The Holy Synod of the Patriarchate of Jerusalem accepted the resignation of Archbishop Theodosios of Sebastia from his duties as Patriarchal Vicar at the Metropolis of Acre.
The Synod of the Patriarchate, which met on Thursday, decided to accept the resignation of Metropolitan Theodosios from the position he had taken quite recently, in early July.
The decision was taken by Patriarch Theophilos of Jerusalem at the time, which he announced at an extraordinary meeting after he had met with many members of the Church Council and Committees of the city of Acre and the neighboring areas, referring to the responsibility for the interests of the parishes and the challenges faced by Christians in the region.
As Patriarch Theophilos had stressed at the time, he had appointed Archbishop Theodosios to this position in order to “preserve the spirit of love and unity.”
Regarding the Archbishop of Sebastia, statements of support for Patriarch Kirill of Moscow had caused a sensation, where he had expressed his opposition to the sanctions imposed on the Russian hierarch by Western countries after the beginning of the war.
In fact, he spoke of provocations by the West against the Patriarch of Moscow, stressing that “we cannot see such attacks in silence, which we consider illegal, inappropriate actions against a high-level religious man, who is a real spiritual symbol of modern Orthodoxy.”
Read below the announcement of the Patriarchate of Jerusalem
The Holy Synod was convened yesterday, Thursday, October 5th, at the Patriarchate’s headquarters in Jerusalem.
The assembly was presided over by Patriarch Theophilos III and was attended by esteemed members of the Holy Synod.
During the assembly, the Patriarch discussed several administrative and pastoral matters concerning the service of the Patriarchate, its monasteries, churches, clergy, and the faithful. He also informed the members about his invitation from the World Council of Churches, in coordination with the Palestinian Embassy in Geneva and the Presidential Committee for Church Affairs, to attend the opening of the exhibition “Bethlehem Reborn Palestine – The Wonders of the Nativity”. The exhibition aimed to highlight the significance of the Holy Nativity Church, both religiously and historically, as well as showcase the restoration efforts and promote Christian pilgrimages to these important religious sites in the Holy Land.
Patriarch Theophilos also shared his visit to the Vatican his meeting with Pope Francis and the initiative the Patriarch of Jerusalem Launched to contribute to resolving the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, as well as his attendance at the appointment ceremony of the Latin Patriarch in Jerusalem, His Beatitude Pierrrebatista Pizzaballa as Cardinal.
The following decisions were made during the assembly:
- Acceptance of the resignation of Archbishop Theodosios (Atallah Hanna) of Sebastia from his duties as the Patriarchal Vicar in the city of Acre and its jurisdiction.
- Appointment of Archimandrite Silwanos Hanouna as the Patriarchal Vicar in the city of Acre and its jurisdiction.
- Appointment of Archimandrite Meletios Basal as the head of the ecclesiastical court in Acre, with Archimandrite Artemios as his deputy, along with the additional members: Father Saba Hajj and Father Elias Khoury, and Father Saba Makhoul.
- Appointment of Archbishop Philoumenos as head of the Monastery of the Apostles in Tiberias.
- Transfer of Archimandrite Philoumenos from Jericho and appointing him as head of the St. Spyridon Monastery in Jerusalem.
- Appointment of Archimandrite Parthenios as head of the Monastery of Prophet Elisha in Jericho.
- Appointment of Father Luke Bousha in the town of Zababdeh.
- Appointment of Father Antonios Ajeeneh as a priest in the town of Al-Jdeida in Acre.
- Appointment of Father Elias Awad as a priest in the village of Al-Baqi’a in Acre.
- Appointment of Father Spyridon Shuqha as a priest in the town of Kafr Smei’ in Acre.
- Approval of Archbishop Christophoros of Jordan’s request for the ordination of Hilmi Ibrahim Jirjes as a deacon in Jordan.
Furthermore, the Holy Synod members received an explanation from Archbishop Christophoros regarding recent developments concerning the Christian Family Law for the Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem. This modification, carried out by a committee formed by His Beatitude the Patriarch, with the support of specialist committees, aims to update and adapt the texts to the contemporary era with spiritual and national responsibility for the benefit of the congregation. The modification was ratified by the Holy Synod Assembly and will take effect on January 1, 2024.
In conclusion, the Patriarch of Jerusalem and the members of the Synod raised their prayers for the peace and preservation of the Church, seeking protection from all divisions. They prayed to the compassionate God to send His Holy Spirit and His peace upon the world, safeguarding the children of the Church from all distress and tribulation, through the intercessions of the Holy Virgin Mary and the power of the Holy Sepulchre, the Source of Life, and all the saints.
