On Thursday the 20^th of September/3^rd of October 2013, the new French Consul in Jerusalem, Mr Hervé Magro, accompanied by the Consulate’s religious attendant, fr. Luke, visited the Patriarchate.

The new French Consul was received by His Beatitude Theophilos, our Father and Patriarch of Jerusalem, in the presence of members of the Holy Sepulcher.

In the context of this visit, His Beatitude informed Mr Magro on the Patriarchate’s religious, cultural and pacifying work, especially today, when extreme religious and political elements cause confusion, insecurity and terror in the Middle East and across the world.

In contrast to this, said His Beatitude, the Patriarchate projects the importance of peace and the position that Jerusalem owes to maintain its status and remain the spiritual capital of all Christians and humanity as a whole, because it is here where the blood of the prophets and of our Lord Jesus Christ was shed. Jerusalem, especially the Old City, remains “one great ecumenical monastery”. If Jerusalem does not maintain its character and if war is to be proclaimed in the city, this war will expand across the world, with international results and consequences.

The French Consul-General thanked Hi Beatitude for the update and expressed interest in contributing to the work of the Patriarchate.

From the Secretariat-General

httpv://youtu.be/CRwLtalXdrk

On Saturday the 15^th/28^th of September 2013, Mr Muhammed Basri Atilgan and Mr Harun Tokak, education counselors of Turkey in Eastern Jerusalem, visited the Patriarchate.

They were received by His Beatitude Theophilos, Patriarch of Jerusalem.

After explaining that they have founded an Association having its seat in Ras-al-Amoud, an area between Eastern Jerusalem and Bethany, which undertakes the promotion of inter-religious dialogue in the Middle East, peaceful inter-religious coexistence and the financial aid of cultural and educational projects, the two men asked for the Patriarchate’s collaboration.

His Beatitude responded positively to their request for collaboration, pointing out that since its first days the Patriarchate has been involved in all pacifying, cultural initiatives and that it maintained harmonious relations with the Ottoman Empire during the period between 1517 to 1917, for the preservation of the veneration regime and the safeguard of the rights of the Greek Orthodox in the Holy Land.

From the Secretariat-General

httpv://youtu.be/rGxeJ75TIqA

By His letter, number 802 and dated 7^th/20^th of September, His Beatitude Theophilos, Our Father and Patriarch of Jerusalem, congratulates His Eminence Chrysostomos, Archbishop of Cyprus, on his recent Synodic Encyclical (see link: http://www.churchofcyprus.org.cy/article.php?articleID=3550 ) which was read out in Churches during the divine Liturgy of Sunday 15^th September 2013, upon the start of the new school year 2013-4. Stressed in the Encyclical is the absolute need to preserve our Greek Orthodox identity and Greek language in order to maintain our creative and dignified life and presence in the process of history.

This is an excerpt from the letter of His Beatitude Theophilos:

[…] With great interest we watched on television the Synodic Encyclical of Your dearest and erudite Beatitude, read out in the holy churches of the Archbishopric of the Church of Cyprus, on the occasion of the beginning of the new school year 2013-4.

The Encyclical points out the danger of the attempted effort to replace, in the new syllabi of the Cyprus Ministry of Education, the lesson of Religious Education with Religiology; to emphasize the Cypriot idiom over the Greek language; to develop only the democratic attitude of students, and silence the values of our Christian Tradition, which preserve our Greek-Orthodox identity and hold our blessed nation in unbreakable cohesion and unity.

Warmly we congratulate Your Beatitude on this brave pastoral Ethnarchic Encyclical and wish You a wealth of support from above over many years to come, in order to complete the work of rebirth and renewal You have initiated in the Church of Cyprus, and to continue Your contribution to the just geographical unification of the suffering island of Cyprus, now divided by the Turkish occupation. […]

Your dear brother in Christ

THEOPHILOS III

Patriarch of Jerusalem

On Friday, the 14^th/27^th of September 2013, the Patriarchate of Jerusalem celebrated in great magnificence and glory the Exaltation of the Venerable and Life-Giving Cross, in remembrance of the fact that after it was found on the hill of the Horrendous Golgotha, and at the conclusion of the construction of the All-holy Church of the Resurrection, on the day of its dedication, it was elevated by Archbishop Makarios of Jerusalem and St Helena so that it would be visible to the great crowd of pious pilgrims who had gathered there from afar.

I: On the Eve of the Feast

On the evening of Thursday, the 9^th Hour was read out in the monastic Church of Sts Constantine and Helena, followed by the official transfer of the Cross amid ringing bells (as shown in the highlight from the Eve of the feast) through Christian Street to the All-holy Church of the Resurrection, its reception by His Beatitude Theophilos at the Apokathelosis [Removal of Christ from the Cross] the Incensing and the veneration at the Holy Sepulcher; the veneration by Prelates and members of the Synod at the Horrendous Golgotha, the ringing of the bells and incensing with myrrh of all sites of pilgrimage by deacons.

The rest of the Vespers Procession followed, with the Great Entrance and the Breaking of the Bread.

II On the day of the feast

On the morning of Friday the 14^th/27^th of September 2013, at 7:00 am, the official transfer took place from the Central Monastery to the All-Holy Church of the Resurrection.

Upon entrance to the Church, His Beatitude Theophilos who led the rite, venerated the Holy Apokathelosis and the All-Holy Sepulcher; then, entering the katholikon, he gave blessings and rose to the Throne.

The divine Liturgy followed at the katholikon, led by His Beatitude Theophilos. Co-officiating were Hagiotaphite Prelates and the Most Reverend Panteleimon, Metropolitan of Xanthe, Hagiotaphite Priests and visiting Priests and Presbyters of other Orthodox Churches, as well as hierodeacons, in the presence of the Consul-General of Greece to Jerusalem, Mr Georgios Zacharoudiakis. Several pilgrims from Greece, Russia, Cyprus and faithful from the Church of Jerusalem participated in piety.

At the conclusion of the divine Liturgy, the rite of the Elevation of the Holy Cross began from the solea (passageway before the Holy Doors) of the katholikon.

Exiting the katholikon, the litany proceeded to the site of the discovery of the Holy Cross by St Helena.

There, His Beatitude elevated the Holy Cross to the four points of the horizon in order to sanctify the entire universe.

At the conclusion of the litany, participants proceeded, amid ringing bells, to the Patriarchate.

There, His Beatitude made an address in Greek, which may be found here: https://en.jerusalem-patriarchate.info/gr/2013/09/27/9473

Spoken in Arabic by f. Charalambos, the speech may be read here: https://en.jerusalem-patriarchate.info/ar/2013/09/21/2722

From the Secretariat-General

httpv://youtu.be/XaKZx2ex2QE

In the hall of the Patriarchate, at the conclusion of the divine Liturgy and the rite of the Elevation of the Cross in the Church of the Resurrection on Friday, 14^th/27^th September 2013, His Beatitude Theophilos, our Father and Patriarch of Jerusalem, decorated the Most Reverend Panteleimon, Metropolitan of Xanthe – visiting the Holy Land on pilgrimage – with the medal of the Commander of the Order of the Knights of the Holy Sepulcher.

This honorary distinction was conferred upon the Metropolitan of Xanthe, as said by His Beatitude, for his vivid interest in the All-holy Pilgrimage Sites and the Patriarchate of Jerusalem, materialized by means of several visits intended for veneration, in the company of members of his God-saved Metropolis.

Touched, Panteleimon, the Metropolitan of Xanthe, thanked His Beatitude for the honour bestowed upon him and promised to always carry the cross for the protection of himself and his Metropolis alike. He also extended thanks over the fact that the Holy Cross was sent forth to His Metropolis, accompanied by the Metropolitan of Kapitolias, Isychios, in order to guard it from occurrences of violence which, abetted by wickedness, had recently descended upon it.

From the Secretariat-General

httpv://youtu.be/jFnxDOvKOjk

On Wednesday the 12^th/25^th of September 2013, the Acting Military Commander of Israel’s Civil Administration, Mr Raed Mansour, accompanied by the former Military Commander of Bethlehem, Mr Iyad Sirhan and the Director of the Department of Christian Affairs of Israel’s Ministry of Religious Services, Mr Sesar Margie, visited His Beatitude Theophilos, Our Father and Patriarch of Jerusalem.

In the framework of this visit, His Beatitude informed the Acting Commander on the entry permits to Jerusalem issued by the Military Administration for members of our congregation inhabiting the occupied areas, and asked that these be increased for the better arrangement of matters concerning our congregation, on which the Acting Military Commander pledged to respond accordingly.

Subsequently, the new Acting Military Commander and his attendants, guided by the Elder Secretary-General Aristarchos, Archbishop of Constantina, visited the Church of the Resurrection.

From the Secretariat General

httpv://youtu.be/nbt89z5TlOQ

On Wednesday the 12^th/25^th of September 2013, the representative of Finland to the Palestinian Authority, Dr Martin Irulu, visited His Beatitude Theophilos, our Father and Patriarch of Jerusalem, upon assuming office. 

In the context of this visit, His Beatitude talked to the diplomatic representative of Finland about the work of the Patriarchate, the first Church of the Holy Land, towards the establishment of peace in the Middle East, the promotion of education, peaceful inter-religious coexistence, the protection of the Holy Land and the preservation of the status of Jerusalem.

From the Secretariat-General

httpv://youtu.be/gIK1LXmy3qM

The feast of the Nativity of Theotokos was celebrated, due to pastoral reasons, at a day’s delay, on Sunday the 9^th/22^nd of September 2013, in the Church dedicated to the Nativity of Theotokos in the town of Beit Jala.

The town, on the West Bank of the Jordan river, lies at a short distance from Rachel’s Tomb, on the road from Jerusalem to Bethlehem. It numbers approximately 15.000 Christians and Muslims, about 5.000 Orthodox, one church of whom is dedicated to St Nicholas, and the other to the Nativity of Theotokos.

To this holy church, which commemorates 150 years since its foundation, His Beatitude Theophilos, Our Father and Patriarch of Jerusalem, arrived from Jerusalem to lead the Divine Liturgy. His Beatitude was received at the Hegoumen’s Quarters by the Hegoumen, Archimandrite Narkissos. Co-officiating were His Eminence Aristarchos, Elder Secretary-General and Archbishop of Constantina; His Eminence Theophylaktos, Patriarchal Commissioner in Bethlehem and Archbishop of Jordan; His Eminence Philoumenos, Patriarchal Commissioner in Irbet and Archbishop of Pella; the Hegoumen of Beit-Jala, Archimandrite Narkissos; the vicars of the Greek Orthodox Community of Beit-Jala, fathers Nikolaos, Georgios, Yusef and Pavlos; the Hegoumen of the Monastery of St George Beit-Jala, Archimandrite Ananios and other priests; Archdeacon Athanasios and deacon f. Eulogios. The choir of Beit-Jala sang under the direction of Mr Ibrahim Karkar and Mr Nindal Samaan, in the presence of a great crowd of pious participants from the Orthodox congregation in Beit-Jala.

During the Koinonikon of the Divine Liturgy, His Beatitude preached the Word of God to the faithful.

The ceremony was attended by the honourable Consul-General of Greece in Jerusalem, Mr Georgios Zacharoudiakis and the town’s Municipal Authorities, Acting Mayor Mr Abu-Yusef and others.

At the end of the ceremony, a litany took place which had as participants a great crowd of faithful. Leading the litany were members of the Boy Scouts. A reception followed in the Parish Hall, with lunch offered at the hall of the Beit-Zala group.

From the Secretariat-General

httpv://youtu.be/Q4W5W0_UsyQ

With the Grace of God, two young students, accepted to the Patriarchal School of Sion, were presented today, Saturday the 1^st/ 14^th of September 2013, before Our Father and Patriarch of Jerusalem, Theophilos. Nektarios Siganos and Nikolaos Badekas, high school students, were accompanied by the Principal of the Patriarchal School, monk f. Fotios.

Welcoming the two students, His Beatitude noted that their presence in the Holy Land on the one hand makes them perennial pilgrims and on the other hand, their education at the Patriarchal School makes them future members of the Brotherhood of the Holy Sepulcher.

Subsequently, His Beatitude informed the new students on their school training whilst bestowing upon them and their mothers Patriarchal and Jerusalemite blessings, wishing them good progress and a pleasant stay in the Holy City.

From the Secretariat-General

httpv://youtu.be/X1612nPd51g

On the evening of Thursday, the 30^th of August/12^th of September 2013, the Prime Minister of Jordan, His Excellency Mr Abdullah Ensour, hosted a dinner in honour of His Beatitude Theophilos, Our Father and Patriarch of Jerusalem, at the Prime Minister’s residence in Amman.

Also invited to dinner were ministers and MPs of the Jordan Government, Christians in their majority. His Beatitude was accompanied by the Patriarchal Commissioner in Amman, the Most Reverend Benedict, Metropolitan of Philadelphia; the Elder Secretary-General Aristarchos, Archbishop of Constantina; the Patriarchal Commissioner in Northern Jordan, His Eminence Philoumenos, Archbishop of Pella, and Archimandrite Hieronymos, the Hegoumen of Fhes.

During dinner, the Prime Minister welcomed His Beatitude by pointing out that it is a joy and an honour for him, the Royal family and Jordan, to meet with the representative of all Christians in Jordan, Jerusalem and the Holy Land, and that this meeting, which has as participants Christian high-ranking government officials of Jordan, reflects very positively on the coexistence and cooperation between Muslims and Christians in Jordan.

Responding, His Beatitude addressed the Prime Minister with the following speech in Arabic:  https://en.jerusalem-patriarchate.info/ar/2013/09/12/2687

From the Secretariat-General