PRESS OFFICE
Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern)
630 Second Avenue, New York, NY 10016
Contact: Jake Goshert, Coordinator of Information Services
Tel: (212) 686-0710 Ext. 60; Fax: (212) 779-3558
E-mail: [email protected]
Website:
March 15, 2004
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ARCHBISHOP BARSAMIAN REPRESENTS ARMENIANS AT ORTHODOX GATHERING
Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, Primate of the Diocese of the Armenian Church
of America (Eastern), attended a special breakfast meeting on Monday, March
15, 2004, in honor of His All Holiness Bartholomew, Archbishop of
Constantinople, New Rome and Ecumenical Patriarch of the Orthodox Church.
The meeting, at the Greek Orthodox Archdiocesan headquarters in New York
City, brought together about 50 Oriental and Eastern Orthodox church
leaders.
The Patriarch, in New York for a week of meetings and visits, spoke to the
group about the importance of the ecumenical movement. “The goal is to
reestablish the unity of the Christian church,” he said.
The Patriarch praised the work of the Standing Conference of Oriental
Orthodox Churches, chaired by Archbishop Barsamian, and the Standing
Conference of Canonical Orthodox Bishops in the Americas, chaired by Bishop
Dimitrios of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America. In the past few
years, the two groups have been building stronger relations between the two
branches of orthodoxy. Recently, the group’s work has brought about a
yearly prayer service for orthodox members of the United Nations community.
“People see us working between Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox on a higher
level, nationally or internationally,” said the Primate. “And locally, this
work shows people that they can communicate with others as Christians who
are very close in faith. The things that unite us are tremendous. The
things that separate us are very minor. We’re working to resolve many of
those things so we can establish communion.”
During the breakfast reception, the Primate relayed to Patriarch Bartholomew
the warm wishes of His Holiness Karekin II, Catholicos of All Armenians.
The Patriarch, who is based in Istanbul, conveyed greetings from His
Beatitude Archbishop Mesrob II Mutafyan, the Armenian Patriarchate of
Constantinople.
The Primate will meet with the Patriarch again on Wednesday, during an event
hosted by the Appeal of Conscience Foundation, an interfaith coalition of
business and religious leaders working around the globe to promote peace,
tolerance, and resolution of ethnic conflicts. The Primate serves as a vice
president on the board of that foundation.
— 3/15/04
E-mail photos available on request. Photos also viewable on the Eastern
Diocese’s website,
PHOTO CAPTION (1): His All Holiness Bartholomew, Ecumenical Patriarch of
the Orthodox cCurch, speaks about ecumenism to a group of about 50 Oriental
Orthodox and Eastern Orthodox church leaders, including Archbishop Khajag
Barsamian, Primate of the Eastern Diocese, during a breakfast meeting at the
Greek Orthodox Archdiocese in New York City on Monday, March 15, 2004.
PHOTO CAPTION (2): Archbishop Barsamian listens as Ecumenical Patriarch
Bartholomew praises the joint efforts of the Standing Conference of
Canonical Orthodox Bishops in the Americas and the Standing Conference of
Oriental Orthodox Churches.
PHOTO CAPTION (3): Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, Primate of the Diocese of
the Armenian Church of America (Eastern), and His All Holiness Bartholomew,
at the Greek Archdiocese in New York City on Monday, March 15, 2004.
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