We, the Patriarchs and Heads of Churches in Jerusalem, call upon all parties in the Holy Land to practice restraint and self-control. We have been constantly warning of an exploding, senseless cycle of violence that will only cause hurt and suffering to everyone. Such a state of affairs will almost certainly bring further atrocities and […]
Continue readingMessages & Statements from the Holy Land
Yesterday (05.01.23) Patriarch Theophilos III received the Israeli Police Commander of the Jerusalem District. The Commander requested the meeting in connection with the shameful crime of the desecration of more than 30 graves at the Protestant Cemetery on Mt Zion. Patriarch Theophilos referred to the statement the Council of Patriarchs and Heads of Churches issued […]
Continue readingPatriarchs and Heads of the Churches in Jerusalem We, the Patriarchs and Heads of Churches in Jerusalem, are deeply disturbed at the wanton desecration of more than thirty gravestones at the Protestant cemetery on Mt. Zion on New Year’s Day. “Particularly troubling are the scenes recovered from the security camera footage from that afternoon. They […]
Continue readingThe desecration of Christian graves in Jerusalem is a blasphemous act. I join the Chief Rabbi and religious leaders in Jerusalem in condemning it and hope those responsible will be brought swiftly to justice. As we continue to pray for peace in the Holy Land, I stand with Archbishop Hosam Naoum and other Jerusalem church […]
Continue readingOn the morning of January 3, 2023, it was discovered that, sometime over the New Year holidays, vandals had broken into the historic Protestant cemetery on Mt. Zion, where they purposely and relentlessly smashed more than thirty gravestones, many of them historic. Security camera footage later revealed that these crimes took place beginning around 15:20 […]
Continue readingThe Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem condemned the storming of its land today, Tuesday, December 27, by an Israeli radical group in Wadi Hilweh in Silwan, south of the Old City of Jerusalem. This radical group has no right or judicial backing in their favour to allow them to enter or occupy the land. The […]
Continue readingJerusalem 08 June 2022 Today, the Israeli Supreme Court issued a decision rejecting the Patriarchate’s latest attempts to annul the ruling issued against it in July 2017, through which the radical Israeli organisation, Ateret Cohanim, succeeded in expropriating the properties of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem at Jaffa Gate (Bab Al-Khalil) in Jerusalem, and this decision comes despite […]
Continue readingThe Heads of Churches in the Holy Land are united on these issues, and they share my views when I say the following: The deputy mayor of Jerusalem, Fleur Hassan-Nahoum, is grossly dismissive of the scale of the diminishing indigenous Christian presence in our City (Sunday Telegraph 24th April 2022). Indigenous Christians make up 1% […]
Continue readingStatement by the Jerusalem Patriarch Rejecting the Proposed Restrictions on the Holy Fire Ceremonies
The Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem officially informed the Israeli police yesterday through a letter addressed to its District Commander it’s rejection of any restrictions on the number of celebrants on Holy Fire Saturday inside the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, its courtyard, its surroundings, its roof, or the entrances leading to it. The letter was […]
Continue readingThe 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 […]
Continue reading“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: ‘May they prosper who love you. Peace be within your walls, and security within your towers.’” (Psalm 122:6–7) The seizure of the Little Petra Hotel by the radical extremist group Ateret Cohanim is a threat to the continued existence of a Christian Quarter in Jerusalem, and ultimately to peaceful […]
Continue readingThe seizure of the Little Petra Hotel by the radical extremist group Ateret Cohanim is a threat to the continued existence of a Christian Quarter in Jerusalem, and ultimately to peaceful coexistence of the communities of this city. The Heads of Churches have repeatedly warned of the illegitimate actions of extremists, who have followed a […]
Continue readingWith heartfelt regard, we follow the distressing crisis in Ukraine in the last days and we stand deeply concerned for the human suffering of all our brothers and sisters in Christ. The strongest power of the Christian is prayer. With other Christian leaders around the world, we therefore call upon all Christian people to join […]
Continue readingThroughout the Holy Land, Christians have become the target of frequent and sustained attacks by fringe radical groups. Since 2012 there have been countless incidents of physical and verbal assaults against priests and other clergy, attacks on Christian churches, with holy sites regularly vandalized and desecrated, and ongoing intimidation of local Christians who simply seek to worship freely and go about their daily lives. These tactics are being used by such radical groups in a systematic attempt to drive the Christian community out of Jerusalem and other parts of the Holy Land.
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