On March 28, 2025, Patriarch John X of Antioch and All the East presided over the Fourth Stasis of the Salutations to the Virgin Mary at the Church of Saints Isaac and George in Qatar, joined by Metropolitan Athanasios Fahd of Latakia and Metropolitan Makarios of the Church of Jerusalem.
At the conclusion of the service, Patriarch John addressed his brother in Christ, Patriarch Theophilos III of Jerusalem, with heartfelt words of unity and love. He spoke of the Virgin Mary’s revered position in both Christianity and Islam, calling her a symbol of unity across faiths and cultures.
“We are united by apostolic faith with all our brothers in the other Churches,” said the Patriarch. “Though we live through difficult and exceptional times in the Middle East, we are not guests here—we are rooted in this land.”
The Patriarch emphasized the importance of preserving the apostolic faith across generations, noting the enduring presence of the Churches of Jerusalem and Antioch in the region as a testament to Christ’s continuing presence in the East.
