إستقبل غبطة البطريرك كيريوس كيريوس ثيوفيلوس الثالث يوم الإثنين الموافق 11 شباط 2019 نائب وزير السياحة في الحكومة القبرصية السيد سابا بيرذيو يرافقه ممثلي السفارة القبرصية في تل أبيب.

خلال اللقاء تم الحديث عن التعاون القوي بين البطريركية ودولة قبرص, وعن العلاقات الجيدة والمصالح التي تربط جمهورية قبرص مع دولة إسرائيل.

وتطرق غبطة البطريرك عن دور الكنيسة القبرصية التي هي حلقة الوصل مع الشعب القبرصي الأورثوذكسي, وعن مساعدة رئاسة أسقفية الكنيسة القبرصية في ترميم وقيام ممثلية القبر المقدس في العاصمة نيقوسيا.

في نهاية اللقاء تم تبادل الهدايا الرمزية.

مكتب السكرتارية العام

 إستقبل غبطة البطريرك كيريوس كيريوس ثيوفيلوس الثالث يوم الإثنين الموافق 11 شباط 2019 وزيرة الثقافة والسياحة في الحكومة اليونانية السيدة إيلينا كوندورا مع عدد من معاونيها وبحضور القنصل اليوناني العام في القدس السيد خريستوس سفيانوبولوس.

في هذا اللقاء كان هناك محادثة مثيرة للاهتمام حول دعم الحجاج زائري الأراضي المقدسة من العديد من الدول الأرثوذكسية, وتعزيز السياحة الدينية. وتم الإشارة أيضا إلى مشروع ترميم القبر المقدس في العام 2016-2017 الذي حظي بدعم الحكومة اليونانية.

في نهاية اللقاء تم تبادل الهدايا الرمزية, وتوجهت الوزيرة لزيارة كنيسة القيامة.

مكتب السكرتارية العام

في صباح يوم الجمعة الموافق 8 شباط 2019  قام السكرتير العام لوزارة الشؤون الخارجية في اليونان ، السيد ديمتريوس باراسكيفوبولوس بزيارة البطريركية الأورشليمية يرافقه سكرتير مكتبه السيد كريمداس والقنصل اليوناني العام في القدس السيد خريستوس سفيانوبولوس.

كان بإستقبال السيد براسكيفوبولوس غبطة البطريرك كيريوس كيريوس ثيوفلوس الثالث مع عدد من آباء أخوية القبر المقدس.

في هذا اللقاء جرت محادثة مثيرة للاهتمام حول الاحترام الذي تحظى به البطريركية من قبل المملكة الأردنية الهاشمية, الحكومة الفلسطينية وإسرائيل، باعتبارها المؤسسة الكنسية الأولى في الأرض المقدسة, والدور التي تلعبه البطريركية في الحفاظ على التوازن مع السياسات المتعددة, وأيضاً تم التشديد على حقيقة تعاون الكنائس المسيحية في القدس تحت قيادة البطريركية فيما يتعلق بقضايا مسيحيي الأراضي المقدسة.

 غبطة البطريرك شكر السيد باراسكيفوبولوس على تعاونه ودعمه الجيد على المدى الطويل للبطريركية, وقدّم له الهدايا الرمزية.

مكتب السكرتارية العام

قامت الطوائف المسيحية يوم الأربعاء 9 كانون ثاني  2019 بزيارة البطريركية ألاورشليمية لمعايدة أخوية القبر المقدس بعيد الميلاد المجيد, وتمت الزيارات حسب البرنامج التالي:

1- الساعة 9.15 صباحاً زار البطريركية وفد من أخوية الفرنسيسكان مع الرئيس الروحي للأخوية ألاب فرنسيس باتون وهنأ غبطة البطريرك وأخوية القبر المقدس بالأعياد المجيدة, بدوره شكر غبطة البطريرك أخوية الفرنسيسكان على هذه الزيارة ألاخوية والقى كلمة شكرٍ باللغة ألانجليزية:

“Your Paternity, dear Father Francesco,

Your Eminences,

Your Graces,

Beloved Members of our Respective Brotherhoods,

Dear Fathers,

We rejoice with you, dear Father Francesco, and we thank you warmly for your greetings for the feast of the Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Incarnate Logos. As we sing in our Liturgy

Today the Virgin gives birth to Him who is above all being, and earth offers a cave to him whom no one can approach. Angels with shepherds give glory, and Magi journey with a star. For unto us is born a young child, the pre-eternal God.

(Kontakion of the Feast)

It is right that we pause for a moment together to recognise the extraordinary mystery of the Incarnation, when the Creator of all became a part of his own creation. And God did not become man for his own sake or benefit, but out of love for us, to restore humanity to our original vocation.

This great mystery of the meeting of heaven and earth is not simply a theological ideal; it is an event in our sacred history that happened here in this land, the land of the divine-human encounter. As Saint Athanasius the Great has said, “God became man, so that man might become divine”.

And so we hold in special reverend the Church of the Nativity, where over the last few days both our communities have celebrated this great feast. Like all the Holy Places, the Church of the Nativity has been entrusted to us by Divine Providence to guard and sustain, and we give thanks for our fraternal partnership that enables us to pay attention to the restoration of the Grotto.

It is of course, fundamental that the Church of the Nativity remains a place of worship, prayer, and pilgrimage that is open to all freely and without distinction. The Holy Places are not museums or national monument, but “springs of [spiritual] water gushing up to eternal life (cf. John 4:14).

Our brotherly co-operation has enables us also during this last year to provide a united front against proposed legislation that would impinge severely on our rights and freedom with respect to our properties. We cannot rest in our vigilance against those radical elements in the society that seek to change the fundamental multi-cultural, multi-ethnic, multi-religious identity of the Holy Land, and who are undermining the Christian character of this Holy City as well. Our continuing steadfastness together is our proper defence, and it is a sign of hope and encouragement to all those who look to the Holy Land in hope during this holy season.

We take this opportunity to thank you, dear Father Francesco, and your community, for your ongoing solidarity, along with the other Heads of Churches, and we re-commit ourselves to doing all that may be necessary to ensure that the Integrity of the Holy Places and our beloved Holy Land is maintained and respected by all.

MAY Christ our God, who by His Incarnation has gathered into unity all things in heaven and on earth, through the intercession of the Mother of God, the Theotokos, bless you, your brotherhood, and all the members of your communities, and MAY we wish you a happy and peaceful New Year.

Thank you”.

2- الساعة 10.00 صباحاً زارت باقي الطوائف المسيحية مع رؤسائها البطريركية, وفد من البطريركية اللاتينية على رأسه غبطة البطريرك بيير باتيستا بيزابيلا, الكنيسة ألانجليكانية , الكنيسة اللوثرية, الكنيسة القبطية, والكنيسة ألاثيوبية , والقى غبطة البطريرك ثيوفيلوس الثالث كلمة شكرٍ باللغة ألانجليزية:

“Beloved Fellow Heads of the Churches,

Your Excellences,

Your Eminences,

Your Graces,

Dear Fathers,

We welcome you all to our Patriarchate as we celebrate the Feast of the Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ, and we thank you warmly for the greetings that you have expressed to us. This is a joyous time, in which our welcoming of each other is a sign of our welcoming of the Good News of the Incarnate Logos. As we sing during the Royal Hours in preparation for the Christmas Feast, let us listen to Saint Sophronios, Patriarch of Jerusalem;

Make ready, O Bethlehem,

let the manger be prepared,

let the cave show its welcome.

The truth has come,

the shadow has passed away.

(The Royal Hours, Tone 8, by Patriarch Sophronios)

The divine-human encounter in the flesh lies at the heart of our sacred history in this land. Here we Christians have lived and built communities from the very beginning, cherishing and guarding with our very lives the Holy Places, that is a living martyria by God’s salvific acts.

The integrity of the Christian character of Jerusalem and the Holy Land, along with the stability and vitality of the Christian presence here, are at the heart of our physical presence and spiritual mission. We believe firmly that we have the capacity to enable Christians to remain in this region, and our Churches have long experience in building initiatives that serve this purpose and goal.

During this past year, we have emphasized all this on many occasions, and we wish to express our gratitude to all of you for your solidarity in the face of unjust incursions and threats against our legitimate rights and freedoms as Christian communities here. For the moment we have fended off proposed legislation that would intrude unjustly on our legitimate rights and freedom with respect to our properties, and we continue to ensure that the Old City, and more specifically the Christian Quarter, maintains its historical Christian character. Our united efforts have up to the present enabled us to protect ourselves against those radical elements in our society that seek to weaken and break down the true multi-cultural, multi-ethnic, and multi-religious nature of this Holy City and our region. We realise that this is a constant threat against which there must be constant vigilance.

Please allow us to take this opportunity to express our gratitude once again to His Grace Archbishop Suheil for all that he has done to enable us to work with His Grace the Archbishop of Canterbury, who has given our cause invaluable help and support. We cannot but mention the support the we have received from His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales in his recent gathering in London of Church Leaders from stricken areas of our beloved Middle East. We also thank His Excellency Archbishop Pizzaballa for facilitating and supporting our ongoing and fruitful relationship with the Holy See. It is just such international support as this, from Church leaders as well as governmental authorities, that has contributed so much to our success so far. We must not allow our alliances to be undermined in any way.

In support of this united front, please allow us to announce to you that we have encouraged the establishment of the International Community of the Holy Sepulchre, with a base in London. This Trust exists to benefit the Christian presence in the Middle East in general and in the Holy Land in particular, and it is an intentionally ecumenical and international organization. The concept of ICoHS, as it is popularly called, has flowed directly out of the work that we have been doing around the world to keep the situation of the Christian community here before the world community. We invite your participation and support in this venture. We have come to see that we have many supporters around the world who care deeply about the Holy Land, and who are prepared to act on our behalf. ICoHS is one way to be effective in this work.

Finally, let us acknowledge with gratitude His Majesty, King Abdullah II, who hosted the gathering of the Heads of Churches and Christian Communities in Amman last month in celebration of Christmas, and which took place in the presence of His Excellency President Mahmoud Abbas.

At this season, when we welcome so many pilgrims who come longing for the spiritual refreshment of the Holy Places, and who long for the coming of our Lord into the cave of their hearts, MAY we who live and minister here also make ready our minds and souls, so that the incarnate Logos by the intercession of the Mother of God, the Theotokos, MAY shine in us and strengthen us to carry on the mission that the Divine Providence has entrusted to us.

MAY God bless you and your communities during this blessed Christmas season, and MAY God bless all the peoples of our beloved Holy Land. We wish you all a happy and peaceful New Year.

Thank you”.

3- الساعة 11.30 زار البطريركية القاصد الرسولي في القدس ممثل الفاتيكان ونقل تهنئة قداسة البابا فرنسيس لغبطته ولأخوية القبر المقدس.

4- نيابة عن غبطة البطريرك قام سيادة رئيس أساقفة بيلا كيريوس فيلومينوس مع وفد من أخوية القبر المقدس بزيارة البطريركية القبطية, السريانية والأثيوبية للمعايدة

مكتب السكرتارية العام 

قام غبطة البطريرك كيريوس كيريوس ثيوفيلوس الثالث مع وفد من أخوية القبر المقدس بزيارة تهنئة للكنائس الغربية في القدس التي إحتفلت بعيد الميلاد المجيد حسب التقويم الغربي كما هي العادة في كل عام.

وزار وفد الأخوية أولا أخوية الفرنسيسكان ومن ثم البطريركية اللاتينية, والقى غبطته كلمة معايدة في مقر أخوية الفرنسيسكان:

“Your Paternity, dear Father Francesco,

Your Eminences,

Your Graces,

Beloved Members of our Respective Fraternities,

Beloved in Christ,

We greet you, dear Father Francesco, and your community, with the joy of this holy season as you celebrated the feast of the Nativity. At this time, when the eyes of the world are directed to the Holy Land, we remember these words from the Orthodox services;

O Joseph, proclaim the wonders to David,

the ancestor of God. You have seen a Virgin

great with child; you have given glory with

the shepherds; you have worshipped with

the Magi; and you have been instructed through an angel.

Entreat Christ our God to save our souls.

(Dismissal Hymn, Vespers after the Nativity of Christ, Second Tone)

By Divine Providence, Saint Joseph was given the responsibility of guarding and protecting the Mother of God and the new-born Saviour Jesus Christ, and so he is an example to us in our own day, to whom the same Divine Providence has entrusted the guarding and protecting of the Holy Places, as well as the shepherding of the Christian communities of the Holy Land. Μάϊος Saint Joseph strengthen us for this mission by his intercession.

The responsibility of guarding and protecting the Holy Places as well as of serving the Christian communities rests heavily upon us especially when the Christian communities of the Middle East in general and our beloved Holy Land is particular continue to pass through difficult times. This has been a turbulent year, with many problems and challenges. But by the grace of God we have shown a united front, which has enabled us to defend our rights, privileges, and autonomy.

As you yourself have written, “Christmas symbolises unity, coexistence, new beginnings and hope.” Our unity of purpose is essential to ensuring the special character of the Holy City of Jerusalem and the Holy Land as the home of the Jews, Christians and Muslims, and as you have so rightly said, “in the Holy Land it is fitting that there should continue to be coexistence between Christians, Muslims, and Jews.’ This is the “message of peace and brotherhood between all religions and all peoples.’

The Churches play an essential role in maintaining this spirit of coexistence. Our duty as Christians and as monastics is to ensure the ongoing nature of the Holy Sites as places of worship and spiritual refreshment not just for Christians, but also for peoples of all faiths who come on pilgrimage. We know the importance of this mission in the ever-increasing number of pilgrims who visit the Holy Places.

Nor can we underestimate our role in the establishment of true peace and reconciliation. The feast of the Nativity is the feast of peace and reconciliation par excellence, when the Prince of Peace came in the flesh to reconcile humanity with God, and human beings with each other. As Saint Paul has written, he was born in human form (Phil. 2:7).

This is the hope of this Christmas season, and this is our commitment.

As we celebrate this feast with you, dear Father Francesco, we take this opportunity to give thanks again for the productive co-operation between our two Brotherhoods in the ongoing restoration of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and the Grotto of the Church of the Nativity. This co-operation is unprecedented in our shared history, and it is a real sign of the reconciliation that we are called to preach and to live.

MAY God bless you, Your Paternity, your Brotherhood, and all the Communities entrusted to your pastoral care. We wish you a very happy Christmas and a peaceful New Year.

Thank you”.

وفي مقر البطريركية اللاتينية الكلمة أدناة:

“Your Excellency, dear Archbishop Pizzaballa,

Your Eminences,

Your Graces,

Dear Fathers,

Beloved in Christ,

As you keep this Christmas feast, we greet you with the joy of the angels who proclaimed, “Glory be to God on high, and peace, goodwill among all people”. We pray that you may know the pace of this holy season and draw strength and illumination from the Incarnate Logos, who is “the Dayspring from the east, who has visited us from on high”, in whom “we who were in darkness and shadow have found the truth” (Exapostilarion from Matins of the Nativity).

As you know well, Your Excellency, this has been a year of many challenges, both locally and internationally.

At home we have had to face the ongoing pressure on our rights, privileges, and autonomy as Churches – a pressure that continues to demand our united opposition for the sake of preserving not only the Status Quo, but also the true character of Jerusalem and the Holy Land as a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic, multi-religious society in which a vital, vibrant, living Christian presence is essential.

On an international level, there has been more migration of refugees within the Middle East and abroad, and our region continues to wrestle with the humanitarian crisis of so many displaced and homeless persons. In this regard we cannot forget the plight of our Lord Himself, who as an infant was displaced from his own home by the political unrest of His time.

We are deeply encouraged by the support we have received from Church and governmental leaders around the world, and we have shown to the world our own unity of purpose in many ways. In particular we have recently shown our common witness at the Christmas Festival in Jordan, hosted by His Majesty Kind Abdullah and His Excellency President Mahmoud Abbas.

It is essential to our common mission here to protect the Christian community of the Middle East and to do all in our power to encourage and help them to remain in their ancestral homes. Our ancient, native Christian communities must not just survive the present pressures and difficulties; they must thrive and prosper if this region is to maintain its historic and unique identity as the home of the three Abrahamic traditions.

We recognize, dear Archbishop Pizzaballa, your pastoral zeal and your commitment to the well-being of this Holy City and our beloved Holy Land. Your years of selfless service are ample evidence of your love of the Holy Land and all our peoples. Our deepening relationship of co-operation over the years is yet another sign of hope both for those who call the Holy Land their home, as well as for those who call Jerusalem as their spiritual home and who come here in thousands every month as pilgrims.

Here is our common witness to the world. MAY we share together the rejoicing of the whole of creation at the birth of Christ, as we sing;

Make glad, O ye righteous;

greatly rejoice, O ye heavens;

ye mountains dance for joy. Christ is born…

Angels sing praises, saying,

“O Lord past our understanding,

Glory to you.”

(Katavasie from Matins of the Feast of the Nativity)

MAY God bless you, Your Excellency, along with your bishops, clergy, and people, and may the Incarnate Logos illumine all our hearts and fill us with a peaceful, reconciling Spirit.

We wish you a happy Christmas and a New Year of peace and joy.

Thank you.

بعد هذه الزيارتين توجه غبطة البطريرك يرافقه سيادة المطران أريسترخوس السكرتير العام للبطريركية لزيارة القاصد الرسولي ممثل الفاتيكان في الأراضي المقدسة للمعايدة, ومن ثم لمقر الكنيسة الأنجليكانية لزيارة وتهنئة سيادة المطران سهيل ديواني.

مكتب السكرتارية العام