John of Antioch at the Holy Synod: We will continue to be a bridge of communicationtranslated

On the afternoon of Tuesday, October 20, 2026, the work of the Holy Synod of the Patriarchate of Antioch began in Balamand, Lebanon under the presidency of His Beatitude Patriarch of Antioch and all the East, Mr. John I'. Before the opening ceremony, there was a press briefing by the Most Reverend Metropolitan of Heliopolis, Mr. Antonios, who presented the content and topics that will be discussed during the meeting of the Holy Synod.

After the performance of the special sequence for the start of the work of the Holy Synod, the speech of the Patriarch followed. John I'.

In his speech, the Primate of the Antiochian Orthodox Church focused particularly on the problems faced by Christians today at the limits of the jurisdiction of the Patriarchate, while he also placed special emphasis on the message that the Church should send to today's society.

"Today we meet in front of the cross of a historical responsibility", His Beatitude said at a point in his speech addressing the Hierarchs.

The Patriarch of Antioch reminded once again that the Christian presence in the Middle East is not an occasional presence, but a...