On Monday, the 11^th/24^th of August 2015, representatives of the Al-Quds University in the Jerusalem suburb of Abu Dis, namely its President, Imad Abu Kishek, and Archaeology professor, Salah Al-Houdalieh, visited the Patriarchate.

They were welcomed by H.B. Theophilos, Patriarch of Jerusalem, in the presence of Hagiotaphite Fathers.

The aim of the visit was to personally inform the Patriarch on the recent archaeological excavation in the city of Ramallah, specifically on land owned by the Patriarchate, which brought to light remarkable remains of a 4^th c. AD Church and Monastery on the burial site of St Stephen the Protomartyr.

His Beatitude thanked the President and the Archaeology Professor of the University for the significant archaeological work they have performed, that led to the discovery of the remnants of a Church dating from the dawn of Christianity on the Holy Land. He also praised Archimandrite Galaktion, Hegoumen at the Monastery of the Transfiguration in Ramallah, for cooperating with the University. The cooperation, the Patriarch noted, greatly contributes to the peaceful coexistence between Christians and Muslims on the Holy Land. He went on to bestow on His guests the Patriarchate’s medal, minted on its 1500 anniversary, also offering financial aid for the continuation of the archaeological excavation.

From the Secretariat-General

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0BcBhTI14vY

On Thursday, the 8^th/20^th of August, a delegation of ten officials of the Bulgarian Government and esteemed members of the Bulgarian society, performing humanitarian work under Mr Ragev Menasche from Israel, visited the Patriarchate.

The distinguished guests were welcomed by Patriarch Theophilos of Jerusalem and Hagiotaphite Fathers, as citizens of a country with which the Patriarchate has always maintained harmonious relations, hence why the visit of government officials.

Guests extended their thanks to His Beatitude and received the so called “Grammata” in Slavic, namely a certificate of pilgrimage and the Patriarch’s blessing, before proceeding to venerate at the Holy Sepulcher.

From the Secretariat-General

On the day after the feast of the Transfiguration, namely the 7^th/20^th of August 2015, His Eminence Methodios, Archbishop of Tabor, offered a valuable and elaborately made Primatial Staff to the Monastery of the Transfiguration on Mount Tabor, to be kept there as a relic.

The Staff was delivered to the Patriarch at the Patriarchate in the presence of Metropolitan Kyriakos of Nazareth, Archbishop Aristarchos of Constantina and other Hagiotaphite Fathers.

His Beatitude praised the Archbishop of Tabor and expressed the wish that his example be emulated by other Hagiotaphites.

From the Secretariat-General

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9s4oM1eLhLo

Tel Aviv, 21 June 2015

His Holiness,

The Patriarch Theophilos III of Jerusalem

Shalom,

It gives me great pleasure to invite you to meet with the alumni of the Academic Exchange Mission to Israel, who participate in the 2015 mission.

As you may know, the Academic Exchange (AE) is an initiative of the Yitzhak Rabin Center in Israel. Our primary mission is to strengthen the academic community’s understanding and perception of Israel via educational missions.

This summer, the Yitzhak Rabin Center will host a delegation of Political Science and International Affairs professors from leading academic institutions worldwide. This mission’s interest lies within the subjects of: Regional Demographic Changes, Minorities in Israel and their implications on Regional Political Solutions. Moreover, the participants will tour the breadth and width of the country in order to gain insight into its unique and complex political, religious and security issues.

It would be an honor to meet with you and have an open discussion with the professors on Friday, Aug 14, 2015 at 9:00am-10;00pm in “The Church of Nativity” in Bethlehem.

Cordially,

Dalia Rabin

Chairwoman, Yitzhak Rabin Center

The Yitzhak Rabin Center, 77 Rokacfa Blvd. PO Box 17538, Tel Aviv 61175, Tel.: +972-3-745-3333, Fax: +972-3-745-3355

On Thursday, the 31^st of July/13^th of August 2015, a group of thirty young men and women from the Patriarchate’s Greek Orthodox Community in Nazareth, led by their Presbyter, f. Lazaros, visited the Patriarchate.

They were welcomed by H.B. Patriarch Theophilos of Jerusalem and Hagiotaphite Fathers.

On behalf of the group, father Lazaros thanked the Patriarch for the Patriarchate’s assistance in securing accommodation for the youth in the summer camps of the Holy Metropolis of Serres, with the kind consent of Metropolitan Theologos of Serres.

The Patriarch blessed the youth and paternally advised them to frequently and devotedly participate in the life of the Orthodox Church, in which they have become members through the sacrament of Baptism.

The group then went on to continue their pilgrimage at the All-holy and Life-giving Sepulcher of the Lord.

From the Secretariat-General

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DHZC0noFBzo

On Wednesday the 30^th of July/12^th of August 2015, H.B. Theophilos, Patriarch of Jerusalem, in the presence of Hagiotaphite Fathers, met with Ms Maha Darawsha, hailing from Nazareth, now a professor of Archaeology at Hartford University, Connecticut. The meeting took place at the Patriarchate.

On a computer screen, the professor presented to His Beatitude and the Fathers the finds of excavations she had recently conducted, namely the numerous surviving parts of a Byzantine church dating from the 4^th and the 11^th c. AD, over and south to the Patriarchate’s Shrine of the Annunciation in Nazareth.

His Beatitude praised Ms Darawsha for her significant archaeological work, which reveals the roots of the Byzantine Church in the Holy Land, and expressed wishes that this work be continued over the next year. Lastly, the Patriarch offered Ms Darawsha and her son, Adam, a memento of Jerusalem.

From the Secretariat-General

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sKFziU1A–I

On Tuesday, the 29^th of July/11^th of August 2015, Mr Hejab Al-Jabra and Mr Kifah Barakat, heads of the relations between the Palestinians of the occupied areas and the Israeli Army, accompanied by the Patriarchal Commissioner in Bethlehem, Archbishop Theophylaktos of Jordan, visited the Patriarchate.

They were welcomed by Patriarch Theophilos of Jerusalem and Hagiotaphite Fathers.

In the context of this meeting, an interesting discussion took place on the good relations between the Patriarchate and the Islamic State since the days of Umar Khattab and Patriarch Sophronios of Jerusalem, when the Christians were offered the freedom to perform their religious obligations.

These harmonious relations are preserved to this day in Bethlehem and other areas of the Palestinian state.

His Beatitude offered guests a simulacrum of Jerusalem and wished that the harmonious collaboration be preserved to the benefit of Palestinian citizens, Christians and Muslims alike.

From the Secretariat-General

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-tkRD2c6RE

On Friday, the 25^th of July/7^th of August 2015, H.B. Theophilos, Patriarch of Jerusalem, met with the thirty five members of the recently elected Executive Committee representing all Greek Orthodox Arabic-speaking Communities of the Patriarchate in Israel. Heading the Committee was its reelected Chairman, former judge Raed Jarjura from Nazareth, and Vice-Chairman Basem from Kafr Yasif Community. Present at the meeting was the President of the Community of Nazareth, Ms Afaf.

The Executive Committee asked for His Beatitude’s blessing on its reelection and expressed its will to collaborate with the Patriarchate with trust and dedication for the promotion of matters of interest to the Communities, i.e. the education of the clergy, the Catechizing schools, the preservation of the Christians’ identity within the State of Israel, the defrocking of former priest Romanos, and the prosperity of Christians within the Arabic-speaking Muslim and Jewish society of Israel.

The Patriarch congratulated the Executive Committee on its reelection, offered His blessings and assured them that He will support its activities to the benefit of Greek Orthodox Arabic-speaking Christian Communities in Israel.

From the Secretariat-General

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RWk2S0rhbSs

On Tuesday the 15^th/28^th of July 2015, their Beatitudes, Patriarch Theodoros of Alexandria and Archbishop Chrysostomos of Cyprus, visited the Patriarchate. They had traveled from Cyprus, accompanied by Protopresbyter, Mr Athenodoros Papaevryviadous.

The Heads of Churches were welcomed by Patriarch Theophilos of Jerusalem in the presence of the Patriarchal Commissioner, Metropolitan Isychios of Kapitolias, and the Elder Secretary-General, Archbishop Aristarchos of Constantina. From Ben Gurion airport, the Primates were driven to the Waldorf Astoria.

At approximately 6:00 pm of the aforementioned day, Patriarch Theodoros and Archbishop Chrysostomos, accompanied by Metropolitan Isychios, arrived at the Patriarchate’s gate, where they were warmly welcomed by members of the Greek Parish and the Hagiotaphite Brotherhood. From there, joined by Patriarch Theophilos, they walked to the All-holy Church of the Resurrection and venerated at the Holy Apokathelosis, the Holy Sepulcher, the Golgotha, and the Holy Cross at the Sacristy and the Office of the Church of the Resurrection.

From there they returned to the Patriarchate, to be addressed by Patriarch Theophilos in Greek.

On the conclusion of His address, Patriarch Theophilos was awarded an engolpion by Patriarch Theodoros on the completion of ten years since He assumed His duties. Patriarch Theophilos offered the Heads of Churches an icon of Theotokos and silver candlesticks.

In His reply address, the Patriarch of Alexandria said that his present visit to Jerusalem came twenty-three years after the first time, in 1975, when, accompanied by his Elder, Metropolitan Theodoros of Sfakia, venerated at the Holy Shrines and met distinguished Hagiotaphites, i.e. Patriarch Benedictus of Jerusalem, Metropolitans Germanus of Petra and Vasileios of Caesarea, the late Archimandrite Theodosios and others. Patriarch Theodoros also referred to Hagiotaphites who rose to the rank of Patriarch of Alexandria, such as Meletios Metaxakis and Photios, Metropolitan of Nazareth.

The Patriarchate of Alexandria, he said, follows the Typikon of the Monastery of St Savva the Sanctified, and is strengthened by the Grace of the Holy Sepulcher in performing its apostolic work in the vast continent of Africa. This hopeful future is anticipated by His Beatitude with optimism, by the help of God.

His Beatitude Chrysostomos, Archbishop of Cyprus, also pointed out that this visit was driven by the words of the Apostle Paul that, if one member suffers, so do all suffer, and that love for peace and unity among the Churches had led the steps of Patriarch Theodoros and Himself to the Holy Land, thanking Patriarch Theophilos for the hospitality, openness to dialogue and understanding.

From the Secretariat-General

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qa7XG6nl2aM

On Tuesday the 15^th/28^th of July 2015, the new Consul of Sweden to Jerusalem, Ms Ann Sophia Nilsson, visited the Patriarchate on the occasion of assuming her new duties.

The new Consul of Sweden was welcomed by H.B. Theophilos, Patriarch of Jerusalem, in the presence of Hagiotaphite Fathers.

In the context of this visit, the Patriarch informed Ms Nilsson on the history of the Patriarchate of Jerusalem in the Holy Land and its contribution to the safekeeping of the Holy Shrines and the protection of Christians now faced with economic problems, persecution, displacement, questions of identity, education, prosperity etc.

In the course of its work, the Patriarchate is supported by states protecting the human rights, such as the country of Sweden, represented by Consul Nilsson.

Ms Nilsson thanked His Beatitude for updating her, and pledged to cooperate with the Patriarchate during her tenure as Consul, to the benefit of Christian pilgrims in the Holy Land, both locals and foreigners.

From the Secretariat-General

httpv://youtu.be/qZxC2rW1obc