His Eminence Archbishop Theodosius of Sevasti of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem (Jerusalem Patriarchate) speaks to "Vreme" about his youth, experiences under occupation and current calls for justice - using this word exclusively in the context of the right to live in peace, without occupation, in freedom and dignity.
photo: private archiveARCHBISHOP THEODOSIJA WITH CHILDREN IN THE MONASTERY OF SAINT GEORGE: The monastery is located in the Muslim village of Alkader, near Bethlehem, West Bank, Palestine
"WEATHER" Can you tell us about your family heritage?, is it in any way connected with your decision to practice theology and become a monk?
ARCHBISHOP OF SEBASTIAN THEODOSIUS: I was born in 1965 in the peaceful village of Al-Rama in the Upper Galilee, located between Acre and Safed. The village is home to Christians, Muslims and Druze, who have long lived together in an atmosphere of mutual respect, brotherhood and good neighborly relations. I grew up in an Orthodox Christian family. I remember my late grandmother with gratitude. As a boy, she took me to church and lovingly encouraged me to serve at the altar. St. George's Church stood directly across from our family home. Just as our parents taught us what it means to be faithful Orthodox Christians, so the church became a place where we learned the meaning of service from our earliest childhood. And all this is thanks to our blessedly retired parish priest, Father Iconom Nikola Huri, a true spiritual father, who instilled in us the values of the Christian faith. At the same time, I grew up in a deeply patriotic environment, among people who loved their country, remained firmly attached to it and stood in defense of the oppressed Palestinian people. Father Nikola was not only an exceptional spiritual leader but also an outstanding example of national dedication and moral integrity.
From an early age, I felt a true monastic vocation and a deep desire to devote my life to serving the Church. Father Nicholas took me to the Patriarchate in Jerusalem, where I met His Beatitude, the blessedly resting Patriarch of Jerusalem, Diodorus the First. He told me: "The Patriarchate welcomes you and we will do everything necessary to enable you to study theology in Greece and prepare for the service of the Church."
Tell us about the studies that led you to become the second Palestinian Archbishop of the Orthodox Church in the Holy Land, bearing in mind that most of the highest church positions were occupied by Greeks.
After graduating from high school in my hometown in 1983, I went to the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate in Jerusalem. His Beatitude Patriarch Diodorus I of Jerusalem decided to send me to the historic Patriarchal School on Mount Zion (Mount Zion). During my six-month stay, I learned the basics of the Greek language, and at the same time I delved into the liturgical life of the Jerusalem Patriarchate. Every day I participated in the midnight holy liturgy in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher (Temple of the Resurrection of Christ) and attended daily services in the Church of Saint Constantine and Helena within the Patriarchate. The liturgical life of our ancient Patriarchate is a school of spiritual education in every sense.
I later chose to study theology at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, because of its proximity to Mount Athos, because of its magnificent churches, especially the Basilica of Saint Demetrius, Hagia Sophia, Church of Saint Gregory Palamas and many others known for their holy icons, pious clergy and relics of saints associated with the city. Along with academic studies, I had the honor to experience an even bigger school: Mount Athos. I spent seven years in Thessaloniki, returning to my homeland only once, due to family circumstances. During every university break, I would travel to Mount Athos. I visited every monastery on Mount Athos and met the vast majority of its abbots, monks and spiritual fathers. Later, some of them were officially canonized, including Saint Paisius of Svetogorec. These encounters deeply shaped my priestly vocation and spiritual life. The university was undoubtedly important, but Sveta Gora became my real spiritual academy. After I got my doctorate and after returning to Jerusalem, I was first ordained as a deacon and later as a priest by His Beatitude the Patriarch of Jerusalem Diodorus the First.
What was the response of the Christian world to the Israeli abuse of Christians in the Holy Land?
It is impossible to talk about Palestinian Christians in isolation from the wider Palestinian reality. Palestinian Christians are both Christians and Palestinians. Just as every person has the right to be proud of their religion and their national identity, so do Palestinian Christians. They are proud of their Christian faith, which originated from this Holy Land. At the same time, they are equally proud of their belonging to Palestine, its land and its people. Just as Greeks are proud of their homeland, and Russians, Serbs, Romanians and others cherish their national identity, Palestinian Christians also remain deeply rooted in both their Church and their homeland.
Palestinian Christians are suffering along with all other Palestinians. Their future cannot be separated from the future of the Palestinian people as a whole. The end of their suffering depends on the end of the suffering of the entire Palestinian nation. Our defense of the oppressed Palestinian people does not stem from political ideology. We are not politicians, nor do we aspire to become politicians. We are servants of one of the oldest Christian churches in the world. Our Christian vocation was born in the very land from which the Gospel was first preached. This very Gospel teaches us not to remain silent and indifferent in the face of human suffering, it prompts us to stand by every oppressed person and to defend all those who suffer injustice, pain and persecution.
The Christian world and churches around the world have become far more aware of the enormous injustices suffered by the Palestinian people. Palestinian Christian Initiative, which I am a part of along with other Christian clergy and representatives, she gave, the original document Kairos Palestine from 2009 and recent Kairos Palestine II from 2025, a significant contribution to raising international awareness, especially among the Orthodox, Catholic and Protestant churches around the world.
I have the privilege of long-term friendships with many bishops and clergy of the Serbian Orthodox Church. Several of them regularly visit Jerusalem and pray with us in the Church of the Resurrection of Christ. And I have known His Holiness Serbian Patriarch Porphyry for many years, since before I went to study in Thessaloniki, when he was still a humble monk and I was still living in Jerusalem. At that time, he stood out for his modesty, deep spirituality and quiet wisdom. From Jerusalem, we send our heartfelt greetings to His Holiness, expressing our gratitude for his ministry, asking him to continue to pray for Palestine and its suffering people. We also hope that the voice of the Serbian Orthodox Church, and indeed of all Orthodox churches, will continue to advocate for peace and the basic rights of the Palestinians.
photo: private archiveA PLACE WHERE DRUSES, MUSLIMS AND CHRISTIANS LIVE TOGETHER: Archbishop Theodosius with priests at the Church of Saint George in Abu Sinan, Galilee, Israel
Before you became an archbishop, Israeli authorities have arrested you several times. What were the reasons for those arrests??
The Israeli intelligence services called us on several occasions for questioning at the Russian compound in Jerusalem. They were disturbed by our public statements and our unwavering defense of the oppressed Palestinian people. These examinations sometimes lasted several hours. There were other types of harassment, persecution and abuse. And yet, such a policy of intimidation and threats has never weakened our resolve. On the contrary, it only strengthened our commitment to remain true to our principles and steadfast in defending the rights of our people. We are not afraid of threats, regardless of their source or form.
The Israeli authorities have made several requests to the Patriarchate to remove you from the post of archbishop, what didn't happen. You submitted., however, resignation from the post of patriarchal vicar of Accra. Is there friction between the Russian and Greek Orthodox churches in the Holy Land??
There is close cooperation between all Christian churches in the Holy Land. The heads of the churches in Jerusalem meet regularly, issue joint statements in which they express common positions regarding the events affecting this holy land. All Churches continue to call clearly and boldly for an end to the machinery of destruction, destruction and abuse directed against the Palestinian people.
In addition, there are a number of important Christian institutions and initiatives, including the Palestinian Christian Initiative, the Al-Lika Center, the Sabil Center for Ecumenical Liberation Theology, and other organizations dedicated to defending the rights of the oppressed Palestinian people, while preserving the religious heritage and presence of all Abrahamic faiths on this land. There are also numerous Christian-Muslim initiatives, as well as initiatives that bring together Christians, Muslims and Jews. These efforts continue to grow because the injustice we are now witnessing cannot be justified under any circumstances, and is something that no reasonable or conscientious human being, regardless of religion or denomination, can accept.
You have quoted the New Testament several times, Matthew 5:9, "Blessed peacemakers". Is this how you combine your church work based in the Orthodox tradition and your engagement for Palestinian rights?
The peace we are talking about is not the peace of surrender, submission or acquiescence to injustice. On the contrary, it is a peace based on justice and the protection of the rights of every Palestinian.
The Church has always prayed for peace and will continue to do so. And yet, the peace we seek is not the empty rhetoric so often repeated by politicians who speak eloquently about it, but do little to achieve it. Our Lord said: "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God."
We publish these words not only as a quote from the Bible but as a way of life. It is a call to achieve justice in a country where justice has not existed since 1948, and it does not exist now. For us, true peacemaking means ending the occupation and allowing the Palestinian people to fulfill their aspirations, like any other nation. To live in peace, justice, freedom and dignity in his homeland and the Holy Land.
Do you see peace and justice as a two-state solution or a one-state solution??
More than thirty years ago, when a peace agreement was signed between Israel and the Palestinians - the Oslo Accords - the Palestinians, their political leadership and the Palestine Liberation Organization agreed that there would be two states: the State of Israel and the State of Palestine. However, after all these years, what we notice is that Israel, its government, its settlers and its extremists have left nothing for the Palestinians. You see what happened and what is happening in the West Bank, in Gaza, and what is being done with the rights of the Palestinians. They want the Palestinians to submit and accept the reality that a Palestinian state cannot exist. Today, many Palestinians have come to believe that the slogan "two states for two peoples" has become misleading, that it is a lie. I am among those who believe that Palestinian rights do not expire with the passage of time. They must be realized. How that will happen, we don't know, I can't speculate on any future solutions. What I can say is that the Palestinians are steadfast. They will not raise the flag of surrender and will accept nothing less than a free life in their homeland, even if it takes time to achieve it. Today the conditions are catastrophic and tragic. But I believe that after all this injustice a new era must dawn.
You are known as "Theodosius" in Greek and "Atallah" in Arabic, which means "God's gift". What is the gift of God that you want at this moment?
When I was ordained a monk, Patriarch Diodorus I of Jerusalem gave me the name Theodosius, in honor of Saint Theodosius Kinobiarch, one of the great founders of monasticism in Palestine, whose ancient monastery still stands near Bethlehem. I pray that God will strengthen us all as we continue our witness in this Holy Land. Also, I earnestly pray for your prayers and for the prayers of our beloved Serbian Orthodox Church, for me, my Church and my people, so that the flame of faith will continue to burn brightly in the land where Christianity was born. Pray for peace and pray that justice will finally prevail in this country that longs for both peace and justice. Because only peace based on justice can become lasting peace for all.
