Patriarcat Latin de Jérusalem

On the 1st and 2nd of September 2010 the Plenary Assembly of the Catholic Ordinary of The Holy Land (A.C.O.H.L.) was held in Bethlehem in the presence of:

His Excellency Bishop William Shomaly gave a speech at Alliqa’ Centre for Religious and Heritage Studies in Bethlehem on Friday 6/8/2010.

The appeal for communion at the base of the 2011 Week of Prayer for Christian Unity comes this year from a church uniquely placed to speak of both division and harmony. The Churches and communities of Jerusalem have prepared the material for next January's event. "One in the apostles’ teaching, fellowship, breaking of bread and prayer," will be the theme for the prayer week, traditionally held in most countries from Jan. 18-25.

On Saturday, the 10^th of July, at Notre-Dame Center's Church in Jerusalem, a Mass of thanksgiving was celebrated on the occasion of the 50 years of priesthood of H.E. Archbishop Antonio Franco, Apostolic Delegate for Jerusalem and Palestine and Apostolic Nuncio for Israel and Cyprus. Patriarch Twal, Patriarch Sabbah, Bishops Bathish, Shomali, Chacour and Sayyah, Rev. Custos Pierbattista Pizzaballa, representatives of the Armenian and Orthodox Churches, as well as many members of communities and faithful came to surround him and express their friendship.

One year ago the Holy Father, Benedict XVI, was with us. His Holiness left us significant messages, He encouraged us; He kept us to remember the beauty of our mission to be witnesses of Christ in the Holy Land. The papal visit was an important event for us all.  To revive those days the Assembly of the Catholic Ordinaries, and the Pontifical Representatives in the Holy Land, have the honor to invite Priests, members of the Institutes for consecrated life, seminarians, Christian families and members of pastoral movements to a Cultural Evening on “The visit of the Pope to the Holy Land” in the Auditorium of Notre Dame Center, Jerusalem Saturday, May 29^th 2010 at 5 pm.

On Tuesday, April 6, the leaders of the different Churches in Jerusalem exchanged their mutually Easter Greetings. The first to be visited were the Greek Orthodox, where the visiting ecclesiastical dignitaries from the other Christian confessions were greeted by HB Theophilos III, his bishops and priests. Then came the turn of the Latin Patriarchate, when the Greek Orthodox and others came to offer their wishes to SB Fouad Twal and his staff. In his welcoming remarks and thanks, Patriarch Fouad said that the traditional exchange of greetings "underlined the brotherhood among the various Christian Churches, especially in this year when for both the Orthodox and the Catholics, Easter was celebrated on the same day." The tour ended at the Armenian Orthodox Patriarchate, where representatives of different churches were received by S. B. Torkom Manoogian. Photo report.

Alleluia! Christ is Risen. He is Risen Indeed. Alleluia!
We, the Heads of the Churches in the Land of the Holy One, share with you the Good News of the life of our local Christian Church as one Body in Christ who live the resurrection faith every day. Our message to you, whether near or far, is one of hope, encouragement and perseverance. We know the struggles so many Christians face, both here in this land and elsewhere in the world.

Your Beatitude,
Your Excellencies,
After our Plenary meeting which took place on the Mount of the Beatitudes between March 8 and 10, 2010 in the presence of His Excellency the Apostolic Nuncio, we, the Catholic Ordinaries of the Holy Land want to express our fraternal closeness to the beloved churches of Iraq, their pastors and faithful without distinction, in these trying times.

The Assembly of Catholic Ordinaries of the Holy Land (AOCTS) held its bi-annual meeting from Monday, March 8 until Wednesday, March 10, 2010 in Galilee at the Domus Galilaeae. The Assembly includes all the heads of the Catholic Church in the Holy Land and at this meeting all were present: the president of the assembly, Latin Patriarch Fouad Twal and his three Vicars, Bishop Marcuzzo from Nazareth, Bishop Selim Sayegh from Amman and Father David Neuhaus from the Hebrew-speaking Catholic community, as well as the two emeritus bishops, Patriarch Michel Sabbah and Bishop Kamal Bathish.

On February 20, 2010 at 6 pm Holy Land time shall be held at the Evangelical Lutheran Church of the Redeemer, Jerusalem, presided over by H.G. Munib Yunan, bishop of the Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land, the second edition of the extraordinary prayer to which all Churches of Jerusalem invite.