Patriarch of Jerusalem Prays for Peace in Gaza, Ukraine
While presiding over the liturgy for the Feast of the Holy Spirit on June 9, His Beatitude Patriarch Theophilos III asked the Holy Spirit to enlighten the hearts and minds of the world’s rulers.
JERUSALEM — On the Feast of the Holy Spirit, Monday, June 9, His Beatitude Patriarch Theophilos III presided over the Divine Liturgy at the Church of the Holy Trinity of the Russian Orthodox Ecclesiastical Mission in Jerusalem of the Moscow Patriarchate.
The service, held the day after Pentecost, drew many faithful and dignitaries, including the Greek Consul in Jerusalem, Dimitrios Angelosopoulos, and the Russian Ambassador in Tel Aviv, Anatoly Viktorov.
His Beatitude called for divine enlightenment amid global turmoil, particularly praying for peace in Gaza and an end to the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
We pray especially at this time of conflict, death, displacement and great difficulty… that the Holy Spirit will enlighten the hearts and minds of the rulers of the world to bring an end to all violence and establish true and lasting peace and reconciliation.
In his homily, Patriarch Theophilos reflected on the significance of the Holy Spirit in unifying the Church and guiding the faithful and recalled a prayer to the Holy Spirit of Saint Symeon the New Theologian:
Come, true light.
Come, life eternal.
Come, Alone to the alone.
Come, for You are Yourself the desire that is within me.
Come, my breath and my life.
Come, the consolation of my humble soul.
Come, my joy, my glory, my endless delight.
The patriarch highlighted Pentecost as a reversal of Babel – a celebration of unity among diverse peoples – and urged continued commitment to peace, reconciliation, and the spiritual mission of the Church.
“In this difficult season for our region and our world, let us not forget that the unity of the Church is a powerful sign to the world for the unity of all mankind, and we cannot falter in our call for peace and reconciliation,” he said.
For the full homily offered by Patriarch Theophilos, visit here.
