Historic event: Antiochian Patriarch serves with Jerusalem bishops—first time since communion resumed

Doha, Qatar, April 2, 2025

Photo: ​Antiochian Patriarchate     

An historic event took place on Friday, March 28, as the primate of the Antiochian Patriarchate concelebrated with hierarchs of the Jerusalem Patriarchate for the first time since communion was restored between the ancient Churches after nearly a decade in the Antiochian Patriarchate restores communion with Jerusalem PatriarchateThe Holy Synod of the Antiochian Patriarchate resolved to restore Eucharistic communion with the Jerusalem Patriarchate today, after nearly a decade of broken communion.

“>fall of 2023.

Moreover, the joint prayers rang out in the Jerusalem Patriarchate’s Cathedral of Sts. Isaac the Syrian, George, and Makarios of Jerusalem in Doha, Qatar, which is notable because it was precisely the question of which Patriarchate rightfully holds ecclesiastical jurisdiction over Qatar that caused the break in communion in the first place.

The Antiochian Synod broke communion with the Church in Jerusalem on Church of Antioch breaks off Eucharistic communion with Patriarchate of JerusalemThe reason of the break-off is the dispute on the canonical jurisdiction of Qatar territories, to which both Local Churches have claims.

“>April 29, 2014, after the latter consecrated Archimandrite Makarios (Mavrogianakkis) as its Metropolitan of Qatar. On Antiochian Patriarchate restores communion with Jerusalem PatriarchateThe Holy Synod of the Antiochian Patriarchate resolved to restore Eucharistic communion with the Jerusalem Patriarchate today, after nearly a decade of broken communion.”>October 20, 2023, the Antiochians resolved to restore communion, “understanding that the current circumstances [of war] require intensification of prayer and cooperation.” However, the Qatar issue remains unresolved.

Photo: Antiochian Patriarchate     

Nevertheless, His Beatitude Patriarch John of Antioch and All the East visited the Jerusalem cathedral late last month, where he served the Salutations of the Most Holy Theotokos together with two Jerusalem bishops: Metropolitan Athanasios of Latakia and the aforementioned Metropolitan Makarios, reports the Antiochian Patriarchate.

Pat. John addressed a message of fraternal love to His Beatitude Patriarch Theophilos of Jerusalem and spoke about the role of the Theotokos in the Church.

He added:

We share the Apostolic faith with our brethren in other Churches. Hence, I convey to you the love of your brothers in the Holy See of Antioch, both in the homeland and overseas. We face hard and particularly critical circumstances in the Middle East. We are not strangers but natives of the land. In Palestine, Christ was born; in Jerusalem, He lived and entrusted us with the Gospel of salvation in this Levantine land. The face of Christ is present in the East through the presence of the Churches of Jerusalem and Antioch. Therefore, it is our shared responsibility to transmit this Apostolic faith across generations.

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