In my reflection for this blog on 25 September 2023, I shared with you news about the 1500th Centennial Jubilee of Mor Philoxinous of Mabough. I would like to detail some activities that took place at the Syrian Orthodox Church of Antioch during 2023 in honour of this great saint Mor Philoxinous of Mabough.
In July 2021, I shared a blog with all of you, as my church, the Syrian Orthodox Church of Antioch and all the East marks the 1500 Jubilee Year of Mor Jacob de Serugh (St Jacob of Serugh) a great Syriac Poet, who religiously articulated theological doctrines for monks to fight heresies. He employed poetry to formulate pure and clear theological teaching using Biblical evidence.
World Council of Churches (WCC) president for Eastern Orthodox Churches Metropolitan Vasilios of Ammochostos has three-quarters of his diocese on the island of Cyprus under Turkish occupation, but no Christians are still living in the occupied part.
After returning from a solidarity visit to Türkiye, World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay and ACT Alliance general secretary Rudelmar Bueno de Faria appear in a video interview speaking about what they saw, how churches are working together, and their unique reflections on their visit—held 4-6 April—took place during western Holy Week.
During a solidarity visit to Türkiye in early April, a delegation from the World Council of Churches and ACT Alliance saw firsthand the devastation of the February earthquake, the needs of the affected population, and how churches are responding to that need.
A delegation from the World Council of Churches and ACT Alliance is visiting Türkiye this week, expressing solidarity and support for churches on the ground responding to grave needs in the wake of the 6 February earthquake.
World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay visited the Armenian Patriarchate in Istanbul, Turkey on 12 March. His Beatitude, Archbishop Sahak Mashalyan, the Armenian Patriarch of Constantinople, welcomed the WCC general secretary and congratulated him on his election, wishing him successful years in his service to the worldwide churches.
World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay is visiting the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Istanbul, Turkey, from 10-11 March. This is the first official visit of the WCC new general secretary to a member church since assuming his duties on 1 January 2023.
In a letter to the heads of World Council of Churches (WCC) member churches in Syria, Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay expressed deep sadness at the loss of more than 40,000 lives in the devastating earthquake that struck Syria and Turkey.
On 20 February, His Holiness Moran Mor Ignatius Aphrem II, Patriarch of Antioch and All the East and Supreme Head of the Universal Syriac Orthodox Church, arrived in the city of Antioch, the historical capital of the Patriarchate, for an historic visit following the devastating earthquake that struck on 6 February.
Letter of solidarity from the WCC general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay to the heads of member churches in Syria after devastating earthquake struck Syria and Turkey.
Almost two weeks have passed since an earthquake that hit northern Syria and Turkey on 6 February, killing over 41,000 people. The disaster also caused thousands of buildings to collapse. In various cities such as Aleppo, Hama, and Lattakia, over 115 schools were destroyed.
H.H. Moran Mor Ignatius Aphrem II, Patriarch of Antioch and all the East and Supreme Head of the Universal Syriac Orthodox Church, visited Antioch, marking an historic and first Apostolic visit to the place where Saint Peter established the Holy See of Antioch in the year 37.
Church at the Crossroads, sermon by Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay, General Secretary of the World Council of Churches at the service of his installation as the ninth general secretary of the WCC in the chapel of the Ecumenical Centre Geneva, Switzerland, 17 February 2023.
Following the catastrophic earthquake that struck Syria and Turkey, the Middle East Council of Churches in Syria interviewed H.E. Ephraim Maalouli, Greek Orthodox Metropolitan of Aleppo, Alexandretta, and Dependencies.
Faith-based and humanitarian groups across the world were setting in motion appeals for aid and prayers as response expands in the wake of the devastating earthquake that struck Syria and Turkey on 6 February.
Following the devastating Turkey-Syria earthquake on 6 February, the presidents of the Middle East Council of Churches held an emergency meeting to discuss the disaster and how to respond.
As communities in Turkey and Syria were left reeling in the wake of an earthquake that has killed at least 4,300 people—and that figure is growing—churches were reaching out to check on those affected and praying for the safety of those missing.
