Now Has dawned that day most renowned and most holy, The first of Sabbaths, Hailed as queen and sovereign. Fairest Feast feasts And most joyous celebration of all celebrations, When we tell how blessed is Christ unto all ages. (katavasia of Pascha Ode 8).

Your Beatitudes,

Your Eminences,

Your Graces,

Reverend Fathers,

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Christ is Risen! He Is risen Indeed!

We greet you in the joy of Easter, this day most renowned and holy! Indeed this day is most renowned and holy, for on this Feast of feasts God has brought us over from slavery to freedom, from darkness to light, from despair to hope, from death to life. For Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death, and giving life to those in the tomb.

This is the day most renowned and holy for us, for this day shines as beacon of hope.

We know that the experience of the cross is common to all humanity. Everyone carries crosses of many kinds, and these crosses are the manifestations of difficulty, uncertainty, and fear.

But we proclaim the life-giving cross of Christ, the cross of the risen Christ, which brings life to the world. For this reason Good Friday and Holy Saturday are Inseparable for us: In the cross of the risen Christ we see the deeper meaning of the resurrection.

In speaking of Good Friday and Holy Saturday, the Church Fathers speak of harmolypy, which encompasses both “sadness and “joy” in equal measure. It signifies sadness, because for a moment on Good Friday we see our human life in the face of abandonment by God. We have a fleeting sense of the absence of God. But our joy is the realization that we are not, in fact, abandoned, and we cannot live without God’s presence.

Our mission as the Church of Christ is to be a living witness to the redemptive work of Our Lord Jesus Christ and the saving power of resurrection, by and through which Christ has made us members of his Kingdom.

Our mission is to spread the message of this day most renowned and holy to the whole world to those who do not yet know Christ and who have not yet heard the Good News.

The world continues to experience darkness, despair, uncertainty and difficulty. This is no more evident than In our own region. But we must not fear. On the contrary this Feast of feasts gives us the confidence to bear witness to the universal significance of Christ for us and for the whole world.

Our chief duty is to keep the Holy Place of this Holy Land to be what they have always been – sources of strength and encouragement to all, both members of the local Christian community and the many thousands of pilgrims from other lands who come to them, so that they may continue their lives in hope and strength, and help In building a new future for the human family of peace, justice, mutual respect, and true co-existence.

For we are not the masters of history. We serve the Master of history, who in truth is the eschaton, the fulfillment and completion of all things. May this Easter Feast enlighten our minds and warm our hearts in strengthening our commitment to our mission and moral obligation.

Christ is risen! He Is risen indeed! Thank you.

His Beatitude Theophilos III

Patriarch of Jerusalem

On the Day of Veneration of the Cross, Sunday the 14^th / 27^th of March 2011, after the Holy Liturgy at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, His Beatitude Patriarch of Jerusalem Theophilos III, accompanied by Archdeacon Fr. Athanasios, departed for a two day private visit to Ukraine.  His Beatitude was invited by the Institute of Human Rights and Prevention of Extremism and Xenophobia in order to deliver a lecture as the main speaker at the international conference “World religions and civil societies united against hatred and extremism” convened in Kiev on the 28^th and  29^th of March 2011. The invitation extended to His Beatitude by the founder of the aforementioned Institute, Mr. Oleksandr Feldman MP, is as follows (please access the Universal Remote Locator [URL]: https://en.jerusalem-patriarchate.info/2011/02/21/1227/ ).

The lecture delivered by His Beatitude is as follows (please access the Universal Remote Locator [URL]: https://en.jerusalem-patriarchate.info/2011/03/28/1220/ ).

Any interested party may find details regarding this particular Conference in the article by Mr. Jonah Mandel published in the newspaper “The Jerusalem Post” on Wednesday, March 30^th 2011 (please access the Universal Remote Locators [URLs]:

https://en.jerusalem-patriarchate.info/2011/03/30/1232/ http://www.jpost.com/JewishWorld/JewishNews/Article.aspx?id=214368 ).

Chief Secretary’s Office.

28 March 2011,

“World religions and civil societies united against hatred and extremism”

Keynote speech

Your Beatitude,

Metropolitan of Ukraine, Mr. Vladimir,

Distinguished Participants,

Dear Mr Feldmann,

There is no doubt that we must face the issue of violence and intolerance squarely in any discussion about the fights against hatred and extremism.

We have continuously and consistently heard that either religion is the problem at the root of violence, or that it is part of the problem. We cannot escape the fact that some adherents of all three major monotheistic faiths have cloaked their acts of violence with the mantle of religious principle. This must be a cause for honesty and repentance.

We have gathered at this Conference to listen to one another. Throughout our journey in this Conference and others, we have been hearing speakers remind us, quite rightly, that it is a perversion of the fundamental tenets of Judaism, Christianity and Islam to use these traditions to justify acts of violence and terrorism, and that it is the duty of those who do understand religion as a tool for peace to condemn violence quickly and without equivocation. We are called so to teach and preach that the faithful of our traditions understand clearly the role of religion for the building of just and lasting peace in our world.

In the cause of resisting violence and promoting non-violence and coexistence, the role of religious leaders, especially the clergy, is crucial. We do not believe that the clergy should behave like politicians; clergy have different, but equally serious ethical, theological 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 co-existence; in providing social services that focus on the equality of all people regardless of religious or ethnic differences; in taking strong positions in denouncing violence; in leading and participating in public and private dialogue between different religions and ethnicities; and in supporting initiatives, institutions and leaders who are committed to the same social and civic good.

You will forgive us if, as an Orthodox clergyman, we use an important Greek word in this context- the word “symbiosis”. With respect to peace-building the Patriarchate of Jerusalem understands the essential role of symbiosis -of living together in society in a way that is based on genuine mutual respect, support and forbearance. We think, for example, of the history of Christian-Muslim relations in the Holy Land over the last 1400 years, and we recall the foundation that was laid between our predecessor, Patriarch Sofronios and the Caliph Omar –Al ‘Udha Al – ‘Umariyya – was issued, and it remains the basis for all subsequent law and regulation of relations between the religious communities of the Holy Land. In this part of what contributes to genuine symbiosis and to communities that understand each other’s customs, traditions and beliefs.

As we reflect on issues of violence and peace-building, we must always begin and end with our understanding of God, and of our relationship with God. The Scriptures ad the theological traditions of Judaism, Christianity and Islam give us ample help.

Let us remember together this afternoon just a handful of texts that we all know so well, but with which it is important always to be in close relationship:

Of Jerusalem the prophet Isaiah says: “Violence shall no more be heard in your land, devastation or destruction within your borders”. (Isaiah 60: 18).

In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus is clear about the role of peace-making when he says “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God”. (Mt 5:9).

In one of his earliest letters, Saint Paul calls God, “the God of peace”, and in an early Christian document, the letter of Saint Ignatius of Antioch to the Ephesians, we read the clear words “Nothing is better than peace, by which every battle is abolished, whether waged by those in heaven or by those on earth”. (ad. Eph. 13:2).

Let these voices from Scripture and tradition and the call that is ours to be those who live in a true God-given symbiosis, be our encouragement and our guiding principles as we continue to strive to free ourselves from the destructive nature of violence, hatred and extremism; and build peace and mutual respect.

Thank you.

His Beatitude

THEOPHILOS  III

Patriarch of Jerusalem

15 March 2011

“Your Excellency,

Respected Members of the Delegation from Ukraine,

Mr. Ambassador,

Your Eminences,

Ladies and Gentlemen

As we enter the second week of this season of Great Lent, we welcome you, Your Excellency, to the city of Jerusalem, to the Holy Land, and to the Patriarchate of Jerusalem. As we do so, we welcome you not simply in your capacity as the Prime Minister of the Ukraine, but as a pilgrim. We welcome also the members of your delegation who are accompanying you. In this respect, your visit here at this time is of crucial importance for both political and religious reasons. We emphasize this because religion lies at the heart of the basis for all that will determine a lasting reconciliation between the communities of this city and region. As you are aware, the Patriarchate, representing as we do the Christian world at large and the Orthodox Church in particular, plays a fundamental role.

We are pleased at your presence also because for centuries the Patriarchate of Jerusalem has been the historical, cultural and spiritual link between the Holy Land and the people of the Ukraine. In the first half of the 17^th century our predecessors the great Patriarchs Theofanes III and Paisios contributed significantly to the cultural and religious identity of the people of Ukraine in a crucial era in the history and life of your country. This created a unique bond between us that flourishes to this day.

During more recent times of suffering, persecution, war and difficulty, the Patriarchate of Jerusalem has continued to be a spiritual consolation to the Ukrainian people. In our own day we are thankful to God for opening the doors to thousands of pilgrims from the Ukraine each year to the Holy Land, where we are pleased to accommodate them in the life of the Mother Church. The Patriarchate of Jerusalem is the spiritual source for all Ukrainians who come here as pilgrims or to live among us, and we rejoice in the diversity in unity that their presence among us signifies.

As we welcome you, Your Excellency, and encourage you on your journey, we are pleased to take this opportunity to invest you as a Knight of the Holy Sepulchre. May this be a sign to all of the historical and spiritual ties between the Patriarchate of Jerusalem and the people of the Ukraine, as well as of the unity of all our Orthodox faithful tat are dispersed in the countries of our Patriarchal jurisdiction,, that is Israel, Palestine, Jordan and even the Emirate of Qatar. This jurisdiction is recognized by the respective political authorities.

In acknowledging your efforts in establishing closer relations with the authorities of our region, we take this opportunity to bestow upon you, Your Excellency, and all the people of the Ukraine, whether dwelling in their homeland or scattered abroad, our Patriarchal blessing and our best wishes for your visit and pilgrimage to the Holy Land”.

His Beatitude Theophilos III

Patriarch of Jerusalem

“Oh Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the Prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, but you were not willing (LUKE 13:34,35).

Your Eminences,

Your Excellencies,

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Today we have gathered here as the children of Jerusalem in order to inaugurate the reopening of a home of worship that has been closed for many years.

We pride ourselves on belonging to a liturgical Community i.e. a Community of divine worship. For according to Fr. George Florofsky, the Church is above all a liturgical Community.

For Christian liturgy or divine worship is the pivotal activity that focuses and enriches life, giving meaning and purpose to existence.

Furthermore, in Christian tradition the proper relationship between the created and the creator is best expressed through the relationship of worship. God is always the gracious initiator of our relationship with Himself. Actually it is He who motivates within the human heart the desire or the “divine eros’’ for union with Himself.

The Church therefore as the home of (divine) worship is and must be considered as the home of God’s philanthropy expressed through the blessed acts of peace and reconciliation with our humanity.

The reopening of the Saint Paul’s Church in our beloved holy city of Jerusalem is a prophetic sign of hope for justice peaceful symbiosis and reconciliation for the Holy Land’s people and for maintaining Jerusalem’s harmonious and ecumenical spirit.

We take this opportunity to wholeheartedly congratulate His grace the Anglican archbishop in Jerusalem Mr. Suheil Duwani for his inspirational initiative to restore St. Paul’s Church, which displays his devotion and love to the Holy City of Jerusalem which has enough room to accommodate all God’s children especially those of Patriarch Abraham.

Thank You.

Your Beatitude,

Your Eminences,

Dear Friends,

We give thanks to Almighty God for the opportunity to meet in this Executive Committee of the Middle East Council of Churches.

The purpose of our meeting here in Cyprus is to discuss further the process of re-organization of the MECC especially given the current political developments that our region is witnessing. It is obvious that our joint Christian voice is now more necessary than ever before. Therefore, it is time seriously and responsibly to consider our mission as church leaders, as we uphold the interests of our Churches and faithful. In addition to this we must be ready to respond to the calls that are made to us by our respective political leaderships.

We take this opportunity to re-iterate once again our commitments to this Council, a commitment, a commitment that we have already displayed in practice.

The Orthodox family has demonstrated our steadfastedness in maintaining in maintaining the fellowship to which this Council aspires. In support of this the Church of Cyprus, under the wise leadership of His Beatitude Archbishop Chrysostomos, has taken the initiative to place the meetings of the MECC on a firm administrative and financial basis in Cyprus.

And so, We appeal to all our member Churches to overcome any misunderstanding that may exist and to reach a consensus by which we can accomplish the fundamental principles of the institution of the Council.

We would like to express our gratitude especially to Our beloved brother Archbishop Chrysostomos for his gracious and generous hospitality. And we would like to thank all of you who have responded positively to the invitation to gather here for this decisive action in leading the MECC in fulfilling our common expectations.

Thank you, and May God bless you.

02 February 2011,

Your Royal Highness, Prince Ghazi Bin Mohammad Bin Talal

Honourable and Distinguished Guest,

It is a great honour for us, the Council of Churches in Jordan, to be amongst you today in this holy site celebrating the “World Interfaith Harmony Week”. We affirm our deep appreciation for the efforts of His Majesty King Abdullah the Second to this great initiative.   We hold dearly His Majesty’s and the Hashemite Kingdom’s continued heritage and commitment to freedom of worship and for progressing the bridging and understanding between faiths.

Furthermore, we are obliged to Your Royal Highness for this gracious hospitality and of course, for Your Highness’s relentless efforts in promoting, both locally and internationally, this prudent initiative of His Majesty as well as its foundation and base represented in the “Common Word”.

There is no doubt that our common humanity is today confronted with harsh forces of injustice, disrespect and even humiliation. This is all taking place under the cover of political and religious umbrellas and in the name of All-mighty God.

We are experiencing fast growing political polarisation resulting in religious polarisation. Violence, aggression, hatred and bigotry, which produce unrest and insecurity, have taken the place of peace and justice, which produce security and prosperity.

Nevertheless, we believe that conflict, prejudice, hatred and injustice can be turned into peace, mutual respect, love and righteousness; for the Holy Scriptures commands us to: “turn away evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it” (Ps. 34).

The Middle East region has historically and religiously been declared a meeting place and a host of the three monotheistic religions; that is Judaism, Christianity and Islam. This is due to the fact, that the Middle East is inextricably associated with the sacred history of these faiths.

The Council of Churches in Jordan recall and evoke that Christians constitute an essential element in the composition of the social fabric and continue to contribute effectively to various walks of life in our communities.

This fact stems from a two thousand year old heritage in which we have played key roles in the civil, cultural and political realities of the Holy Land.

This legacy was built on mutual understandings, respect and tolerance between the Church and its surroundings, especially Islam.  The culmination of such understanding has been shaped and formed by “al-Ohda al-Omariya” between the two great ethno-religious leaders: Khalipha “Omar bin al-Khattab” and Our predecessor Patriarch of Jerusalem Sophronius. This almost 1400 year-old agreement is still respected until today.  What is the essence of this covenant that continues to resonate its impact in our contemporary reality? It is precisely the spirit of this covenant which allowed enough room to overcome and diffuse areas of human predicament and thus allowing for harmony between Christians and Muslims to flourish as well as heal historic turbulences and political unrest.

We believe it is time for the Spirit of “The Covenant of Omar” to extend its boarders and manifest itself in our modern and present times. Hence, comes His Majesty’s initiative of the “World Interfaith Harmony Week” which was adopted unanimously by the United Nations General Assembly back in October of 2010. We consider these honourable values, articulated by His Majesty, as extensions of “al-Ohdah al-Omariyeh” and they constitute an outcome of the direct link between the Khalifa “Omar bin al-Khattab” and Jordan’s King Abdullah Bin Al-Hussein.

Let us take advantage of all such gatherings, to encourage those who strive for peace to come and join forces with us, in order to promote peace and justice in our region and beyond, for the sake and benefit of the generations to come; for: “blessed are the peace-makers” (Matth. 5, 9).

We would like to jointly applaud the efforts of the Jordanian Interfaith Coexistence Research Centre, directed by the Reverend Father Nabil Haddad and all the many volunteers that contributed to this event’s noted success.

Thank you.

His Beatitude THEOPHILOS III

Patriarch of Jerusalem

“Turn away from evil and do good, seek peace and pursue it”, says the Psalmist (Ps. 33/34, 14).

“Your Beatitude, Your Eminence,

Reverend Brothers of the Saint James Brotherhood,

We are here today in order to congratulate Your Beatitude, Your Eminence and the Brotherhood on the blessed occasion of the Christmas and especially the Epiphany Holy days.

We as Christian monastic orders and fraternities of the Holy Land have committed ourselves to the guardianship and service of the Holy places both in Jerusalem, Bethlehem and elsewhere.

These Holy places, which are associated with our faith in the mystery of the divine oeconomia of the Incarnate, Crucified and Risen Lord Jesus Christ, bear witness to God the Father, who is the “God of peace”, (Lom. 15:33) For according to Saint Paul “Christ’s death has accomplished peace between God and humanity, (Rom. 5:1), and peace between Jew and Gentile”, (Eph 2:14,17).

This is why Saint Paul frequently exhorts us to be at peace with one another (Rom. 14:19).

We take this opportunity to once again confirm our good intentions of seeking peace, pursuing reconciliation and living peaceably with all.

Thank you.

Blessed, prosperous and peaceful the New Year!”.

Jerusalem, 26 January 2011.

Your Excellency, Mr Barkat, Mayor of Jerusalem,

Honorable Members of the Municipal Government,

Distinguished Guest,

“ Like birds hovering overhead, the LORD Almighty will shield Jerusalem; he will shield it and deliver it, he will ‘pass over’ it and will rescue it.” (Isaiah 31:5)   We thank Your Excellency for this cordial invitation as we gather here by the grace of God; with all the love and commitment for the Holy City of Jerusalem.

It is an honor and a privilege to join this distinguished gathering and to convey our best wishes to all on the occasion of the New Year.

We take this opportunity to re-assure our commitment to our mission, which throughout the ages has been to first uphold Holy Places and Shrines as places of worship accessible to all the faithful, regardless of denomination and diversity; keeping the flocking of pilgrims and visitors. This in turn had tremendous impact, not only, on bringing people together and diffusing tensions, but also on economic standards by alleviating the standard of living for our local respective communities.

Our city, which is a holy shrine in itself, is equally dear and sacred to us all: Jews, Christians and Muslims; for it epitomizes the sacred history of the Holy Land. Jerusalem is the main factor for the enchantment it raises among the people of the world. But the city is also greatly valued for its multi-cultural and ethno-religious diversity. These attributes which synthesize the identity of Jerusalem must drive us to effect the conclusion that more effort should be exerted to join our forces for turning this Holy City into a physical and spiritual bridge for peace and reconciliation.

Here the believers of the three faiths worship at their Holy Places every day. Here, at all times of the day and night, people come to pray at their shrines. Of nowhere else can it be said with such confidence that there is unceasing prayer. Here we strive with all our energy to affirm that there is room for all in Jerusalem.

Let us be reminded that this City is not an earthly reality alone, but a reflection of the heavenly Jerusalem that has enough space to accommodate all of her children with love and forgiveness;  for we all are answerable to the Almighty, who in the words of the Prophet:

“… shall rejoice over you… For there shall be no one like you, O Jerusalem…” (Isaiah 62:4-7)

Thank you for this opportunity of addressing you and this gathering. We pray every day for the peace of Jerusalem, and we pray for God’s special blessing on this Holy City. May all who love her prosper.

We wish you all a very blessed and peaceful New Year.

His Beatitude

Theophilos III

Patriarch of Jerusalem.

25 January 2011

Your Eminences,

Your Graces,

Dear Fathers,

In this joyful season of Christmas and Epiphany, we greet you in the name of the Lord, Jesus Christ. At this time, we celebrate especially the love of God, the peace of God, the justice of God and the reconciliation of God for humanity. As members of the Brotherhood of the Holy Sepulcher and the Brotherhood of Saint James, having oversight of our respective communities and the Holy Places, we bear witness not only to the message of Christ, but also to the role that Jerusalem plays as a model of respectful co-existence and harmonious living between different ethnic and religious groups.

As a consequence, more than ever before, no matter the size of our respective communities, our life and ministry as Churches and as guardians of the Holy Places are of crucial importance for our respective Churches and peoples to show forth the universal significance of Jerusalem.

We denounce every form of discord, and we must all work to be examples of peace, non-violence, reconciliation and true symbiosis.

As Saint Ignatios of Antioch says in his Letter to the Ephesians, “there is nothing better than peace, in which all strife of things is heaven and things on earth is abolished”. (13:2).

To prefer peace over violence it does not imply giving up legitimate rights and privileges.

I take this opportunity to express our appreciation to the Old City police Commander Mr. Aviroif for his efforts to keep order and peace both for the city and the Holy Sepulcher.

May this blessed season see a new commitment to this peace, which is the joy of God and the will of God for the World.

Happy and Blessed New Year.

His Beatitude

Theophilos III

Patriarch of Jerusalem