The Patriarchate of Antioch has established a new diocese in southern Turkey

The Holy Synod of the Antiochian Orthodox Church, presided over by Patriarch John X, decided to establish a new diocese in Southern Turkey. This new ecclesiastical administrative unit, called the Diocese of Tars, Adana and the region of Alexandretta (Hatay), is designed to provide more direct and effective pastoral care for local Orthodox Christians.

According to Telegram channel Pravblog, this decision was made at the synodal meeting on October 13, 2025 in Balamanda. The new diocese will include the provinces of Adana, Mersin and Alexandretta (Hatay).

At the same meeting, the Synod elected Archimandrite Paul Orduluoglu as bishop of the newly formed diocese. His appointment was greeted with great joy by the local faithful, as he is a native and resident of the region, which is expected to contribute to more effective spiritual leadership.

It is worth noting that the historic city of Antioch, which is the Patriarch’s historic cathedra, remains under his direct administration and is not part of the new diocese.

The establishment of the diocese is the culmination of a long-term effort by the Church of Antioch to restore a full episcopal presence in the region. Historically, following mass persecution and the annexation of the Hatay region to Turkey in 1939, the pastoral care of the communities was provided indirectly by the metropolitans of the neighboring dioceses in Northern Syria, Metropolitan Athanasius (Fahd) of Latakia and Metropolitan Ephrem (Maalouli) of Aleppo. The new diocese will put an end to this period of indirect administration, restoring direct episcopal feeding.

Earlier, King Abdullah II of Jordan presented a significant gift to the Serbian Orthodox Church (SOC) — a plot of land in the Al-Maghtas complex, located directly at the site of the Baptism of the Lord Jesus Christ on the Jordan River. This gesture was particularly significant for the SOC, as it had not previously had its own property in this world Christian center.