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On the occasion of General Joseph Aoun’s election as President of the Lebanese Republic, following two years of presidential vacancy, the Middle East Council of Churches extends its congratulations to all Lebanese from every background. The Council views the election of the head of the executive authority as a step that restores institutional order and prevents the deterioration of the Republic.
The President’s election will inevitably have a positive impact on various aspects of life, easing the psychological pressures the Lebanese have endured due to the dysfunction of many public institutions, and restoring Lebanon’s normal course of affairs. In particular, the inaugural address serves as the cornerstone for a strategic plan and a comprehensive program of action for the upcoming stage.
The challenges are great, and the tasks ahead of you, Your Excellency, are numerous. Still, nothing is insurmountable when faced with national solidarity and a steadfast will.
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In a historical step, and with the blessings and presence of His Eminence Archbishop Youssef Soueif, Archbishop of the Maronite Diocese of Tripoli and President of the Episcopal Committee for Ecumenical Work at the Assemblée des Patriarches et Evêques Catholiques du Liban (APECL), the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) held a press conference to launch the “Week of Prayer for Christian Unity” 2025 under the title “Do you believe this?” (John 11: 26). It coincides this year with the 1700th Anniversary of the First Christian Ecumenical Council in Nicaea.
The conference, which was held on Tuesday, January 7, 2025, in “The Platform of the Word” at the MECC headquarters - Beirut, was attended by Father Tanios Khalil, Dean of the Faculty of Theology at La Sagesse University in Lebanon, and Rapporteur of the Episcopal Committee for Ecumenical Work at the Assemblée des Patriarches et Evêques Catholiques du Liban (APECL), the Journalist George Maalouli, Director of Mariam TV, and colleagues in the MECC General Secretariat.
After His Eminence Archbishop Youssef Soueif blessed the MECC offices and the Platform of the Word by the Holy Water, the conference began with a speech delivered by the Media Officer at MECC, the Director of the Platform of the Word, and the Coordinator of the Church and Media Relations at MECC, the Journalist Lea Adel Maamary, in which she said, “The Churches have advanced concerning the issue of unity regardless of doctrinal differences, based on the fact that when we talk about Theological dialogue, it will be met with a dialogue of love, and this embrace can only be achieved through doctrinal dialogue and love: love of God and love of others.”
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This report presents an overview about the press conference held by the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), with the blessings and presence of His Eminence Archbishop Youssef Soueif, Archbishop of the Maronite Diocese of Tripoli and President of the Episcopal Committee for Ecumenical Work at the Assemblée des Patriarches et Evêques Catholiques du Liban (APECL), to launch the “Week of Prayer for Christian Unity” 2025 under the title “Do you believe this?” (John 11: 26). It was held at “The Platform of the Word” in the Middle East Council of Churches – Beirut.
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In a historic station and within the journey of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), His Eminence Archbishop Youssef Soueif, Archbishop of the Maronite Diocese of Tripoli and President of the Episcopal Committee for Ecumenical Work at the Assemblée des Patriarches et Evêques Catholiques du Liban (APECL), visited the MECC headquarters in Beirut for the first time, on Tuesday, January 7, 2025. He was accompanied by Father Tanios Khalil, Dean of the Faculty of Theology at La Sagesse University in Lebanon, and Rapporteur of the Episcopal Committee for Ecumenical Work.
They were received by the Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) Professor Dr. Michel Abs, and colleagues in the MECC General Secretariat.
Upon his arrival, His Eminence blessed the offices of the General Secretariat and “The Platform of the Word” at MECC by sprinkling the Holy Water, offering his Prayers on the intention of the MECC work and the peace in Lebanon and the region.
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In a gesture of love and appreciation, the Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) Professor Dr. Michel Abs, offered the Medal of the Fiftieth Year of the MECC Founding to His Eminence Archbishop Youssef Soueif, Archbishop of the Maronite Diocese of Tripoli and President of the Episcopal Committee for Ecumenical Work at the Assemblée des Patriarches et Evêques Catholiques du Liban (APECL), and Father Tanios Khalil, Dean of the Faculty of Theology at La Sagesse University in Lebanon, and Rapporteur of the Episcopal Committee for Ecumenical Work, as a token of respect and thanks for their continuous support.
This presentation took place during the press conference held for the launch of the "Week of Prayer for Christian Unity" 2025 entitled “Do you believe this?” (John 11: 26), at the invitation of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), on Tuesday, January 7, 2025, at "The Platform of the Word" in MECC - Beirut.
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On the occasion of Christmas and New Year, the Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) Professor Dr. Michel Abs, visited Reverend Dr. Paul Haidostian, President of the Union of the Armenian Evangelical Churches in the Near East (UAECNE), President of Haigazian University in Lebanon, and President of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) for the Evangelical Family, and his wife Mrs. Maral Haidostian, in the presence of Reverend Jirair Ghazarian, Pastor of the First Armenian Evangelical Church in Beirut. The visit took place on Tuesday, January 7, 2025, at the campus of Haigazian University - Beirut.
Professor Dr. Abs was accompanied by an MECC delegation which included the Associate Secretary General Mrs. Seta Hadeshian, the Director of the Theological and Ecumenical Department Fr. Antoine Ahmar, the Executive Assistant to the Secretary General Mrs. Caroline Haddad, the Coordinator of the Social Capital Rehabilitation Project Dr. Laure Abi Khalil, the Media Officer, the Director of the Platform of the Word and the Coordinator of the Church and Media Relations at the Council the Journalist Lea Adel Maamary, Media and Communication Officer at the Communication and Public Relations Department Elia Nasrallah, Social Media Officer Johnny Antoun, and Archive Officer Charbel Bastoury.
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This report sheds light on the Christmas visit made by the Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) Professor Dr. Michel Abs, on the occasion of Christmas and New Year, to Reverend Dr. Paul Haidostian, President of the Union of the Armenian Evangelical Churches in the Near East (UAECNE), President of Haigazian University in Lebanon, and President of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) for the Evangelical Family, and his wife Mrs. Maral Haidostian, on Tuesday, January 7, 2025, at the campus of Haigazian University - Beirut.
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The Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) Professor Dr. Michel Abs headed a delegation from the Council on a Christmas visit to the Pastor of the Coptic Orthodox Church in Lebanon and Syria Father Andraos Al Anthouny, on Tuesday, January 7, 2025, at the headquarters of the Coptic Orthodox Patriarchate in Beirut, in the presence of the Lawyer of the Coptic Orthodox Church in Lebanon Mr. Abdallah Moussallem.
The Secretary General was accompanied by the Director of the Theological and Ecumenical Department at the Council Fr. Dr. Antoine Al Ahmar, the Coordinator of the Social Capital Rehabilitation Project Dr. Laure Abi Khalil, the Media Officer, the Director of the Platform of the Word and the Coordinator of the Church and Media Relations at the Council the Journalist Lea Adel Maamary, Media and Communication Officer at the Communication and Public Relations Department Elia Nasrallah, and Social Media Officer Johnny Antoun.
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This report presents an overview about the Christmas meeting that brought together the Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) Professor Dr. Michel Abs, at the head of an MECC delegation, and the Pastor of the Coptic Orthodox Church in Lebanon Father Andraos Al Anthouny, on Tuesday, January 7, 2025, at the headquarters of the Coptic Orthodox Church in Lebanon.
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Reverend Dr. Paul Haidostian, President of the Union of the Armenian Evangelical Churches in the Near East (UAECNE), President of Haigazian University in Lebanon, and President of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) for the Evangelical Family, delivers a word via video on the occasion of the launching of “The Platform of the Word” at the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC).
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Father Andraos Al Anthouny, The Pastor of the Coptic Orthodox Church in Lebanon and Syria, delivers a word via video on the occasion of the launching of “The Platform of the Word” at the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC).
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On the occasion of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity 2025, and as part of his first and historical visit to the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) in the Ras Beirut area, His Eminence Archbishop Youssef Soueif, Archbishop of the Maronite Diocese of Tripoli and President of the Episcopal Committee for Ecumenical Work at the Assemblée des Patriarches et Evêques Catholiques du Liban (APECL), was the guest of a media interview at the Platform of the Word at the MECC. His Eminence was interviewed by the Journalist Lea Maamary, the Media Officer, the Director of the Platform of the Word, and the Coordinator of the Church and Media Relations at the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC).
The episode focused on the Unity Week for the year 2025 and its main slogan “Do you believe this?” (John 11: 26), as well as the importance of living love, repentance and self-denial.
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The committee authorized to manage the Rod El-Farag Evangelical Church - Egypt, is honored to invite you to attend the installation ceremony of Reverend Refaat Fikry, the Associate Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), as Pastor of the Church, in the presence of Reverend Dr. Andrea Zaki, Andrea Zaki, President of the Evangelical Community in Egypt, Reverend Dr. Ezzat Shaker, President of the Evangelical Synod of the Nile, Reverend Nabil Labib, President of the Cairo Evangelical Assembly, and many Church and Society Leaders. The installation ceremony will be held on Friday, January 10, 2025, at 6 pm.
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Health, peace and security... This is what our colleagues in the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) Office in Daraa - Syria wished for, raising their prayers to God, the God of justice and peace, and looking forward to blessed seasons of hope.
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The Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) have now issued its online Ecumenical calendar for the month of January 2025. It includes the Ecclesiastical and Liturgical feasts of the various families of Churches in the Middle East. In addition to international days identified by the United Nations, and which are related to the MECC identity and its spiritual and human mission.
Noting that January includes one of the most important international Ecumenical occasions. It is the “Week of Prayer for Christian Unity”, which MECC celebrates it in the region and with the world, between 18 and 25 January, every year. Noting that this year the theme of the Week of Prayer is “Do you believe this?” (John 11: 26).
Week of Prayer Booklet 2025 in Arabic and English
Program of the Celebrations in Lebanon
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Ecclesiastical Feasts and International Days
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After a series of intensive diplomatic talks, a ceasefire agreement was reached putting an end to the military conflict in Southern Lebanon. As soon as planes stopped dropping bombs on Lebanese soil, a massive chunk of the displaced started returning back to their homes. Although calm is reestablishing itself within Lebanon, the situation remains to be deplorable in Gaza as violence continues to claim lives. It is as though the occupier’s policies and intentions towards what remains of Palestine are continuing unabated.
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Secretary General Message
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The Press Conference Launching the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity
Minbar Al-Kalima – Middle East Council of Churches
Beirut, January 7, 2025
Professor Dr. Michel Abs
Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC)
His Excellency Bishop Youssef Soueif
Maronite Archbishop of Tripoli and Head of the Episcopal Committee for Ecumenical Relations
in the Council of Catholic Patriarchs and Bishops – Lebanon
Esteemed attendees, whether in person or remotely, from the media community and beyond,
Esteemed colleagues in the Middle East Council of Churches,
Before we begin our press conference, I would like first to extend best wishes of a glorious Christmas to the churches currently celebrating the Feast of the Nativity, and a blessed Feast of the Epiphany to those celebrating it. May the coming days bring better times for our societies.
I also wish to warmly welcome His Excellency Bishop Youssef Soueif on his first visit to the Council—the home of ecumenical work in the Middle East—and say, “You are truly welcome, Your Excellency, bringing us abundant blessings.”
My address today is titled:
“The Week of Unity and the Inevitable Ecumenical Path on the Road to Social Cohesion.”
For over a century, Christians have gathered to pray for their spiritual and institutional unity. Over time, this practice has grown into a firmly established tradition—a vital part of the culture of collaborative (ecumenical) work, particularly here in the Middle East. This region is the cradle of the Good News, the Incarnation, the Refuge, and the Resurrection—where Christians were first called Christians, and from which the message spread to the entire world.
This year, the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity takes on special significance:
It coincides with the end of the fiftieth anniversary of the founding of the Middle East Council of Churches, serving as its crowning event.
It also marks the seventeen-hundredth anniversary of the Council of Nicaea, which ratified the Nicene Creed, one of the symbols of Christian unity.
These milestones give the Week of Prayer special importance this year and explain why the Middle East Council of Churches is holding this press conference, in partnership with the Episcopal Committee for the Ecumenical Work in the Assembly of Catholic Patriarchs and Bishops in Lebanon, represented by its esteemed head, Bishop Youssef Soueif.
It is noteworthy that this press conference is our first to be held through “Word Platform” an initiative of the Middle East Council of Churches supported by Noursat–Télé Lumière. Beyond its practical role in conveying information and news, this new platform symbolizes the collaboration among church institutions to spread God’s Word and foster love among people, at a time when values are eroding, and standards are absent...
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Weekly Prayer
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Following the devastating earthquake that struck the North of the Antiochian Levant, let us join hands and support the MECC appeal in order to bring back hope and joy to the hearts of the needy and heart broken people in Syria.
For donation, you can click on the following link: https://donate.mecc.org/project/rescue-syria-campaign.
For more information about the MECC relief work in Syria and the humanitarian circumstances in the country, you can visit the following link: https://www.mecc.org/syr-ar.
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Documentary "Presence and Witness"
The 50th Year of the Founding of the Middle East Council of Churches... Half a Century of Service
Arabic
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How Did the “Week of Prayer for Christian Unity” Start and What is the Theme of This Year?
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The Middle East Council of Churches Launches the “Week of Prayer for Christian Unity” 2025 in a Press Conference
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A Christmas Gathering Between the Secretary General Professor Dr. Michel Abs, at the Head of an MECC Delegation, and Reverend Dr. Paul Haidostian
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Highlights on the Visit Made by the Secretary General Professor Dr. Michel Abs, and an MECC Delegation, to the Pastor of the Coptic Orthodox Church in Lebanon Father Andraos Al Anthouny
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A Message Hope During Christmas
From Reverend Dr. Paul Haidostian, President of the Union of the Armenian Evangelical Churches in the Near East (UAECNE), President of Haigazian University in Lebanon, and President of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) for the Evangelical Family
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A Message of Hope During Christmas
From Father Andraos Al Anthouny, The Pastor of the Coptic Orthodox Church in Lebanon and Syria
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Together We Pray For Christian Unity
The Theme of the Week of Prayer 2025: “Do you believe this?” (John 11: 26)
Video Produced By the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC)
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Word of Reverend Dr. Paul Haidostian on the Occasion of the Launching of the Platform of the Word
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Word of Father Andraos Al Anthouny on the Occasion of the Launching of the Platform of the Word
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Aspirations and Hopes from the MECC Team for Christmas and the New Year
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Aspirations and Hopes from the MECC Team in Daraa, Syria On the Occasion of Christmas and the New Year
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Aspirations and Hopes from the MECC Team in Syria On the Occasion of Christmas and the New Year
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In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, One God, Amen.
Happy New Year and glorious Nativity Feast. I congratulate you, my beloved, everywhere in our Coptic Churches. I congratulate you on the New Year 2025. And on the glorious Nativity Feast, The first of the blessed feasts in the Gregorian year. I congratulate all the fathers: metropolitans and bishops. All the fathers, the priests: hegumens, and presbyters, and the deacons. I congratulate the church boards and all Coptic families, All the youth and children across the world, On the glorious Nativity Feast, in which we welcome Christ as a little Child...
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The Feast of the Nativity and Theophany of Christ was celebrated on January 6, 2025, at Saint Gregory the Illuminator Cathedral in Antelias. The Divine Liturgy was presided over by His Holiness Catholicos Aram I, Catholicos of the Armenian Church, Holy See of Cilicia, and Honorary President of the Middle East Council of Churches, assisted by Archbishops Nareg Alemezian and Shahan Sarkissian, with hymns performed by the “Shnorhali” choir, led by V. Rev. Fr. Zaven Najarian.
In his message, His Holiness highlighted the significance of Christ’s birth as “God with us” (Matthew 1:23) and reaffirmed faith’s triumph over adversity…
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The Christmas Vigil began on the night of the Eve of the Feast, the 24th of December 2024 / 6th of January 2025, with the Midnight Office, the beginning of which was led by His Eminence Metropolitan Isychios of Capitolias, representing His Beatitude Patriarch Kyrios Kyrios Theophilos III, Greek Orthodox Patriarch of the Holy City of Jerusalem and all Palestine and Jordan, and Honorary President of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), and after with His Beatitude’s blessing, the Christmas Katavasiae commenced.
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Damascus, January 9, 2025
His Beatitude Patriarch John X, Patriarch of Antioch and All the East for the Greek Orthodox Church, and President of the Middle East Council of Churches for the Orthodox family, received Mrs. Thessaly Salina Chiapu, the Special Representative of the Republic of Cyprus for Religious Freedom in the Middle East, accompanied by Mr. Michael Hadjikirou, the Cypriot Ambassador to Damascus and the accompanying delegation, at the Patriarchate in Damascus.
Mrs. Chiapu conveyed to His Beatitude the love and greetings of the Cypriot President, Mr. Nikos Christodoulides, and his appreciation for the role of the Antiochian Patriarchate in the new events in Syria, Lebanon, and the Middle East in general.
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On the evening of Wednesday, January 8, 2025, His Holiness Catholicos Aram I, Catholicos of the Armenian Church, Holy See of Cilicia, and Honorary President of the Middle East Council of Churches, received His Beatitude Patriarch Raphaël Bedros XXI, Patriarch of the Armenian Catholic Church and President of the Middle East Council of Churches for the catholic family, who visited to extend Christmas greetings.
The meeting fostered a warm atmosphere for discussing important issues impacting Armenia, the upcoming presidential election in Lebanon and the changing situation in Syria. They underscored the urgent need for unity within the Christian community, especially among Armenians.
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Lk 3, 15-16.21-22
The feast of the Epiphany, which we recently celebrated, tells us something fundamental about our faith.
It tells us that God reveals himself, that he does not remain hidden: his mystery of love, which had remained hidden throughout the centuries, is now revealed, and revealed fully. Jesus, the Word who took on our flesh, reveals this mystery to us, reveals the face of the Father.
The entire history of salvation is permeated with small and large theophanies. Now everything is condensed in the story of Jesus: when we look at Him we see, as far as we can, the face of the Father, that is, His nature, His way of being...
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His Holiness Pope Francis appoints Sr. Simona Brambilla, an Italian-born religious sister from the Consolata Missionaries, as Prefect of the Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, along with Cardinal Ángel Fernández Artime as Pro-Prefect.
By Vatican News
Sister Simona Brambilla, who will turn 60 on March 27, previously served as the Superior General of the Consolata Missionaries.
Pope Francis appointed her on Monday, the Solemnity of the Epiphany, as Prefect of the Dicastery for Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life.
She has served as Secretary of the same Dicastery since October 7, 2023, and becomes the first woman to be appointed Prefect of a Dicastery of the Holy See.
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On January 4, 2025 a delegation representing the leadership of the UAECNE headed by Reverend Dr. Paul Haidostian, President of the Union of the Armenian Evangelical Churches in the Near East (UAECNE), and President of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) for the Evangelical Family visited His Holiness Catholicos Aram I, Catholicos of the Armenian Church, Holy See of Cilicia, and Honorary President of the Middle East Council of Churches, to present the special commemorative medal plaque prepared for the centennial of the Union of Armenian Evangelical Churches in the Near East, celebrated throughout 2024. The visit provided an opportunity to discuss shared concerns facing our societies and churches and to reaffirm the historical and rich cooperation between the two churches.
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From the General Secretary of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem
On the morning of Monday, 24th December 2024 / 6th January 2025, the Chief Celebrant of the Christmas Feast, His Beatitude Patriarch Kyrios Kyrios Theophilos III, Greek Orthodox Patriarch of the Holy City of Jerusalem and all Palestine and Jordan, and Honorary President of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), received at the Patriarchate the Body of the Orthodox Scouts and representatives of the Israeli Police, in the presence of the representative of the General Consulate of Greece, Mrs Anna Mantika.
After this meeting, His Beatitude, accompanied by the Holy Sepulchre Fathers, departed through Jaffa Gate. There, His Beatitude and the Holy Sepulchre Fathers boarded vehicles that transported them to the Holy Monastery of the Prophet Elias, between Jerusalem and Bethlehem.
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On the eve of the Feast of the Nativity and Theophany of our Lord Jesus Christ, January 5, 2025, His Holiness Catholicos Aram I, Catholicos of the Armenian Church, Holy See of Cilicia, and Honorary President of the Middle East Council of Churches, presided over the Christmas Vigil Service (Jrakaluyts – Lighting of the Candles) at St. Gregory the Illuminator Cathedral in Antelias.
At the conclusion of the Divine Liturgy, the grand sacristan of the Cathedral, V. Rev. Fr. Oshin Tchvalertanian, lit a candle from the altar, symbolizing the Light of Christ, and handed it to the Catholicos, who then passed the light to the faithful…
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ܒܣܝܩܘܡ 5 ܟܢܘܢ ܐ̱ܚܪܝ 2025܆ ܩܪܒ ܩܕܝܫܘܬܗ ܕܡܪܢ ܦܛܪܝܪܟܐ ܡܪܝ ܐܝܓܢܛܝܘܣ ܐܦܪܝܡ ܬܪܝܢܐ ܠܩܘܪܒܐ ܐܠܗܝܐ ܒܦܘܪܣܐ ܕܥܐܕܐ ܕܕܢܚܐ ܐܠܗܝܐ ܒܥܕܬܐ ܕܝܠܕܬ ܐܠܗܐ ܒܦܪܐܡܘܣ ܒܢܝܘ ܓܪܣܝ.
On January 5, 2025, His Holiness Patriarch Mor Ignatius Aphrem II, Patriarch of Antioch and All the East and Supreme Head of the Universal Syriac Orthodox Church, and Honorary President of the Middle East Council of Churches celebrated the Holy Qurobo on the occasion of Denho or Epiphany, at St. Mary Church in Paramus - New Jersey.
In his sermon, His Holiness spoke about Epiphany as the revelation of the Holy Trinity where the Lord Jesus Christ was proclaimed by the Father as His Beloved Son.
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On January 2, 2025, upon the invitation of His Eminence Mor Dionysius John Kawak, His Holiness Patriarch Mor Ignatius Aphrem II, Patriarch of Antioch and All the East and Supreme Head of the Universal Syriac Orthodox Church, and Honorary President of the Middle East Council of Churches warmly received His Grace Bishop David, Bishop of the Coptic Orthodox Diocese of New York & New England, His Eminence Metropolitan Saba (Esper) Archbishop of New York and Metropolitan of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America, His Eminence Archbishop Anoushavan Tanielian the Prelate of the Eastern Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church of America, The Most Reverend Bishop Gregory John Mansour Eparchial Bishop of Saint Maron of Brooklyn, His Eminence Mor Titus Yeldho, Archbishop of the Malankara Archdiocese of the Syriac Orthodox Church, His Eminence Mor Silvanos Ayub, Archbishop of the America and Europe Region of the Knanaya Archdiocese, His Grace Bishop Gabriel, General Bishop of the Coptic Orthodox Church in New Jersey, His Grace Bishop Nektarios of Diokleia, National Chancellor of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, V. Rev. Fr. Simeon Odabashian representing His Grace Bishop Mesrop, Primate of the Eastern Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church and, Rev. Fr. Ryan Muldoon, Director of Ecumenical Officer Catholic Archdiocese of New York, Rev. Fr. Nicolas Kazarian Ecumenical Officer and Director, Inter-Orthodox Ecumenical and Interfaith Relations, V. Rev. Fr. Joseph Chamoun, and Rev. Archdeacon Gebre Kristos Nichol Secretary of the Standing Conference of Oriental Orthodox Churches and Ecumenical Officer of the Coptic Orthodox Diocese of New & New England, at the Archdiocese of the Syriac Orthodox Church for the Eastern United States in Paramus, New Jersey…
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From the General Secretary of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem
On the morning of Friday, 21st December 2024 / 3rd January 2025, the Service of the Royal Hours was held at the Holy Church of Saints Constantine and Helen.
At the beginning, the Matins Service was read, and immediately following it, presided over by His Beatitude Patriarch Kyrios Kyrios Theophilos III, Greek Orthodox Patriarch of the Holy City of Jerusalem and all Palestine and Jordan, and Honorary President of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), the First Gospel was read. His Beatitude offered The First Incense, followed by the Holy Sepulchre Archbishops.
After the ninth Hour, the Divine Liturgy of Saint John Chrysostom was celebrated.
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