Orthodox Churches

Thomas’ Sunday at the Patriarchate

On Sunday 26 April/ 9 May 2021 the Patriarchate celebrated according to the Book of Pentecostarion Thomas’ Sunday. On this Sunday the Church commemorates that eight days after His Resurrection the Lord appeared to His Disciples while the doors were locked in the Upper Room when Thomas was also with them. The Lord told Thomas “Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands, and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing” and “blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed” (John 20:26-29).

Two communities, victims of OCU raids, celebrate Pascha in new churches

Pascha 2021 has become special for two communities of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, who have been deprived of their churches seized by the ‘OCU’.

Order of Paschal liturgy published in Khmer language

The Cambodian deanery of the diocese of Thailand, the Patriarchate Exarchate of South-East Asia, has published the Khmer version of the Paschal divine service including the Paschal matins, Hours and the Divine Liturgy. The translation was made with a blessing of the Patriarchal Exarch for South-East Asia, Metropolitan Sergiy of Singapore and South-East Asia and under the guidance of the secretary of the diocese of Thailand, Archimandrite Oleg (Cherepanin).

The project was coordinated by Hieromonk Paisius (Opate), rector of the St. George church in Phnom Penh. The rector of the St. Panteleimon church in Sihanoukville, Rev. Roman Postnikov, was responsible for the editing. The translation was drafted by D. Yu. Okhvat, the Khmer language and literature lecturer, Chair of the Philology of South-East Asia, Eastern faculty of St. Petersburg University.

Easter Monday at the Patriarchate of Jerusalem

On Easter Monday 20 April/ 3 May 2021, the joyful Feast of the Resurrection was celebrated at the Patriarchal Monastic Church of Saints Constantine and Helen, led in participation at the prayers by His Beatitude our Father and Patriarch of Jerusalem Theophilos. The Service included Matins, the Canon of the Resurrection and then the Divine Liturgy, at the chanting of the Byzantine Choir Leader of the Church Archimandrite Eusevios and the Typikon Keeper Archimandrite Alexios. The Brotherhood Fathers attended the Service, the Consul General of Greece in Jerusalem Mr Evangelos Vlioras, and a few faithful from Jerusalem.

Liturgy in Jericho for Saint Zacchaeus the Publican

On Tuesday of the Bright Week, 21 April/ 4 May the Patriarchate observed by transference due to Pascha the commemoration of Saint Zacchaeus the former publican, which is normally celebrated on 20^th April annually, at the Holy Monastery of Prophet Elisha in Jericho, where still stands the sycamore tree on which Zacchaeus climbed to be able to see the Lord passing by. Since that event, he repented and became later on Bishop of Caesarea of Palestine. 

Eight Years Since the Kidnapping of the Bishops of Aleppo

Beloved Brethren and Spiritual Children, Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! On April 22, 2013, same as today, our brothers the Bishops of Aleppo, Metropolitans Paul Yazigi and John Ibrahim, were kidnapped. To this day, their case, a real picture rather than a glimpse of the tragedy lived by the people of this East, remains the scar left by lies in the cheek of truth. Indeed, truth has been slaughtered by deception.