Syriac Orthodox Patriarch Visiting Jordanian Capital

Patriarch Moran Mor Ignatios Zakka I (Iwas) of Antioch has begun a pastoral visit to the Syriac Orthodox Church in Jordan, meeting with representatives of the Suryoyo community in the Jordanian capital, Amman, and consecrating the city's large new Church of St. Ephraim, which was filled to capacity. More (in Arabic) on the patriarch's visit can be found here.

Jerusalem Patriarchate Questions Canonicity of New Hostel in Jordan

The Jerusalemite Orthodox Church has issued a public reminder to the Moscow Patriarchate's Russian Orthodox Ecclesiastical Mission in Jerusalem that it needs the blessing of the Jerusalem Patriarchate to open a dependency church at its new pilgrimage center in Jordan as Jordan remains part of the canonical territory of the Church of Jerusalem. The Mission is currently in the process of building a hostel for pilgrims on the east banks of the Jordan River near what is believed by many to be the historic site of the Baptism of the Lord by St. John the Baptist. The Jerusalem Patriarchate's statement not withstanding, the Mission's website does not mention the building of a church as part of the overall construction at the site. More (in Greek) here.

Israel, Jordan, Dispute Site of the Lord's Baptism

Jordan and Israel are disputing which country occupies the site of the baptism of the Christ in the Jordan River, with each claiming to have the true site. Israel recently renovated its site, which is technically in the West Bank and therefore part of Palestine, and opened it to regular visits by pilgrims, but the authenticity of Jordan's site has been affirmed by both the recent Amman meeting of representatives of the Alexandrian, Antiochian, Jerusalemite, and Cypriot Orthodox Churches and by the Roman Catholic Church. More here.

Hierarchs of Middle Eastern Orthodox Churches Meet in Amman

Patriarch Theophilos III (Giannopoulos) of Jerusalem and the Holy Land; Archbishop Chrysostomos II (Demetriou) of the Cypriot Orthodox Church; Metropolitan Nikolaos of Hermopolis of the Alexandrian Orthodox Church; Metropolitans Aristarchos (Peristeris) of Constantina, Venediktos (Tsekouras) of Philadelphia, and Dorotheos (Leovaris) of Avila of the Jerusalemite Orthodox Church; and a clergyman representing the Antiochian Orthodox Church have met in Amman, Jordan, to discuss the current state of the Local Orthodox Churches based in the Middle East, inter-Orthodox issues in the Middle East and abroad, and ongoing political developments in the Middle East. More (in Greek) here.

Russian Orthodox Hostel to Open in Jordan

A representation of the Moscow Patriarchate to the Church of Jerusalem under the Russian Orthodox Ecclesiastical Mission in Jerusalem is preparing to open in Jordan this fall. The representation's property, which will house a church and a hostel for pilgrims, was donated by King Abdullah II of Jordan. More here.

Jordanian Orthodox Protest Greek-Dominated, Pro-Israeli Hierarchy

In a protest Sunday evening faithful of Jordan's Metropolis of Philadelphia based in Amman called for the Arabization of the hierarchy of the Orthodox Church of Jerusalem and the resignation of Patriarch Theofilos III (Giannopoulos) in favor of a Palestinian or Jordanian Arab native to the Holy Land. The protests were organized after Patriarch Theofilos renewed land use agreements with the Israeli government that he had indicated he would cancel when he replaced deposed Patriarch Irenaios (Skopelitis) in 2005. More here.

Patriarch Theophilos Visits Jordan

Patriarch Theophilos III (Giannopoulos) of Jerusalem has visited Jordan despite the recent unrest there to attend an interfaith meeting led by a member of the Jordanian royal family and to visit the newly established Monastery of St. John the Baptist. More here.

Jordanian Foreign Minister Visits Bethlehem

In the wake of the recent violence against Christians in Iraq and Egypt the King of Jordan, Abdullah II, sent his foreign minister, Nasser Judeh, to Bethlehem to participate in the old style Nativity celebrations there and to express his solidarity with and support for the Orthodox Christians and Roman Catholics living in the occupied territories in Palestine. More here.

Christian Exodus from Iraq Continues

Officials in Iraqi Kurdistan report that over 1,000 Iraqi Christian families have taken refuge in the region as violence in Baghdad, a large center of Christianity in Iraq under Saddam Hussein, has worsened. The United Nations also reports that the number of Iraqi Christian refugees being registered in neighboring Syria, Jordan, and Lebanon is also significantly up. More here.