The monastic schema of nun Marianna Agathokleous, Abbess of the Holy Monastery of Saint George in the Jewish Quarter of Jerusalem is suspended until her chastisement. The reason for this is that she abandoned her ministry and went to Australia without proper permission.
From Secretariat-General
Jerusalem, February 28, 2024
The Christian family law of the Jerusalem Patriarchate for the year 2023 amendment will come into effect, in all ecclesiastical courts, starting March 1, 2024.
It was approved by the Holy Synod of the Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem in its session held on October 5, 2023 in Jerusalem. This law comes in implementation of the vision of His Beatitude Patriarch K.K. Theophilos III in modernizing church laws to keep pace with the times, as this law included fundamental amendments while preserving the basic spiritual aspects of the law for the peace and benefit of the community spiritually and to further assist them pastorally.
Among the most prominent amendments included in this law are wills, adoption, inheritance, custody, establishing a Christian family home, and accelerating judicial procedures, especially for issues of alimony, guardianship, and custody.
The website of the Patriarchate congratulates the doctor and former member of parliament of Jordan Mr Ode Kawas for his re-election as a member of the Central Committee and Executive Committee of the World Council of Churches (W.C.C.) and Miss Maria Loubat for her election also as a member of the Central Committee of the W.C.C.
From Secretariat-General
The Website of Jerusalem Patriarchate sadly announces that today, Wednesday 28 April/ 11 May 2022, the blessed Hagiotaphite Metropolitan Ambrosios of Nablus slept in the Lord, while in the Old-people’s Home of the Holy Metropolis of Mandineia and Kynouria, where he had been kept for the last few years.
His funeral service will be observed on Thursday 29 April/ 12 May 2022, at the Holy Church of Saint Basil in Tripolis at 12 o’clock, led by the representative of His Beatitude our Father and Patriarch of Jerusalem Theophilos, His Eminence Metropolitan Isychios of Kapitolias and the Exarch of the Holy Sepulchre in Greece, Archimandrite Raphael.
The Hagiotaphite Brotherhood will refer to his memory in detail in due course and is praying for the repose of his soul in the land of the living, along with the righteous.
May his memory be everlasting.
From Secretariat-General
The Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem congratulates its congregations and all the people of the Holy Land on both sides of the Jordan River for the occasion of Easter and Saturday of the Holy Light, and at the same time we affirm our strong and renewed commitment to our natural right to celebrate our holidays along with our communities, families and to participate together in prayers at our churches in the Old City of Jerusalem, including the basic right of all our communities to access the Church of Holy Sepulchre and its vicinity during Easter festivities including Holy Light Saturday. Our communities have been exercising this divine right freely throughout the ages and different rulers, regardless of the circumstances that the Holy City went through in history.
For many years, participating in prayers and even having access to churches in the Old City, especially during Easter holidays, has become very difficult for our congregations and our people in general, due to police unilaterally enforced restrictions and its violence against believers who insist on exercising their natural divine right to worship. Previously, we had cooperated with different Christian bodies and leaders to bring our case to the international, domestic and judicial levels, and we also coordinated with the police themselves, with the aim of preventing the police from continuing their unacceptable practices, but unfortunately the promises were great and what actually took place on the ground was not even remotely close to those promises.
Instead of reversing its habitual unacceptable practices on Easter and Holy Fire Saturday, the police have recently informed the Patriarchate of additional new unilateral measures that increase restrictions on Holy Fire Saturday, to the effect that the police will only allow one thousand people to enter the Church of the Holy Sepulchre on this great day, although it is customary to many thousands of worshippers to enter the church in celebration on that day. Furthermore, the police said that they will allow only five hundred people to enter the Old City and reach the Patriarchate yards and the overlooking roof of the Holy Sepulchre Church. The Patriarchate believes that there is no justification for these additional unjust restrictions, and affirms its explicit, clear and complete rejection of all restrictions. The Patriarchate is fed up with police restrictions on freedom to worship and with its unacceptable methods of dealing with the God given rights of Christians to practice rituals and have to access their holy sites in the Old City of Jerusalem.
Accordingly, the orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem has decided, by the power of the Lord, that it will not compromise its right to provide spiritual services in all churches and squares. It also announces that prayers will be held as usual by the Patriarchate and its priests, hoping that believers are able to participate. This position of the Patriarchate stems from the basis of divine right, heritage and history. The police must stop imposing restrictions and violence that, unfortunately, have become part of our sacred ceremonies. We also urge our congregations to uphold our historical heritage through participating in the rituals and celebrations of Easter and Holy Fire Saturday this year in the Church of Holy Sepulchre and its vicinity.
The website of the Patriarchate announces the attached announcement of the granting of Scholarships in the country of Hungary to Christian students for the academic year 2022-2023.
Interested parties are encouraged to apply in accordance with the instructions of the announcement, see link:
(We quote the relevant letter that was sent to the Patriarchate of Jerusalem)
Your Eminence,
One of the sectors of Hungarian aid for the people of Palestine is education, in which area Hungary has been providing scholarships for Palestinian students for decades. This year we renewed our bilateral agreement, which allowed us to raise the number of scholarships from 60 to 75 for Palestinian students in all levels of higher education (BA, MA, and PhD), in all relevant fields of study.
In this regard, I proudly inform you that the Ministry of Higher Education of Palestine and the Hungarian Tempus Public Foundation together with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Hungary have published the call for application for programs starting in the next academic year (2022/2023). A monthly stipend, accommodation or financial support, and the programs’ admission fee is included in the scholarship.
The call for application is found at the following link: https://www.mohe.pna.ps//scholarships/Post/5543?fbclid=IwAR2kHEH2CZskYSQj7H3bxwsqMfSCob1qVx_2gxPL7vPg2tnjPDuENkssf8s&fbclid=IwAR2kHEH2CZskYSQj7H3bxwsqMfSCob1qVx_2gxPL7vPg2tnjPDuENkssf8s
Please share this information with those who could be interested in studying in Hungary. I believe that there are many talented Christian students, who could be interested in applying for the scholarships.
If you have any further question do not hesitate to contact the Representative Office of Hungary.
Yours sincerely,
Dr. Csaba Rada
Head of Mission
Representative Office of Hungary
Al Watania Towers Building, Al-Bireh, Ramallah
From Secretariat-General
The website of the Patriarchate announces that those of the children of our Arabic-speaking flock from Jerusalem and the occupied territories, Priests, Commissioners and faithful who wish to attend the Holy Light Ceremony on Holy Saturday, must arrive this day between 9.00 and 10.00 am at the New Gate and from there they will receive the approval from the Police and the Representatives of the Patriarchate to enter, those who have been vaccinated in the Church of the Resurrection, and those who have not been vaccinated to stay in the Central Monastery on the roofs of Saints Constantine and Helen.
From Secretariat-General
Within the framework of the scholarship scheme for the Christians of the Middle East, by the Government of Hungary, it is being announced that the Scholarships for the Academic year 2021-2022 will be managed through the Patriarchate of Jerusalem.
The prospective candidates should submit their application forms solely to the Patriarchate, following the instructions listed at the website shown in the announcement, by the set deadline, which is 31st January 2021.
The announcement can be read below:
To HE Archbishop Aristarchos of Constantina
Your Eminence,
I have already approached you with a scholarship opportunity for Palestinian students in general in the framework of the Stipendium Hungaricum Programme.
Hungary has continuously provided scholarships to talented Palestinian students since the 1970’s among them many Christians, who are playing important roles in the Palestinian society. For the last few years, Hungary has been providing a special scholarship scheme for talented Christian students as well. Why is it different from the Stipendium Hungaricum scholarship:
I am pleased to inform you that the online application process for the Scholarship Programme for Christian Young People for the 2021/2022 academic year started with the deadline of 31 January 2021. The online application system for the Scholarship Programme can be accessed at https://apply.scyp.hu. The Annexes of the Call for Applications along with other documents and detailed information necessary for applying can be found on the Programme’s website: http://hungaryhelps.gov.hu/scyp/
We are at your disposal to answer any questions you may have. May you have talented students insight, I request your kind assistance in helping them in the application process.
Thank you in advance for all your efforts in this regard.
Sincerely,
Dr Csaba Rada
Head of Mission
Representative Office of Hungary
Al Watania Towers Building, Al-Bireh, Ramallah
Tel: 00 972 2 240 7676
Fax: 00 972 2 240 7678
https://ramallah.mfa.gov.hu/eng
From Secretariat-General
These broadcasts take place on social media, on our Facebook page JERUSALEM PATRIARCHATE live, and on the Radio-Television of the Patriarchate of Jerusalem.
There is a possibility that the measures taken by the State of Israel to limit the performance of the services of Holy Week will change the timetable during the specific days and times.
LIVE BROADCAST FROM THE CHURCH OF THE HOLY SEPULCHRE
Good Friday: The Epitaph Service: 9:10 p.m.
Holy Saturday: The Service of the Holy Light: 1:00 p.m.
Easter Sunday: Matins and D. Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom: 00:07 after midnight
LIVE BROADCAST FRO THE MONASTIC CHURCH OF SAINTS CONSTANTINE AND HELEN OF THE HAGIOTAPHITE BROTHERHOOD
Lazarus Saturday: Patriarchal Vespers: 3:00 p.m.
Palm Sunday: Patriarchal Divine Liturgy: 7:00 a.m.
Palm Sunday: The Service of the Bridegroom: 6:15 p.m.
Holy Monday: The Service of the Bridegroom: 6:15 p.m.
Holy Tuesday: The Service of the Bridegroom: 6:15 p.m.
Holy Thursday: The Service of the Passions: 6:15 p.m.
From Secretariat-General