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Photo: Pope Francis and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I embrace.
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20-25 June 2011
Divine Liturgy of the Close of the Synod
A solemn Divine Liturgy was celebrated on Saturday, 25 June 2011 for the close of the Holy Synod, which had begun its work at the Patriarchal Residence of Ain Traz on 20 June, presided over by H. B. Patriarch Gregorios III. Participating with the Patriarch were eighteen bishops. The others had had to leave already on Friday, 24 for various reasons, as the Holy Synod ended at 7p.m. that day.
Features of that Liturgy
The Liturgy began on the solea (in front of the iconostasis) around the Patriarch.
The multilingual service was celebrated in eight languages, Arabic, Greek, English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese and Spanish, the languages of our liturgy in the Middle East of and the countries to which our faithful have spread.
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CWNews.com - On June 28, Pope Benedict XVI greeted a delegation of Orthodox Church officials to the Vatican, where they will join in the celebration of the feast of Sts. Peter and Paul on June 29.
The Orthodox officials were representing the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, Bartholomew I. Each year the Orthodox leaders sends a delegation to join in the celebration of Rome’s patronal feast. In return, a delegation from the Vatican visits Istanbul for the feast of St. Andrew, the patron of that Orthodox see.
The Pope welcomed the Orthodox delegates, telling them that their participation in the annual celebration of the feast of Sts. Peter and Paul “expresses the true friendship and brotherhood which unites the Church of Rome and the Ecumenical Patriarchate, bonds that are solidly based on the faith received from the testimony of the apostles.”
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Newton - The Rt. Rev. Exarch Joseph Haggar, Administrator pro tempore of the Eparchy of Newton, announces the following:
His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI has given assent to the canonical election by the Holy Synod of the Melkite Catholic Church of the Most Rev. Archbishop Cyril Salim Bustros as Metropolitan of Beirut and Jbeil, Lebanon, and, at the proposal of the Holy Synod of the Melkite Catholic Church, has named the Most Rev. Bishop Nicholas James Samra as Eparch of Newton.
In addition, His Holiness has also given assent to the canonical election of the Most Rev. Bishop Issam John Darwish as Archbishop of Zahleh and Furzol, Lebanon, and has named the Rt. Rev. Archimandrite Robert Rabbat as Eparch of St. Michael the Archangel of Sydney (Australia and New Zealand).
The Patriarchal Web Site announced the joyous news this way . . .
His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI has given his assent to the election of two archbishops, canonically elected by the Holy Synod of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church, at Ain Traz on 25 June 2010.
They are:
The Most Rev. Archbishop Cyril Salim Bustros, hitherto Eparch of Newton (USA), elected Metropolitan of Beirut and Jbeil, Lebanon; and The Most Rev. Bishop Issam John Darwish, B. S., hitherto Eparch of St Michael the Archangel of Sydney, (Australia and New Zealand), elected Archbishop of Zahleh and Furzol, Lebanon. 15 June 2011
As of today, 15 June 2011, His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI, at the proposal of the Holy Synod of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church, has named two hierarchs for the eparchies of our expansion vacant as a result of the transfer of their respective eparchs to other eparchies.
They are:
The Most Rev. Nicholas James Samra, hitherto titular Bishop of Gerasa and former Protosynkellos of the Eparchy of Newton, (USA), named Eparch of the same Eparchy of Newton; and The Rt. Rev. Archim. Robert Rabbat, hitherto rector of the Eparchial Cathedral of Newton and editor-in-chief of the eparchy’s journal Sophia, named Eparch of St Michael the Archangel of Sydney (Australia and New Zealand).
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Holy Synod of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church
Ain Traz, 20 - 25 June 2011
Inaugural Address
Document No. 5
Speech of Patriarch Gregorios III
Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, of Alexandria and Jerusalem
at the opening of the Synod of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church
Ain Traz June 20 2011
In the name of the Saviour, we open the Holy Synod. Let us sing with the Church: "Today the grace of the Holy Spirit has brought us together," (Vespers of Palm Sunday) for the Spirit brings us together, as successors of the holy Apostles around the Mother of God and our Mother, the Patron of Our Lady of the Annunciation in the Patriarchal Residence of Ain Traz, which this year celebrates the bicentennial jubilee of its construction (1811-2011.)
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Washington, DC - Beginning Monday, June 20, 2011, AFR will broadcast lectures—just minutes after they occur—from the Orientale Lumen XV Conference. This year's conference is titled "Rome and the Communion of Churches: Bishop, Patriarch, or Pope?" and speakers will include Metropolitan Jonah of the OCA and Metropolitan Kallistos of Diokleia.
Links:
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They are:
The Most Rev. Archbishop Cyril Salim Bustros, hitherto Eparch of Newton (USA), elected Metropolitan of Beirut and Jbeil, Lebanon;
The Most Rev. Bishop Issam John Darwish, B. S., hitherto Eparch of St Michael the Archangel of Sydney, (Australia and New Zealand), elected Archbishop of Zahleh and Furzol, Lebanon.
15 June 2011
As of today, 15 June 2011, His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI, at the proposal of the Holy Synod of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church, has named two hierarchs for the eparchies of our expansion vacant as a result of the transfer of their respective eparchs to other eparchies.
They are:
The Most Rev. Nicholas James Samra, hitherto titular Bishop of Gerasa and former Protosynkellos of the Eparchy of Newton, (USA), named Eparch of the same Eparchy of Newton;
The Rt. Rev. Archim. Robert Rabbat, hitherto rector of the Eparchial Cathedral of Newton and editor-in-chief of the eparchy's journal Sophia, named Eparch of St Michael the Archangel of Sydney (Australia and New Zealand).
[Patriarchate News Release]