On the morning of Bright Wednesday, 10th/23rd April 2025, a delegation from the Armenian Patriarchate in Jerusalem, headed by His Eminence Bishop Guregh, visited the Patriarchate to offer greetings for the joyous Feast of Pascha. They were warmly received by our Father and Patriarch of Jerusalem, His Beatitude Theophilos III, together with the Fathers of the Holy Sepulchre Brotherhood. His Beatitude addressed the representatives of the Armenian Patriarchate in English.

On Friday, 12th/25th April 2025, the Brotherhood of the Holy Sepulchre paid a return visit to the Armenian Patriarchate in Jerusalem on the occasion of the Feast of Pascha.

There, His Beatitude Patriarch Theophilos III of Jerusalem and His Holy Sepulchre entourage were warmly received by Patriarch Nourhan Manougian and the Armenian Brotherhood. This was followed by the traditional Easter addresses and festive refreshments.

His Beatitude Speech reads as follows:

“Your Beatitude Patriarch Nourhan,

Your Eminence Archbishop Sevan,
Your Graces,
Beloved Members of our Respective Brotherhoods,
Dear Fathers,

We welcome you to our Patriarchate, and we are grateful to you for your Easter greetings. This is the
feast of Feasts, in which our salvation is made manifest in the resurrection, and it is with great joy that we
sing with the hymnographer

Let all creation rejoice,
and all the earthborn be glad;
for Hades, the enemy, has been despoiled.
Let the women meet me with myrrh;
for I redeem Adam along with Eve,
and all their descendants,
and will rise on the third day.

(From the Paschal Midnight Office)

Even in the midst of the current crisis that engulfs our region, we cannot give up on the hope that the
resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ brings not just to us, but to the whole world. The Christians of the
Holy Land are the first witness to this hope, which remains unconquered even in the face of violence and
human cruelty. As we read in the Gospel of Saint Mark, The young man said to the myrrh-bearing
women, “Do not be alarmed; you are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has been
raised; he is not here. Look, there is the place they laid him” (Mk 16:6).

As we celebrate this great feast we wish to acknowledge the important co-operation that exists between
our Brotherhoods in the service of the Holy Places. This is apparent not only in the conduct of services,
especially at this time, but also in the work that continues to be done in the renovation of the Church of
the Holy Sepulchre. We are especially pleased that our services this year were all conducted according
to the proper provisions of the Status Quo. In the current situation of the considerable threat to the
Christian presence in the Holy Land, our shared stewardship remains of paramount significance. We
must always be deepening our relationship and togetherness, always showing to the world a united front
as we safeguard the Holy Places, so that they remain living witness to our sacred history and places of
true spiritual refreshment for all people of good will who come here. This is essential for maintaining the
Christian character of Jerusalem for the ongoing Christian presence here. For, as we read in the
Scriptures, the gates of Hades will not prevail against the Church (cf. Mt 16:18).

In this season of new life, we must re-double our efforts to work for peace and an end of all conflict. We
know that the future, both for the Churches and for nations and governments, lies in effective dialogue,
and not in antagonism, fear, mistrust, and discord. We are confident that new life for all our peoples, built
on a firm foundation of peace, reconciliation, mutual respect, and trust, is genuinely possible, and to this
endeavour we must always be committed.

We wish you, Your Beatitude, your Brotherhood, and the communities that you serve a blessed and
joyous Easter. May God grant us all the wisdom that comes from the light of the Empty Tomb, and may
that light shine in our hearts and enlighten our minds.

Christ is risen!”

 

By en.jerusalem-patriarchate.info

Source Link: https://en.jerusalem-patriarchate.info/chronicle/the-exchange-of-easter-visits-between-the-orthodox-patriarchate-of-jerusalem-and-the-armenian-patriarchate/