Christmas was celebrated in Doha, Qatar, with ecclesiastical splendor and solemnity.
On Sunday, December 24, 2023, in the evening, the Vespers and Matins began and then the Divine Liturgy was celebrated in Arabic, Greek, and English.
On the morning of Monday, December 25, 2023, Matins and the Divine Liturgy were held in the Greek, Arabic, and Romanian languages, in the presence of Ekaterini Thanou, representative of the Greek Embassy, and with the participation of the Christian congregation of the local Church. After the end of the Divine Liturgy, a formal banquet was held in the hotel hall of the city, which was attended by the clergy, the Ambassador of Greece in Doha, Mr Ioannis Ioannidis, and members of the flock.
On the morning of Saturday, January 6, 2024, the Royal Hours of Christmas were read while in the evening Vespers, Matins, and the Divine Liturgy were held in Slavonic, Serbian, and Arabic languages, with the participation of many faithful, in the presence of members of the staff of the Embassy of Russia and the Embassy of Serbia. After the Divine Liturgy, a reception followed in the event hall of the Holy Church.
The services were presided over by the Archbishop Makarios of Qatar with the co-celebration of the Dean Priest Christoforos. Instead of a sermon, the Archbishop read the Christmas Message of Patriarch Theophilos III of Jerusalem, in the languages in which each Service was held. The choirs also sang in their respective languages.
Source: Patriarchate of Jerusalem