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:
June 24, 2005
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ECUMENICAL COALITION WORKS TO COMBATE HUNGER
The Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern) was represented
at an ecumenical prayer service on June 6, 2005, in Washington D.C.’s
National Cathedral by Bishop Vicken Aykazian, diocesan legate and
ecumenical officer.
Organized by Bread for the World, nationwide Christian movement seeking
justice for the world’s hungry people by lobbying America’s decision
makers, the group representing 75 churches vowed to work towards
eliminating hunger.
Religious leaders attending the event included Jewish, Catholic,
Orthodox, Protestant, Muslim, Sikh, and Buddhist. They were joined at
the service by more than 1,000 officials and supporters, including Rev.
Dr. Bob Edgar, general secretary of the National Council of Churches,
and Paul Wolfowitz, the new president of the World Bank. The legate
delivered a prayer during the service.
“The churches are very concerned about the hunger, not only in the U.S.
but all around the world,” Bishop Aykazian said. “We are urging our
government and other organizations to try to bring their contributions
to end this hunger.”
CHURCH INVOLVEMENT IN FIGHTING HUNGER
The day following the prayer service, many of the religious leaders met
with English Prime Minister Tony Blair, representatives from the White
House, and members of Congress to promote efforts to battle hunger.
“For Christians, it is our moral responsibility to bring justice to
people to end hunger and poverty in the world,” said Bishop Aykazian,
who noted officials such as Wolfowitz have said that church involvement
is key in the battle against hunger. “They believe church involvement
is very important to end hunger in the world. Already, we see the
results of our involvement because the government is much more involved
in ending hunger in the world.”
The Bread for the World coalition is currently pushing the “Hunger-Free
Communities Act of 2005” through Congress. It would commit the United
States to the goals of cutting U.S. food insecurity and hunger in half
by 2010, ending U.S. hunger by 2015, and requiring the U.S. Department
of Agriculture to report annually on progress toward those goals. It
authorizes $50 million for a grant program to fund grassroots groups who
collaborate to develop innovative strategies to end hunger, provide
direct assistance, and strengthen public programs.
HELPING HAND
Armenian Church members can work to end hunger by advocating for action
on the part of their state and federal representatives, Bishop Aykazian
said. Or they can lend a helping hand by collecting donations and
volunteer to help the hungry locally and internationally, he added.
“If parishioners collect money and send it to poor countries, including
Armenia which is among the poorest nations, of course it is very
helpful,” he said.
Reflecting on Biblical passages urging Christians to feed the hungry,
Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, Primate of the Eastern Diocese, said it was
the duty of parishioners to be sensitive to the needs of the hungry.
“As individuals, parish communities, and a Diocese it is our
responsibility to hear the words of Christ in the Gospels and respond,”
the Primate said. “I am grateful that we have been heading Christ’s
message to help the less fortunate. That is why we created FAR (the
Fund for Armenian Relief) after the earthquake in Armenia, and why so
many of our parishioners continue to support that organization’s efforts
to not just feed the hungry, but to strengthen our independent nation.”
— 6/24/05