Paris Metropolitan Elected New Patriarch of Antioch

The Holy Synod of the Antiochian Orthodox Church, meeting in Lebanon's Balamand Monastery of the Dormition, has elected Metropolitan John (Yazigi) of Paris as Patriarch John X of Antioch and All the East. Axios!

Born in Lattakia, Syria, in 1955, the future patriarch completed education in Syria before entering Balamand University in Lebanon to complete a degree in theology, after which he undertook a doctorate of theology at Thessalonica's Aristotelian University. Ordained a deacon in 1979, in 1981 Fr. Youhanna began teaching at Balamand, being ordained a priest in 1983, consecrated to the episcopacy as Bishop of al-Hosn in 1995, and in 2001 becoming abbot of the Balamand Monastery. In 2008 he was elected Metropolitan of Paris and Western and Central Europe by the Holy Synod of the Antiochian Orthodox Church.

In a speech after his election, Patriarch-elect John said in part, "Our confidence in our people is very deep and our path is the path of the cross...Christians will remain in Syria and it is their land."

More here.

In Memoriam: Patriarch Ignatius IV of Antioch

Patriarch Ignatius IV (Hazim) of the Antiochian Orthodox Church has fallen asleep at the age of ninety-one. The patriarch, a native of Syria's Hama province and graduate of the American University of Beirut, was in the 1940s a founder of the Orthodox Youth Movement before going on to serve as a clergyman and, later, as an auxiliary bishop to the patriarch and Metropolitan of Lattakia in western Syria. In 1979 he was elected Patriarch of Antioch and All the East. After faithfully shepherding the Church of Antioch for thirty-three years Patriarch Ignatius reposed earlier today in Beirut, Lebanon, after suffering a severe stroke. May his memory be eternal! More on Patriarch Ignatius' life can be found here.

Antiochian Orthodox Patriarch in Critical Condition

It has been reported that Patriarch Ignatius IV (Hazim) of Antioch has suffered a stroke and is in critical condition. He was initially transported to a hospital in the Damascus area, but later transferred to a hospital in Beirut, Lebanon. Please remember Patriarch Ignatius in your prayers!

H/t to Notes on Arab Orthodoxy for posting this.

Antiochian Orthodox Patriarch Calls for Unity in Syria

Patriarch Ignatius IV (Hazim) of Antioch has called on the Syrian people "to accept each other and live as one nation," decrying the expulsion of Syria's Christians from their homes and calling on the United Nations to work for the peace and stability of the country. The full appeal can be found here.

Saidnaya Monastery Attacked

It is being reported that Syrian rebels have attacked the Antiochian Orthodox Church's world famous Saydnaya Monastery, firing shells at the pilgrimage center that fortunately did not explode upon impact. (Their failure to explode is being credited as a miracle of the Mother of God, to whom Saydnaya is dedicated.) More (in Greek) here.

There are concerns that as the Syrian uprisings continue Syria's religious minorities, who have enjoyed equal rights under the secular Baathist rule of President Bashar al-Assad, will increasingly become the targets of the anti-Assad rebels. Please keep Syria and its peoples in your prayers!

Antiochian Orthodox Patriarch Comments on Syrian Unrest from Beirut

While on a pastoral visit to Lebanon the Antiochian Orthodox Church's Patriarch Ignatios IV (Hazim) has stated that he does not believe that Syria will collapse into civil war or that the efforts of its religious minorities to preserve their homeland's peace and stability are at the expense of either its freedom or its peoples' human rights. More here.

Patriarch Ignatius IV, Metropolitan Hilarion Meet in Damascus

Patriarch Ignatios IV (Hazim) of the Antiochian Orthodox Church received Metropolitan Hilarion (Alfeyev) of Volokolamsk earlier today at the seat of the Antioch Patriarchate in Damascus, Syria, to discuss relations between the Antiochian and Russian Orthodox Churches and issues concerning world Orthodoxy as a whole. The two also discussed the ongoing unrest in Syria and other countries in the Middle East before Metropolitan Hilarion's departure for Constantinople. More (in Russian) here.

Auxiliary Bishop of Palmyra Consecrated in Lebanon

Bishop-elect Yuhanna (Haykal) of Palmyra has been consecrated to the episcopacy by Patriarch Ignatios IV (Hazim) of the Antiochian Orthodox Church in the catholicon of the Monastery of the Dormition in Balamand, Lebanon. Bishop Yuhanna will be serving as an auxiliary in the Antiochian Orthodox Church's Archdiocese of Paris and Western Europe. More (in Greek) here.

Antiochian Orthodox in North America to Choose Three New Auxiliary Bishops

It was announced today at the ongoing convention of the Antiochian Orthodox Archdiocese of North America in Chicago that not two, but three auxiliary bishops will be "elected" by the "Local Synod" of the Archdiocese. Two will be appointed to the Midwestern and New England regions, whilst the only region without an auxiliary, the Pacific Northwest and Alaska, will be passed over so that an auxiliary can be assigned to assist Metropolitan Philip (Saliba) of New York in his pastoral duties. More here.

Antiochian, Russian Orthodox Hierarchs Meet in Moscow

Patriarch Kirill (Gundyayev) of the Russian Orthodox Church yesterday received Metropolitans Antonio of Mexico City, Damascene of Sao Paulo, and George of Homs and Archbishop Niphon of Philippopolis of the Antiochian Orthodox Church at his residence in Moscow. During their meeting the hierarchs discussed relations between the Antiochian and Russian Orthodox Churches as well as the significant pastoral work undertaken by the Antiochian Orthodox Church in Latin America, which is the largest of the Local Orthodox Churches present in the region, and the issues facing the Orthodox Churches in the Middle East in our times. More here.

Lebanese Orthodox Metropolitan Calls on Flock Not to Sell Land

Metropolitan Basilios (Mansour) of Akkar of the Antiochian Orthodox Church has called on his flock in northern Lebanon not to sell their lands so that they can remain a grounded part of the process of nation building in Lebanon. More here.

Lebanon Debates General Security Directorate

As the new Lebanese government in formation struggles to distribute its ministerial portfolios a debate has erupted in Lebanon over whether the government's directorate for general security should go to the country's Shiite Muslim minority, which has held it for the last decade; the Maronite Catholics, who have traditionally headed the directorate; or the Antiochian Orthodox, who despite being Lebanon's fourth largest religion have never held any security-related ministries. More here.

Bishops Consecrated in Damascus

This past weekend Patriarch Ignatios IV (Hazim) of Antioch and twelve other hierarchs of the Antiochian Orthodox Church consecrated three of the twelve recently elected auxiliary bishops of the Church of Antioch in the patriarchal Cathedral of the Dormition in Damascus, Syria. Of the three two will be serving as patriarchal auxiliaries in Syria, whilst the third will be serving in the Archdiocese of Mexico City. More (in Arabic) here.

Antiochian Orthodox Holy Synod Elects 12 New Bishops for Levant and Diaspora

The Holy Synod of the Antiochian Orthodox Church has ended its spring session, which was held this year in Lebanon's Balamand Monastery. During the session the Holy Synod elected twelve new bishops. Archimandrites Nicholas (Baalbeki), Isaac (Barakat), and Kosta (Kiyal) were elected to serve as patriarchal auxiliaries; Archimandrites Athanasios (Fahd), Elias (Tameh), and Demitri (Sharbak) were elected to serve as auxiliaries in the Metropolis of Akkar; Archimandrites Yuhanna (Haykal), Ephrem (Ma'louli), and Ignatius (al-Hawshi) were elected to serve as auxiliaries in the Metropolis of Paris; Archimandrites Marcos (Cury), and Roman (Dawoud) were elected to serve as auxiliaries in the Metropolis of Sao Paulo; and Archimandrite Ignacio (Samaan) was elected to serve as an auxiliary for the Metropolis of Mexico City. Axios! More here.

In Memoriam: Mother Christina (Baz) of Saidnaya

Mother Christina (Baz), abbess of the patriarchal Antiochian Orthodox Monastery of Our Lady of Saydnaya in Saydnaya, Syria, has fallen asleep in the Lord. Mother Christina was born in 1934 and joined the sisterhood at Our Lady of Saydnaya at the age of nine after the death of her father, eventually being elected abbess in 2006. She reposed two days ago on 21 June, the feast of St. Ephraim of Antioch.

The funeral services for Mother Christina were served at Our Lady of Saydnaya Monastery, with several hierarchs and clergy concelebrating. A representative of the Syriac Orthodox Church, patriarchal auxiliary Metropolitan Mor Dionysios (Yuhanon), was also present. More (in Arabic) here and here.

Syrian Christians Call for Day of Fasting and Prayer for Peace

Representatives of the Orthodox Churches and other Christian organizations present in Damascus, Syria, met yesterday at the seat of the Syriac Orthodox patriarchate to call for a day of fasting and prayer for the return of peace and unity to the country. More (in Arabic) here.

Antiochian Orthodox in North America Prepare for June, July Meetings

The Antiochian Orthodox Archdiocese of North America is preparing for a meeting of its "synod" (consisting of its ruling metropolitan and his auxiliary bishops), at which the nomination of new auxiliary bishops at the July Archdiocesan Convention will be discussed together with issues in the internal life of the Antiochian Orthodox Church in North America. More here.

Muslim-Christian Summit in Lebanon

Patriarchs Ignatios IV (Hazim) and Ignatios Zakka I (Iwas) of Antioch, Catholicos Aram I (Keshishian) of Sis, and other hierarchs of the Antiochian and Syriac Orthodox Churches have participated in a Christian-Muslim conference at the patriarchate of the Maronite Catholic Church in Bkerke, Lebanon, to discuss the growing divisions in Lebanese society. More here.

"Arab Christians and their Rights"

An excellent article explaining the reasoning behind the ancient Orthodox Churches' defense of the Middle Eastern dictatorships they have found themselves in over the last few decades can be found here.

Metropolitan Antonios of Mexico City Meets with Archbishop Justinian of Narofominsk

Archbishop Justinian (Ovchinnikov) of Narofominsk, head of the representation of the Russian Orthodox Church to the American Orthodox Church, met yesterday with Metropolitan Antonios (Chedraoui) of Mexico City of the Antiochian Orthodox Church in Mexico City to discuss the possibility for cooperation between the Antiochian and Russian Orthodox Churches in northern Latin America and the Caribbean. More (in Russian) here.

Pictured are Archbishop Justinian and Metropolitan Antonios (center) after their meeting in Mexico City.