The main news from the Eastern Churches this week is that Lebanese Christians prayed for peace, the feast of Our Lady of Palestine was celebrated in Jerusalem and Major Archbishop Shevchuk visited France.
Vatican News
Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament in Kfarshima
Lebanese Christians in the village of Kfarshima, near the fighting between Israel and Hezbollah, organized adoration of the Blessed Sacrament in a convoy of cars. Together they prayed for the safety of their village, their children and all of Lebanon. Despite the fighting taking place nearby, many devotees came to pay floral tributes as the convoy passed by.
Feast of Our Lady of Palestine
On October 25, Palestinian Christians in Jerusalem celebrated the Feast of Our Lady of Palestine, one of the most important celebrations for the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem. Countless crowds gathered to kiss Our Lady and pray for the return of peace to the Holy Land, which has been torn apart by wars between Israel and Hamas and Israel and Hezbollah and rising tensions with Iran.
Visit of Major Archbishop Shevchuk
After attending the Second Synod in Rome, Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk, head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, held a series of conferences in Paris on the situation in Ukraine and the role of his Church in the context of the war. The visit, organized by the Church of France and the diocese of Paris, gave him the opportunity to meet with President Emmanuel Macron, as well as religious organizations and parties active in Ukraine. The conference highlighted the importance of international support for Ukraine, which is wounded but resilient and a beacon of hope.
