Patriarch of Jerusalem: We hope Pope will support Christians in Holy Land
Patriarch Theophilos. Photo: puterea.ro
The Patriarch of Jerusalem congratulated the newly elected Roman Pontiff, Pope Leo XIV, and expressed hope for his involvement in the cause of peace and the protection of Christians in the Holy Land.
The head of the Jerusalem Church emphasized that the Pope’s words following his election deserve special attention. “We affirm the words that His Holiness spoke in his speech after the election that emphasise bridge-building, dialogue, and encounter as the avenues to peace,” the statement reads.
“In a world so torn by division, violence, distrust, and despair, we know that the way of peace can be built only by such means. We look forward to the important engagement of Pope Leo in this urgent work, to which we, as the Patriarchate of Jerusalem, together with our fellow Heads of the Churches in the Holy Land, have long been committed,” Patriarch Theophilos stressed.
“We hope very much to welcome Pope Leo as a pilgrim to the Holy Land, as we welcomed his predecessors, and we are confident in His Holiness continuing their long standing and honoured tradition of supporting and encouraging the Christian presence in the Holy Land and our broader region, in the face of growing pressure and challenge,” the Patriarch added.
Earlier, UOJ reported that the Patriarch of Jerusalem voiced support for persecuted hierarchs of the UOC.
Read also
In Baturyn, armed police "guard" convent from nuns and parishioners
Sisters of the St. Nicholas Krupytsky Convent of the UOC and local believers have been denied entry to the monastery grounds for hours, which has been turned into a restricted facility.
UOC's foreign mission reports manipulations around its activities
The Western European Vicariate emphasized that UOC parishes abroad operate independently and were created for the spiritual care of the Ukrainian diaspora.
Clergy meeting of Western European Vicariate of UOC held in Italy
The annual gathering of clergy of the Vicariate took place in the city of Bari under the chairmanship of Bishop Veniamin.
Photo of destroyed MinCulture facility published online
The public organization reported the destruction of a church in Velykyi Khodachkiv; authorities remain inactive.
MP agrees with OCU on destruction of royal family fresco in Volodymyr cathedral
Despite the fact that the Dormition Cathedral in Volodymyr was built with funds provided by Nicholas II, the OCU will destroy the fresco depicting the Royal Passion-Bearers.
UGCC calls on authorities to move brothels out of Lviv
A UGCC cleric says the war has “saved Lviv from the Babylon that had already begun to take shape in the city.”