The elections of the new Armenian Patriarch of Jerusalem will be held in January

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 19, ARMENPRESS. The elections of the new patriarch of Jerusalem will be held in the Armenian Patriarchate on January 23-25. The Vicar of the Armenian Patriarch of Jerusalem Archbishop Aris Shirvanian announced this in a conversation with "Armenpress". Archbishop Aris Shirvanian stated: "As you know the funerals of the deceased Patriarch are over now and 40 days after his death, the election of the new patriarch must be held. Notwithstanding this does not mean that the elections must be convened right in the 41st day, hence the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem has decided to fix the date of the elections on January 23, 24 and 25."

Secret ballot is held at the council, where 5 candidacies are involved and after the second votes one of these 5 will become patriarch.

On October 12 Armenian Patriarch of Jerusalem Archbishop Torkom Manoukyan passed away. He was a chairman of "Religion in American Life" Council. He also was a member of the council of directors of "Call of Conscience" foundation. He was the author of more than 20 monographs including three books of poetry, a study on Armenian Devine Liturgy, books dedicated to the Armenian Genocide and detailed guide to the holy sites of Jerusalem. Also the deceased Patriarch was a prominent expert on Komitas.


Source:ARMENPRESS

Metropolitan Mar Barnabas Mathews buried

Metropolitan Mathews Mar Barnabas at his funeral.
Orthodox Syriac hierarchs are buried sitting on their
cathedrae. Photo: orthodoxchurch.in

KOTTAYAM (KERALA, INDIA): The senior Metropolitan of the Holy Episcopal synod of the Orthodox Syrian Church of the East and Metropolitan emeritus of North-East American Diocese Mathews Mar Barnabas (89), was buried on Wednesday, Dec. 12, 2012 at St. Peter's and St. Paul's Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church, Valayanchirangara, near Perumbavoor, in the district of Ernakulam in Kerala. Catholicos His Holiness Moran Mar Baselius Mar Thoma Paulose II of the East led the service in the presence of bishops of the Indian Church and thousands of people from across the State.

Mathews Mar Barnabas died on Sunday, December 09 aged 88 at the Pushpagiri Hospital in Thiruvalla. The metropolitan, who lived a very ascetic life, has been leading a retired life at the Mar Kuriakose Dayara, Pampady, after retiring as head of the North American diocese. He has been suffering from age-related illness and undergoing treatment at a private medical college in Thiruvalla for the past many months. The end came in the hospital.

In 1982 he was appointed as the metropolitan of the newly formed Idikki Diocese. In 1992, Mathews Mar Barnabas was appointed as the diocesan metropolitan of American Diocese.

In 2011, Mathews Mar Barnabas was relieved of administrative responsibilities as diocesan metropolitan of the Northeast American Diocese due to his ailing health.

The Church prays for Egypt

Nader Shukry

Pope Tawadros II has said that the Coptic Church is an Egyptian Church that is praying hard for peace to reign in Egypt.
He called upon the wise men of Egypt to intervene with the conflicting parties to promote self-restraint and stop the bloodshed. "We must work together so that matters do not get out of control," the Pope said. "Let every Egyptian today seek wisdom with diligence; wisdom is what we need to overcome the current turmoil. The Bible says: 'Tell wisdom you are my sister, and understanding my relation'."
In reply to accusations by the Islamist satellite TV channel Misr 25 (Egypt 25) that the Church was mobilising its congregation against President Mursi, The Pope's secretary Fr Angaelos told Watani that the Church was a spiritual institution that had nothing to do with politics. He reminded that Pope Tawadros had called for dialogue, and asked all Egyptians to put Egypt's interests above anything else, to exercise wisdom and renounce violence, so that peace would reign.

Father Rafiq Greiche of the Catholic Church, whose church in Heliopolis lies in the thick of the events, has been an eyewitness to all what has been going on near the presidential palace the last few days. Fr Rafiq said the violence had been a horror to see; "The civil forces protested peacefully," he said. "It was when the Islamists came in buses and marches and assaulted the demonstrators with clubs and white weapons that matters turned violent. President Mursi is responsible for promoting this division between countrymen; he should have acted as a president for all Egyptians not only of one sector."

The Reverend Andrea Zaky of the Evangelical Church said that his church had set up a field hospital to care for the injured. "Egypt in its entirety should join hands to stop the bloodshed," he said. "Otherwise, we may be on the verge of civil war."
For his part, the Rev Rifaat Fikry of the Evangelical church in Shubra, Cairo, condemned the attempt at sectarianism by Egypt 25. The only role the Church plays, he said, was to pray for Egypt. "Any attempt to play on sectarian sentiments is contemptible," he said, " and only serves to divide Egypt."

WATANI International
7 December 2012

Egypt: Church not into politics

A general state of comfort has reigned among Copts on account of the Church refusing to be pushed into politics. Several Coptic activists have applauded the “sound decision” of Pope Tawadros II of staying out of politics

CAIRO: A general state of comfort has reigned among Copts on account of the Church refusing to be pushed into politics. Several Coptic activists have applauded the “sound decision” of Pope Tawadros II of staying out of politics.

A Church source earlier confirmed that the Church had come under pressure from the political authorities in Egypt to join in the meeting called for by President Mursi last Saturday. All political movements in Egypt were invited to discuss the protests against the President’s recent decrees by which he gave himself sweeping powers, and set the date 15 December for a referendum on an Islamist constitution that had been rushed through a constituent assembly whose legality is under question in court.

The Church declined the invitation, and said it saw itself as a religious institution whose main role is to pray for Egypt and its safety and stability; political dialogue is the responsibility of political parties and public figures.

“The Church should not be pushed into any political debate,” member of the Coptic Orthodox Melli (Community) Council member Kamel Saleh told Watani, “especially after it took that step back following the 25 January 2011 Revolution. The Copts have become an active part in a vigorous political and public scene, in political parties and movements through which they demand their rights as Egyptian citizens.” By attempting to treat the Church as the sole representative of the Copts on the political level, the Islamist regime now ruling Egypt wishes to turn the political scene into a sectarian one, in order to further polarise the Egyptian street, Mr Saleh said.

The lawyer and political acitivist Peter al-Naggar said that Pope Tawadros’s response confirms his sensitivity to the pulse of the Coptic street which rejects this dialogue. He said that only the Islmists, their allies and persons with special interests took part in the dialogue President Mursi called for. The presidency attempted to push the Church into it in order to create a state of political inflammation that would surely turn into sectarian conflict, Naggar pointed out. But the Pope as well as the other Egyptian Churches, he said, were wise enough to steer clear off this pitfall.

Reverend Safwat al-Bayadi, head of the Evangelical Church in Egypt, who divulged that no official invitation had been extended to the Church to participate in the dialogue, confirmed that the Church refuses to take part in any political dialogue and that it should be left to politicians to reach a common understanding.

Monday, December 10, 2012

Nader Shukry

Watani International

Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch Ignatius IV Hazim Laid to Rest in Patriarchs Burial Chambers in Mariamite Cathedral

H B Hazim’s body at the Mariamite Cathedral
in Damascus-photo: SANA

Damascus: The body of Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch and All the East Ignatius IV Hazim was laid to rest on Monday December 10, 2012 in the patriarchs' burial chambers underneath the Mariamite Cathedral in Damascus.

The interment ceremonies were presided upon by Archbishop Saba Esper, Archbishop of Houran and Jabal a-Arab, assisted by the Archbishops of the Holy See of Antioch, with psalms performed by the choir of St. John of Damascus Institute of Theology at the University of Balamand and the choir of St. John of Damascus.

Archbishop of Mount of Lebanon, Archbishop George Khedr, delivered the eulogy of the late Patriarch, extolling his religious and worldly standings and his deep knowledge and services to Christianity and science.

Archbishop Khedr affirmed that Syria is the heart of the Christian world and that Antioch was the first stage on which Christianity emerged, spreading across the entire world.

The internment ceremony was attended by State Minister for Presidential Affairs Mansour Azzam representing President Bashar al-Assad, offering condolences on behalf of the President.

The ceremony was also attended by Greek Catholic Patriarch of Antioch and All the East Gregorios III Lahham, in addition to heads of Christian denominations, Speaker of the People's Assembly Mohammad Jihad al-Lahham, and Minister of Information Omran al-Zoubi representing the Prime Minister, in addition to other ministers, representatives of political parties, representatives of Iraqi, Lebanese and Palestinian figures and organizations, and accredited diplomats in Damascus.

Before the interment, a requiem was held for Patriarch Ignatius IV Hazim at the Mariamite Cathedral, presided upon by chief priests and bishops of the Holy See of Antioch and accompanied by the two aforementioned choirs.

Representatives of churches and Islamic clergymen in Syria and citizens attended the requiem.

Minister of Religious Endowments, Grand Mufti of the Republic, Scholars Offer Condolences over Patriarch Hazim's Death

Hazim’s body at Beirut’s Saint Nicholas Cathedral.
(The Daily Star/Mohammad Azakir)

Minister of Religious Endowments (Awqaf), Dr. Mohammad Abdul-Sattar al-Sayyed, and Grand Mufti of the Republic, Dr. Ahmad Badreddin Hassoun, and a number of scholars on Monday offered condolences over death of Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch and All the East Ignatius IV Hazim at the Mariamite Cathedral in Damascus.

Earlier this afternoon, the body the late Patriarch was laid to rest in the patriarchs' burial chambers underneath the Mariamite Cathedral in Damascus.

Source: Syrian TV

More on This Story:
Naharnet

Coptic leader declines to join in Egypt's 'national dialogue'

CWN - December 11, 2012
Coptic Orthodox Pope Tawadros II has declined an invitation from Egypt's President Mohammed Morsi to join in a "national dialogue," explaining that the Church is not a political institution.

President Morsi, whose move to assume sweeping new powers has provoked strong opposition, evidently wished to enlist Coptic leaders in his bid to negotiate a response to the country's political crisis.

Pope Tawadros replied that the proper role of the Orthodox Church is to pray for Egypt, and leave political bargains to political officials.

Catholic World News (CWN)

Thousands pay homage to Mathews Mar Barnabas

His Excellency Oomen Chandy, Chief Minister
of Kerala , visits His Eminence Mathews
Mar Barnabas in hospital - file-photo

KOTTAYAM, Dec 11, 2012: Thousands paid homage on Monday,Dec 10 to the former Metropolitan of the Idukki and American dioceses of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church, Mathews Mar Barnabas, 88, at Mar Kuriakose Dayara, Pampady in Kottayam. The senior Metropolitan breathed his last at Pushpagiri Hospital, Thiruvalla on Sunday morning. The body, now at the Mar Kuriakose Dayara, will be taken to the Orthodox Seminary, Kottayam, by Tuesday afternoon and later to St Peter's and St Paul's Church, Valayanchirangara, near Angamaly. On the way, the body will be kept at Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church Medical Mission Hospital, Kolencherry where he had served as chaplain, for the public to pay their last respects.

The body will be interred at a specially constructed crypt at St Peter's and St Paul's Church on Wednesday after morning prayers.

The Orthodox Church has declared a holiday for all educational institutions, including professional institutions, under its management on Wednesday. However, examinations will be held as per schedule.

Source: Times of India