patriarchate, accompanied by the representative of the Greek Consul-General to Jerusalem, Consul Vasileios Koinis.

The Rectors were: Mr Nikos Mylonas of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Mr Constantinos Gatsios of the Athens University of Economics, Mr Pericles Mitkas of the Aristotelian University of Thessaloniki, Mr Achilleas Zapranis of the University of Macedonia, Mr Nikolaos Kanellopoulos of the Democritus National Centre for Scientific Research, Mr Vasileios Digalakis of the Technical University of Crete and Mr Spyridon Anastasiades of the Institute of Technology and Research.

The distinguished Rectors were warmly welcomed by H.B. Theophilos, Patriarch of Jerusalem, in the presence of Hagiotaphite Fathers. At the meeting, the Patriarch talked of the Patriarchate’s position in the Holy Land through times, especially of its peace-making and balancing role in the political instability of the relation between Israelis and Palestinians, even in Jerusalem. He also referred to the preservation of the city’s status quo and indelible religious character.

The Rectors thanked His Beatitude for His words and presents and went on to ask for His blessing before carrying on a pilgrimage to the Holy Sepulcher and the other Shrines.

From the Secretariat-General

httpv://youtu.be/vxXu_mlg1TE

3–4 November 2015

Your Beatitude,

Your Eminences,

Your Graces,

Beloved Pastors,

Sisters and Brothers,

We greet you in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and we bring you the greetings of your Cristian sisters and brothers of the Holy Land. At this time of deepening crisis in the Middle East, Christians from every Church and community are united in suffering, and as we come to Egypt, where there have been many sacrifices, we wish to express our solidarity with you.

As we meet in the Executive Committee, we wish to emphasize some issues that we have mentioned before, both to the Middle East Council of Churches and to other meetings.

First we must always do our best to ensure that, as the Leaders of the Churches and Christian communities of the Middle East, we are united. We cannot allow any difference or spirit of rivalry to infect our common witness and common mission. In so many parts of our region, Christians are at risk of violence, persecution, death and exile and no persecutor is concerned with any distinctions.

As the Leadership of the Middle East Council of Churches, therefore, we must show a united front, and ensure that this united front is the sign of united action on behalf of all our faithful. We can, and we must, speak with one voice, so that people both at the Middle East and around the World see that we are working together to stop the horrific crimes that are happening to so many innocent people and that we are also working together to support and care for all those who are in any kind of need.

We recognize a special role for the Christian Leaders here in defending the Christians in this country. Egypt boasts a noble Christian civilization that goes back to the earlier centuries of the Church. Here Christianity came very early from the Holy Land, and here the first ascetics moved to the desert, where the monastic tradition flourishes to this day. Here in modern times, in addition to the Coptic Church, there are the Rum Orthodox, Roman Catholics, as well as the Anglican diocese, the groups of Protestants, all of them indigenous communities of Egyptian Christians. We in the Middle East Council of Churches wish to reassure the Church leaders of our support and encouragement in their pastoral concern for all Christians in this country.

While the Middle East Council of Churches must speak with one voice and help to lead in the service of the Christian communities of the region, we must also be in a willing partner with all people of good will, including Muslim leadership, in opposing extremism and violence, and in securing peaceful co-existence. Ours is a region in which peoples of different faiths, cultures and ethnicities have been able to live side by side for centuries and this is rich cultural diversity must be restored and even strengthened for the well-being of all.

In addition to this, the Middle East Council of Churches must continue to find ways to help the displaced and persecuted at the local level in a range of practical ways. Our relationships with Churches and non-governmental organizations outside our region are crucial. We have an obligation to enable our local communities to work in mature, organized ways and to create effective partnerships between our local communities and those outside our region, who have the capacity and the willingness to make a difference. The existence of many thousands of people in the Middle East worsens with each passing day, and they need specific assistance, from decent accommodation to health care, to education to job training.

As we look to the future, we are planning our next General Assembly. This will be a decisive meeting, and many eyes will be on us, as we respond to the current situation. This meeting will have two sections, the first, the General Assembly itself at which the Secretary General will be elected, and the second the regional and Ecumenical Church Leaders Summit.

We propose and believe that this meeting should take place in a suitable environment, such as the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. Because of its importance and the large number of people both from our region and around the world who will need to be in attendance, we consider that Jordan provides the most convenient location. In the present state of conflict, Jordan continues to be the country in which it is easiest for all the Middle Eastern leadership to gather, and it is important that we meet in the region and not outside the region if this is at all possible.

We are pleased to say that we have secured the support of His Majesty King Abdullah II for such a gathering, and we have also managed to secure the necessary funding for the meeting to take place in Amman. We encourage the Executive Committee to support the choice of Amman as the site for the Next General Assembly.

Dear Sisters and Brothers,

we face a critical time both for the Middle East Council of Churches and our region. We to whom the leadership of the Churches has been entrusted by divine providence must not shrink from taking decisive action to support an active and vibrant Christian presence in the Middle East and to oppose violence and discrimination of any kind against any individual or community.

We are living witnesses of great risks and immeasurable costs. Too many lives are been lost, too many communities dispersed, too many ancient and Holy Places destroyed. This cannot continue, and the eyes of the world look to us for responsible Christian leadership.

May God bless our common task at this meeting and may God bless all those who are working to bring peace and reconciliation to our region. As we remember the words of our Lord Jesus Christ from the Sermon of the Mount:

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.

Blessed are the pure in heart: for they will see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers: for they will be called children of God.

Blessed are they who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 5:6– 10)

 Thank you.

His Beatitude

THEOPHILOS III

Patriarch of Jerusalem.

On Thursday, the 16^th/29^th of October 2015, His Beatitude welcomed the reverend Protopresbyter fr. Antonios Kalogirou, former Principal of the “Apostle Barnabas” Hieratic School of Cyprus. Fr. Antonios was accompanied by a group of sixty pious pilgrims from Cyprus, and Metropolitan Timotheos of Bostra, Exarch of the Holy Sepulcher in Nicosia.

The guests were warmly welcomed by Patriarch Theophilos, who talked to them of the importance of their pilgrimage, of the Holy Shrines in general, that urge pilgrims towards spirituality and the quest of a more devout way of life.

From the Secretariat-General

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KuWPSLI4B_w

On Wednesday, the 15^th/28^th of October 2015, Doxology was performed at the katholikon of the Church of the Resurrection in commemoration of the 28^th of October 1940 National Day.

Doxology was held in the form of gratitude to God for liberating the Greek nation from the 1940-1944 German occupation, and also of supplication for the repose of the soul of those who fought heroically against the tyrant and fell gloriously for the national cause.

Patriarch Theophilos of Jerusalem led the Doxology with co-officiating Primates and Hagiotaphite Hieromonks, in the presence of Mr Georgios Zacharoudiakis, Greek Consul-General to Jerusalem. The service was attended by members of the Greek parish of Jerusalem and of the Rum Orthodox Arabic-speaking flock.

On the conclusion of the service, the Patriarch, Primates and guests walked to the Patriarchate, where His Beatitude addressed everyone in Greek, referring to the Greeks’ struggle against Nazism as a great miracle of mental strength, love for the homeland and unwavering faith to the Crucified and Resurrected Lord.

Mr Zacharoudiakis, the Greek Consul-General to Jerusalem, also addressed guests in Greek, saying that the 28^th of October has been indelibly marked on our collective consciousness as a foundation of national identity. “Hellenism across the world”, said the Consul-General, “celebrates this day as one of the most glorious chapters in the country’s recent history. Greeks celebrate their magnificent and unanimous decision to defend their moral stature and fight with self-denial for the preservation of their ideals, justice and liberty”.

From the Secretariat-General

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gfwRB6RIyv8

On Saturday, the 11^th/25^th of October 2015, a delegation of the National Council of Churches in Korea, consisting of twenty Koreans, visited the Patriarchate on the encouragement of Metropolitan Ambrose of Korea.

Patriarch Theophilos welcomed the head of the delegation, who addressed His Beatitude in Korean, on behalf of all, expressing their joy for visiting the Holy Land and meeting the Head of religious leaders in Jerusalem. A female interpreter translated into Greek and was congratulated by the Patriarch for her performance.

Patriarch Theophilos went on to point out that interreligious dialogue helps Christians become more aware of themselves, approaching one another and maintaining their unity against incidents of fanaticism and violence committed by men who do not know Jesus Christ as the leader of their lives.

The Patriarch then answered to questions made by members of the delegation.

The guests went on to offer His Beatitude precious mother-of-pearl cases, whilst the Patriarch offered the head of the delegation the History of the Church of Jerusalem by Chrysostomos Papadopoulos, and Jerusalemite eulogias to all members of the delegation.

From the Secretariat-General

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6bRwihhJIh8

On Friday the 10^th/23^rd of October 2015, a group of thirty nuns from St Gregory Palamas Monastery in Koufalia, Salonika, the Patriarchate. They were led by Abbess Xeni and accompanied by their priest.

The nuns were warmly welcomed by His Beatitude Theophilos, Patriarch of Jerusalem, who went on to congratulate them on their hesychastic practice in imitation of the patron saint of their Monastery, St Gregory Palamas, proponent of the Orthodox Hesychasm.

The nuns sang His Beatitude’s Polychronion in the Byzantine style, and offered handmade gifts, whereas the Patriarch offered Abbess Xeni a pectoral cross for safekeeping, and an icon of Panaghia Jerusalemite. Icons of the Holy Sepulcher were offered to the nuns.

From the Secretariat-General

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DxVRG6Pxcao

18-20 October 2015

Your Excellency, Mr. Kotzias

Your All-Holiness,

Your Beatitudes,

Distinguished Members of the Foreign Ministry,

Your Eminences,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

We bring you greetings from the Holy City of Jerusalem and from the Christian community of the Holy Land, and we commend this conference for the attention that you are giving to the subject of peaceful religious and cultural coexistence in the Middle East. The situation throughout the region is, as we all know, one of extreme difficulty, and it is clear that ways must be found for the international community to play a decisive role in ending conflict, violence, persecution, and destruction. The situation that we face is unprecedented in modern times, and the current violence threatens not only the viability of the countries of the region; it threatens our very identity.

We are encouraged by the fact that the Government of Greece plans to open a centre in Athens that will serve as an Observer of the state of affairs in the Middle East. This office will follow closely the situation, especially of Christians in our region, document the problems and violations that occur, find effective ways of making the true situation known more broadly around the world, and so make more possible international relief for those who are persecuted and suffering.

This is an important development. We are deeply appreciative to the Greek Government and to the Foreign Ministry for this initiative, and welcome it.

It is urgent that we find practical solutions and practical help without delay to bring real aid and assistance directly to those who are displaced and afflicted. For the numbers of people who are moving around our region are staggering, and now Europe is feeling the immediate impact of the reality that countless people believe they have no future in their homes in the Middle East. The countries of the region cannot continue to bear the pressure of so much migration.

We face an uncertain future, but this must not delay action. Of the many concerns that face us in the Middle East, at the top of our priority is the enduring integrity of our multi-cultural, multi­ethnic, and multi-religious landscape. We have long asserted, and continue to assert, that a vital and strong Christian presence is, and has always been, essential to the integrity and to the flourishing of the region. We have no other option than to remain steadfast and carry on our mission.

We are experiencing the reality that enormous segments of the population of a number of countries are now displaced, especially from Syria. The pressure on countries who are hosting the displaced is now unbearable at every level, especially in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. For those who are displaced, it is now practically impossible to get in or out of Jordan, for example, and among them are many Christians who are being persecuted by radical religious groups. But there are also many other religious and ethnic groups among the displaced, including Muslims, who are also being violently persecuted.

While the governments of the region and the international community search for ways to bring about peace and reconciliation in the region, in the meantime others, including the local religious leadership, have a responsibility to take action to help those in need.

Therefore we wish to make these clear suggestions to this conference, and beyond this conference, to others who have it in their power to assist in bringing aid and relief.

We are of course concerned most particularly with the children and youth among the displaced, as they are especially vulnerable. So we need not only food, but also education for the new populations of the displaced, along with the infrastructure to support them, including teachers and other staff. We also see the importance of extended school days and after-school programs to ensure that the youth of the displaced communities are occupied in worthwhile activity, and as a consequence, less susceptible to abuse, human trafficking, and recruitment into terrorist organizations.

In addition to this, there is a great need for accommodation – for housing projects. The so-called refugee camps are full, and in any case these camps are not suitable even for short-term residence. A strategy is needed to secure the kind of accommodation that is appropriate, especially for families. Once again, we acknowledge that secure homes contribute to the general health and well-being of persons and families, and also to their stability in a community.

There is an immediate need for health clinics, as well as centers that deliver practical help in the form of job-training and other concrete steps to assist the displaced to be able to work and be otherwise usefully occupied. There are too many who are now in a cycle of chronic unemployment, with no hope for the future of their children. Many, of course are suffering from health problems either as a result of being the victims of war and violence, or as a result of the difficulties of migration, and these problems must be addressed simply from a humanitarian point of view.

As you can understand from this brief presentation, the way forward is not complicated to conceive, but it can be very difficult to implement. We say this from our own experience. Our office in Amman is completely dedicated to assisting those who have been settled in the camps, and we have been building partnerships with others in this mission whose contribution, though small and symbolic, has a great moral impact. And so we encourage people to hope.

We who make the Middle East our home strive every day to find solutions to these challenges, and this is why we need the help of the international community as never before. In this regard, we are asking for partners who will work with us, who know the situation and the population intimately, who have generations of experience and who have the ability to deliver aid directly to those most in need.

From time immemorial, the population of the Middle East has been one in which civilization has thrived, in which peoples of many faiths, cultures, traditions, and ethnicities have met, and in which peoples of many faiths, cultures, traditions, and ethnicities have lived side by side, often in close and intimate interaction. This is the true Middle East, and once again we take this opportunity to thank all of you for the efforts you are making on behalf of all in our region – and to remind you of the words of Saint Paul who said, “suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us” (Rom. 5:3-5).

May God bless this conference, and may God bring peace, through our humble efforts and cooperation, to the Middle East and all our peoples.

Thank you.

His Beatitude

THEOPHILOS III

Patriarch of Jerusalem

On Thursday, the 2^nd/15^th of October 2015, His Beatitude Theophilos, Patriarch of Jerusalem, addressed a message to the Fifth Pre-synodical Conference in Chambésy, Geneva, where the Patriarchate of Jerusalem is represented by the Most Reverend Isychios, Metropolitan of Kapitolias, His Eminence Aristarchos, Archbishop of Constantina, and Mr Theodoros Yangou, Professor of Canon Law at the Aristotle University of Salonika.

To the Most Reverend John, Metropolitan of Pergamon, brother in Christ of our Mediocrity and Chairman of the Fifth Pre-synodical Conference in Chambésy, Geneva, holy greetings in Jesus Christ.

From the holy Jerusalem, the city of Basil the Great, the city of the Cross and His Resurrection, and See of the Church of Jerusalem, we address your beloved and erudite Holiness, Secretary on the Preparation of the Holy and Great Synod, the Most Reverend Jeremiah, Metropolitan of Switzerland, and all representatives of the most holy Autocephalous Orthodox Churches at the Fifth Pre-synodical Council, with brotherly congratulatory greetings and Our warm wishes for the fruition of your collaboration in the Holy Spirit, the conclusion of deliberations towards the edification and salvation of the Lord’s Orthodox people, a joint Christian testimony of Orthodoxy in the world, protection of afflicted Christians in the Middle East and the prevalence of peace in the region.

With sacred greetings from the All-holy and Life-giving Sepulcher

In the Holy City of Jerusalem, the 15^th of October 2015

Your beloved brother in Christ,

THEOPHILOS III

Patriarch of Jerusalem