Christmas Day in the Holy Archdiocese of Qatar

The Feast of Christmas, the Nativity of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ was celebrated in Doha, Qatar, with due ecclesiastical splendour and solemnity.

On Saturday evening, December 24th, 2023 / 6 January 2024, the Vespers and Matins began and then the Divine Liturgy was celebrated in Arabic, Greek and English.

On Monday morning, December 25, 2023 / 7 January 2024 Matins and the Divine Liturgy were held in the Greek, Arabic and Romanian languages, in the presence of Ms. Ekaterini Thanou, representative of the Greek Embassy, and with the participation of the Christian congregation of the local Churches.

After the dismissal of the Divine Liturgy, a formal banquet was held in a local hotel hall of the city, which was attended by the clergy, the Ambassador of Greece in Doha, Mr. Ioannis Ioannidis and members of the flock.

On Saturday morning, December 24, 2023 / January 6, 2024, the Royal Hours of Christmas were read while in the evening Vespers, Matins and the Divine Liturgy were held in Slavonic, Serbian and Arabic languages, with the participation of many faithful, in the presence of members of the staff of the Embassy of Russia and the Embassy of Serbia. After the Divine Liturgy, a reception followed in the event hall of the Holy Church.

The services were presided over by His Eminence Archbishop Makarios of Qatar with the co-celebration of the Dean, father Christophoros. Instead of a sermon, His Eminence read the Christmas Message of His Beatitude Patriarch Theophilos III of Jerusalem, in the languages in which each Service was held. The choirs also sang in their respective languages.

Source: Holy Archdiocese of Qatar / Patriarchate of Jerusalem