Patriarch of Jerusalem Theophilos hosts Serbian Patriarch Porfirije and his sacred entourage
In the early morning hours of 31 March 2025, His Holiness Serbian Patriarch kyr Porfirije arrived in Tel Aviv.
At Ben Gurion International Airport, the Head of the Serbian Orthodox Church and his sacred entourage were welcomed by His Eminence Metropolitan of Capitolias kyr Isychios, Archimandrite Christodoulos, hegumen of the Monastery of the Holy Cross, and Mr. Miroljub Petrović, Ambassador of the Republic of Serbia.
In the late morning, at the headquarters of the Jerusalem Patriarchate in the Holy City of Jerusalem, His Beatitude Patriarch of Jerusalem and All Palestine kyr Theophilos hosted a formal reception for His Holiness Serbian Patriarch kyr Porfirije.
His Beatitude Patriarch kyr Theophilos extended a warm welcome to His Holiness Patriarch kyr Porfirije and his sacred entourage to the Holy City of Jerusalem and the Holy Land. In the coming days of Great and Holy Lent, the Head of the Serbian Orthodox Church will venerate the greatest Christian holy places, including the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, the Monastery of St. Sabbas the Sanctified, and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre (Church of the Resurrection) in Jerusalem, where he will serve the Divine Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts together with Patriarch Theophilos.
At the beginning of his address, His Beatitude Patriarch Theophilos emphasized the significance of the Jerusalem Patriarchate for the entire Orthodox world, stating:
– Your Holiness, We joyfully welcome You and Your sacred entourage to this place where the feet of our Savior Jesus Christ once walked, a place sanctified by His Holy Body and Precious Blood. Your pilgrimage and visit to Our Humbleness is not only a testimony of faith but also a sign of cooperation in building unity and peace among the sister Orthodox Churches. Your Holiness, we live in difficult times, where almost the entire world, and the Holy Land in particular, is faced with various crises, unrest, wars, and numerous moral and ethical challenges. We ask you to pray, Your Holiness, that God, Who reconciles all people through His suffering on the Cross, may guide our steps toward every good deed. Let us heed the words of the Apostle Paul: Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation (2 Cor. 5:18), so that our fraternal meeting in this place of reconciliation may be for the glory of God and an encouragement to all our Orthodox brethren to seek reconciliation in Christ. Welcome!
On this occasion, Patriarch Theophilos presented Patriarch Porfirije with a triptych of panagias, while the members of his sacred entourage received appropriate gifts.
In his response, His Holiness Patriarch kyr Porfirije expressed gratitude to His Beatitude Patriarch Theophilos for his love and hospitality, stating:
– Every Christian, and even more so every priest and bishop, when coming to the Holy Land, feels as though returning home like the prodigal son, for no matter where we are, we feel from the depths of our souls that this is our home, our homeland, and our place of origin. This is because it was here that Christ’s Church was founded, and here the truth and reality of the Church as the Body of Christ are most profoundly felt. It is important to keep this truth in mind, just as the Church’s hymnographer has expressed it: Rejoice, O Holy Zion, Mother of all Churches! This is especially significant today when we see unrest, conflicts, disputes, divisions, and wars throughout the world. It is important because this is a place of peace, a place where we realize that every human being is created in the image of God, and that no one should see another as an enemy or adversary, but as a neighbor and a brother. Therefore, our spiritual struggle is to embrace every person as our brother. This truth is particularly evident here, in this holy, martyric, and suffering Jerusalem Patriarchate, which has been enduring trials since apostolic times to this day. Precisely because we are witnesses to the absence of peace, we have an obligation to meet, to pray together to our Lord that He may grant all people inner peace, and then external peace, so that we may bear witness to peace and love as the fundamental gifts and principles of our lives. Your Holiness, I thank You for Your love! Thank You for granting our request to come and venerate these holy places, so that We may be spiritually renewed and humbly bear witness to the Gospel truth and the Word of God.
Attending the reception, in addition to the Hierarchs of the Jerusalem Patriarchate – Their Eminences Metropolitans kyr Isychios of Capitolias, kyr Timotheos of Bostra, kyr Theophanes of Gerasa, kyr Dorotheos of Avela, kyr Aristarchos of Constantine, kyr Theodosios of Sebastia, and kyr Methodios of Mount Tabor – were members of the Serbian Patriarch’s sacred entourage: His Grace Bishop of Toplica kyr Petar, Very Venerable Archimandrite Danilo, Director of the Patriarchal Administrative Office, Protodeacon Dr. Dragan Radić, Professor at the Faculty of Theology in Belgrade, Deacon Vasilije Bursać, Director of the Pilgrimage Agency Dobročinstvo, and Subdeacon Dejan Nakić.
Following the solemn reception, Patriarch Theophilos hosted a ceremonial luncheon at the premises of the Jerusalem Patriarchate, attended by Metropolitans Timotheos and Isychios.
The Jerusalem Patriarchate
Numerous historical sources mention different names for Jerusalem. Ancient Egyptian texts from the 19th and 17th centuries BCE refer to the city as Aushamen or Rushalimum. In the Old Testament, during the reign of King Melchizedek, it was called Salem, while after its conquest by King David, it was simply named the City of David. In many places in the Holy Scriptures, it is also known as Zion, a city fortress symbolizing invincibility and steadfastness. Etymologically and semantically, Jerusalem means Place of Peace (from the words jeru and salem).
The first Christian Church in Jerusalem was founded in 33 AD, immediately after the Ascension of Christ. Jerusalem was the site of the Apostolic Council around 49 AD. The first bishop of the Jerusalem Church was James, the Brother of the Lord (+62). The city was destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD, and in 135 AD, Emperor Hadrian established the pagan colony of Aelia Capitolina on its ruins, where exiled Christians, disciples of the Apostles’ students, later returned. The bishop of that city enjoyed great honor, as confirmed by the First Ecumenical Council in 325 AD in its seventh canon, and by the fifth century, the bishop of Jerusalem was granted the title of Patriarch.
Emperor Constantine the Great (305–337) took great care of the holy places of Jerusalem and the Holy Land, building the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and marking other holy sites linked to the life of Jesus Christ, such as Golgotha and the site where the Holy Cross was found. Monasticism flourished in Jerusalem from the fourth century onward. Emperor Justinian (527–565) devoted special attention to the Holy City, while Emperor Heraclius (610–641) liberated it from the Persians, who had occupied it from 614 to 628. However, in 637, under Patriarch Sophronius, the city fell to the Arabs, leading to centuries of persecution, forced conversions to Islam, and the destruction of churches.
Today, the Jerusalem Patriarchate is led by His Beatitude Theophilos, Patriarch of the Holy City of Jerusalem and All Palestine, Syria, Arabia, Beyond the Jordan, Cana of Galilee, and Holy Zion. The Patriarchate has 19 hierarchs and over 100 monks in the Brotherhood of the Holy Sepulchre. It publishes the journals New Zion and The Voice of the Lord, and maintains representations in Constantinople, Moscow, Cyprus, and Athens, as well as charitable institutions, hospitals, orphanages, and two high schools with around 70 professors and nearly 2,000 students.
At Ben Gurion International Airport, the Head of the Serbian Orthodox Church and his sacred entourage were welcomed by His Eminence Metropolitan of Capitolias kyr Isychios, Archimandrite Christodoulos, hegumen of the Monastery of the Holy Cross, and Mr. Miroljub Petrović, Ambassador of the Republic of Serbia.
In the late morning, at the headquarters of the Jerusalem Patriarchate in the Holy City of Jerusalem, His Beatitude Patriarch of Jerusalem and All Palestine kyr Theophilos hosted a formal reception for His Holiness Serbian Patriarch kyr Porfirije.
His Beatitude Patriarch kyr Theophilos extended a warm welcome to His Holiness Patriarch kyr Porfirije and his sacred entourage to the Holy City of Jerusalem and the Holy Land. In the coming days of Great and Holy Lent, the Head of the Serbian Orthodox Church will venerate the greatest Christian holy places, including the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, the Monastery of St. Sabbas the Sanctified, and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre (Church of the Resurrection) in Jerusalem, where he will serve the Divine Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts together with Patriarch Theophilos.
At the beginning of his address, His Beatitude Patriarch Theophilos emphasized the significance of the Jerusalem Patriarchate for the entire Orthodox world, stating:
– Your Holiness, We joyfully welcome You and Your sacred entourage to this place where the feet of our Savior Jesus Christ once walked, a place sanctified by His Holy Body and Precious Blood. Your pilgrimage and visit to Our Humbleness is not only a testimony of faith but also a sign of cooperation in building unity and peace among the sister Orthodox Churches. Your Holiness, we live in difficult times, where almost the entire world, and the Holy Land in particular, is faced with various crises, unrest, wars, and numerous moral and ethical challenges. We ask you to pray, Your Holiness, that God, Who reconciles all people through His suffering on the Cross, may guide our steps toward every good deed. Let us heed the words of the Apostle Paul: Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation (2 Cor. 5:18), so that our fraternal meeting in this place of reconciliation may be for the glory of God and an encouragement to all our Orthodox brethren to seek reconciliation in Christ. Welcome!
On this occasion, Patriarch Theophilos presented Patriarch Porfirije with a triptych of panagias, while the members of his sacred entourage received appropriate gifts.
In his response, His Holiness Patriarch kyr Porfirije expressed gratitude to His Beatitude Patriarch Theophilos for his love and hospitality, stating:
– Every Christian, and even more so every priest and bishop, when coming to the Holy Land, feels as though returning home like the prodigal son, for no matter where we are, we feel from the depths of our souls that this is our home, our homeland, and our place of origin. This is because it was here that Christ’s Church was founded, and here the truth and reality of the Church as the Body of Christ are most profoundly felt. It is important to keep this truth in mind, just as the Church’s hymnographer has expressed it: Rejoice, O Holy Zion, Mother of all Churches! This is especially significant today when we see unrest, conflicts, disputes, divisions, and wars throughout the world. It is important because this is a place of peace, a place where we realize that every human being is created in the image of God, and that no one should see another as an enemy or adversary, but as a neighbor and a brother. Therefore, our spiritual struggle is to embrace every person as our brother. This truth is particularly evident here, in this holy, martyric, and suffering Jerusalem Patriarchate, which has been enduring trials since apostolic times to this day. Precisely because we are witnesses to the absence of peace, we have an obligation to meet, to pray together to our Lord that He may grant all people inner peace, and then external peace, so that we may bear witness to peace and love as the fundamental gifts and principles of our lives. Your Holiness, I thank You for Your love! Thank You for granting our request to come and venerate these holy places, so that We may be spiritually renewed and humbly bear witness to the Gospel truth and the Word of God.
Attending the reception, in addition to the Hierarchs of the Jerusalem Patriarchate – Their Eminences Metropolitans kyr Isychios of Capitolias, kyr Timotheos of Bostra, kyr Theophanes of Gerasa, kyr Dorotheos of Avela, kyr Aristarchos of Constantine, kyr Theodosios of Sebastia, and kyr Methodios of Mount Tabor – were members of the Serbian Patriarch’s sacred entourage: His Grace Bishop of Toplica kyr Petar, Very Venerable Archimandrite Danilo, Director of the Patriarchal Administrative Office, Protodeacon Dr. Dragan Radić, Professor at the Faculty of Theology in Belgrade, Deacon Vasilije Bursać, Director of the Pilgrimage Agency Dobročinstvo, and Subdeacon Dejan Nakić.
Following the solemn reception, Patriarch Theophilos hosted a ceremonial luncheon at the premises of the Jerusalem Patriarchate, attended by Metropolitans Timotheos and Isychios.
The Jerusalem Patriarchate
Numerous historical sources mention different names for Jerusalem. Ancient Egyptian texts from the 19th and 17th centuries BCE refer to the city as Aushamen or Rushalimum. In the Old Testament, during the reign of King Melchizedek, it was called Salem, while after its conquest by King David, it was simply named the City of David. In many places in the Holy Scriptures, it is also known as Zion, a city fortress symbolizing invincibility and steadfastness. Etymologically and semantically, Jerusalem means Place of Peace (from the words jeru and salem).
The first Christian Church in Jerusalem was founded in 33 AD, immediately after the Ascension of Christ. Jerusalem was the site of the Apostolic Council around 49 AD. The first bishop of the Jerusalem Church was James, the Brother of the Lord (+62). The city was destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD, and in 135 AD, Emperor Hadrian established the pagan colony of Aelia Capitolina on its ruins, where exiled Christians, disciples of the Apostles’ students, later returned. The bishop of that city enjoyed great honor, as confirmed by the First Ecumenical Council in 325 AD in its seventh canon, and by the fifth century, the bishop of Jerusalem was granted the title of Patriarch.
Emperor Constantine the Great (305–337) took great care of the holy places of Jerusalem and the Holy Land, building the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and marking other holy sites linked to the life of Jesus Christ, such as Golgotha and the site where the Holy Cross was found. Monasticism flourished in Jerusalem from the fourth century onward. Emperor Justinian (527–565) devoted special attention to the Holy City, while Emperor Heraclius (610–641) liberated it from the Persians, who had occupied it from 614 to 628. However, in 637, under Patriarch Sophronius, the city fell to the Arabs, leading to centuries of persecution, forced conversions to Islam, and the destruction of churches.
Today, the Jerusalem Patriarchate is led by His Beatitude Theophilos, Patriarch of the Holy City of Jerusalem and All Palestine, Syria, Arabia, Beyond the Jordan, Cana of Galilee, and Holy Zion. The Patriarchate has 19 hierarchs and over 100 monks in the Brotherhood of the Holy Sepulchre. It publishes the journals New Zion and The Voice of the Lord, and maintains representations in Constantinople, Moscow, Cyprus, and Athens, as well as charitable institutions, hospitals, orphanages, and two high schools with around 70 professors and nearly 2,000 students.
