WCC NEWS: WCC participated in the 17th enthronement anniversary of His Beatitude Theophilos III, Patriarch of Jerusalem and All Palestine

A thanksgiving service for the work and the life of Theophilos III of Jerusalem was held on 22 November in the Holy Sepulchre Church, commemorating the patriarch’s 17th election enthronement. 22 November 2022, Jerusalem, Palestine: Patriarch Theophilos III of Jerusalem (Greek Orthodox Church of Jerusalem) pictured outside the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in the Jerusalem Old City, after a doxology held to celebrate the 17th anniversary of his enthronement. Photo: Albin Hillert/WCC 23 November 2022 After the Service, bells tolling, everybody returned to the Patriarchate headquarters. At the Great Hall, many messages and speeches commemorated the occasion, among them one from World Council of Churches (WCC) acting general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Ioan Sauca, who said he was honored and grateful to attend. “Recently we had the World Council of Churches 11th Assembly in Germany where we issued a statement on Israel and Palestine, asking for lasting peace and security for all,” Sauca said. “The Orthodox look at you as a father and the patriarch of the mother church of Jerusalem. The Christians of the Holy Land look at you in hope because you are boldly defending the holy Christian sites in the Holy Land and the continuation of the Christian presence there”. 22 November 2022, Jerusalem, Palestine: World Council of Churches acting general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Ioan Sauca (right) congratulates Patriarch Theophilos III of Jerusalem (Greek Orthodox Church of Jerusalem) during a celebration of the 17th anniversary of the patriarch's enthronement. Photo: Albin Hillert/WCC A World Council of Churches delegation led by WCC acting general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Ioan Sauca visit Jerusalem and the West Bank from 21-25 November, meeting with patriarchs and heads of Christian communities as well as local clergy and laity. Photo gallery of the 17th enthronement anniversary of His Beatitude Theophilos III Jerusalem Patriarchate 22 November 2022, Jerusalem, Palestine: Doxology held in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in the Jerusalem Old City, to celebrate the 17th anniversary of the enthronement of Patriarch Theophilos III of Jerusalem (Greek Orthodox Church of Jerusalem). Photo: Albin Hillert/WCC See more

The World Council of Churches promotes Christian unity in faith, witness and service for a just and peaceful world. An ecumenical fellowship of churches founded in 1948, today the WCC brings together 352 Protestant, Orthodox, Anglican and other churches representing more than 580 million Christians in over 120 countries, and works cooperatively with the Roman Catholic Church. The WCC acting general secretary is Rev. Prof. Dr Ioan Sauca, from the Orthodox Church in Romania.  Media contact: +41 79 507 6363; www.oikoumene.org/press Our visiting address is: World Council of Churches 150 route de Ferney Geneve 2 1211 Switzerland