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The Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem emphatically condemned the “egregious violations that desecrated the sanctity of Jerusalem” on 19 April, particularly in the Old City and around the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, during the celebration of Holy Fire Saturday.

On Holy Fire Saturday, hundreds of Christian worshippers seeking to enter Jerusalem’s Old City for the celebration were prevented; others were met with heavily enforced checkpoints, physical and verbal harassment, and widespread restrictions by Israeli police and border forces.

The Patriarchs and Heads of Churches in Jerusalem proclaim to the world an Easter message of life and hope. “It is the same message first announced to the women who had come to mourn at Christ's tomb,” the text notes. “The Lord had risen indeed!”

Yusef Daher, coordinator of the Jerusalem Liaison Office of the World Council of Churches in Jerusalem, earned the Menno Simons Sermon Award for 2025. 

World Council of Churches general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay expressed deep alarm and grief over the deadly attack on Gaza carried out by Israeli forces on 17-18 March, killing more than 400 people.

World Council of Churches general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay expressed deep sorrow and grave concern over the recent tragic developments in Syria, where, according to some sources, more than 1,000 civilians, primarily from the Alawite community, have been massacred.

World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay strongly condemned the “abhorrent act of parading human remains” during the recent handover of bodies from Hamas in Gaza.

The World Council of Churches (WCC) stands in solidarity with the Armenian Patriarchate in Jerusalem in the face of an unjust foreclosure order issued by the Municipality of Jerusalem, said Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay, WCC general secretary.

A Palestinian delegation visited the World Council of Churches (WCC) on 18 February to participate in deep dialogues on justice, peace, and the dignity of all people. 

In a statement released 14 February, the Patriarchs and Heads of the Churches in Jerusalem issued a humanitarian plea for Gaza.

World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay welcomed the decision by Israel's Supreme Court, ordering the return of Khirbet Zanouta Palestinians to their village in Hebron’s Masafer Yatta area in the West Bank, by 16 February, after they fled due to settler violence.