Antioch Patriarch John X of Antioch and All the East met with U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon, Michele Issa, at the patriarchal residence in Balamand. The meeting focused on developments in Lebanon and across the Middle East, and the parties also highlighted the role of the Antiochian Orthodox Church—one of the region’s oldest Christian communities—whose influence today extends beyond religion into public life and education in the country, the Antiochian Patriarchate’s press office said in a social media statement.

Patriarch John thanked Ambassador Issa for his efforts to improve communication and to “build bridges” for the sake of Lebanon. The U.S. diplomat, in turn, praised the patriarch’s work and the mission of the Antiochian Church in Lebanon and the region, also noting the significant presence of Antiochian Orthodox communities in North America.

The Antiochian Church’s jurisdiction includes Lebanon, Syria, and other parts of the Middle East. The patriarch, as the spiritual head of the communities, leads groups that have developed over time beyond the region as well, including in North and South America, Europe, and Australia.

In Lebanon, the St. John of Damascus Institute of Theology operates on the grounds of the patriarchal monastery in Balamand and has been in existence since the 19th century. In 1988, the then-Antiochian Patriarch Ignatius IV also established a secular university in Balamand, during the period of Lebanon’s civil war, when the Church sought to provide young people with space for peaceful education instead of fueling religious hostility. The Church also runs schools and supports medical and social projects in the country.

The meeting included Elias Warrak, president of the University of Balamand, and Archimandrite George Yakub, abbot of the Monastery of the Most Holy Mother of God in Balamand.