News from the Orient - 17th January 2025

News from the Orient – 17th January 2025

Vatican news

In this week’s news from the Eastern Churches, produced in collaboration with L’Œuvre d’Orient: a ceasefire is announced in Gaza, Lebanon has a new president and a new prime minister and the Church of the Baptism of the Lord in Jordan is consecrated.

In this week’s Oriental News:

Truce in Gaza

A ceasefire agreement was reached on Wednesday between Hamas and Israel after 15 months of war. It provides for a ceasefire from Sunday and the release of 33 hostages in exchange for nearly 1,000 Palestinian prisoners. The Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem welcomed the announcement, expressing hope that it would put an end to what it called “immeasurable suffering.” The Patriarchate also called for addressing the root causes of the conflict and expressed its wish to see pilgrims return to the Holy Land.

New president and prime minister in Lebanon

Lebanon now has a President of the Republic, Joseph Aoun, and a Prime Minister, Nawaf Salam. In accordance with the country’s sectarian system, the first is Maronite Catholic and the second Sunni Muslim.

Joseph Aoun is a career soldier and was until now head of the Lebanese army, while Nawaf Salam is a diplomat and former president of the International Court of Justice. After 2 years of executive power vacancy, the country now hopes for political stability. The formation of a government is expected in the coming days.

Consecration of the Church of the Baptism of the Lord in Jordan

On January 10, the Church of the Baptism of the Lord was consecrated at the site of Al-Maghtas, the place where Jesus is believed to have been baptized by Saint John the Baptist. The inauguration was the culmination of 15 years of work. The mass was celebrated by Cardinal Pietro Parolin, accompanied by the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, and many faithful. Jordan, home to one of the oldest Christian communities in the world, currently has a Christian population of between 2 and 4 percent of its 11 million people.

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