H.H. Pope Tawadros II Receives H.H. Patriarch Mor Ignatius Aphrem II, Patriarch of Antioch of the Syriac Orthodox Church, and H.H. Catholicos Aram I, Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia of the Armenian Orthodox Church, at LOGOS Papal Center

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H.H. Pope Tawadros II Receives H.H. Patriarch Mor Ignatius Aphrem II, Patriarch of Antioch of the Syriac Orthodox Church, and H.H. Catholicos Aram I, Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia of the Armenian Orthodox Church, at LOGOS Papal Center

H.H. Pope Tawadros II Receives H.H. Patriarch Mor Ignatius Aphrem II, Patriarch of Antioch of the Syriac Orthodox Church, and H.H. Catholicos Aram I, Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia of the Armenian Orthodox Church, at LOGOS Papal Center

May 16, 2025

His Holiness Pope Tawadros II received, this Friday afternoon, at the LOGOS Papal Center in the Monastery of Saint Anba Bishoy in Wadi El-Natrun, His Holiness Patriarch Mor Ignatius Aphrem II, Patriarch of Antioch and All the East of the Syriac Orthodox Church and Supreme Head of the Universal Syriac Orthodox Church, and His Holiness Catholicos Aram I, Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia of the Armenian Orthodox Church, based in Antelias, Lebanon, along with their accompanying delegations. The visit comes in the context of the regular meeting of the heads of the three Oriental Orthodox Churches in the Middle East, coinciding with the celebration of the 17th centenary of the First Ecumenical Council of Nicaea (325–2025) and the commemoration of the departure of Saint Pope Athanasius the Apostolic (May 15 – 7 Bashans), the hero of the Council of Nicaea.

The three patriarchs and their delegations proceeded to the Church of the Transfiguration at the Logos Center, where they offered a prayer of thanksgiving and held a brief cordial meeting.

The fifteenth meeting of the heads of the three Oriental Orthodox Churches in the Middle East is scheduled to begin on Saturday morning.

It is expected that the three patriarchs will jointly celebrate the Divine Liturgy on Sunday morning — a historic first, as this marks the first time the patriarchs of these three churches, united in faith, will celebrate the Divine Liturgy together.