PRESS RELEASE
Catholicosate of Cilicia
Communication and Information Department
Tel: (04) 410001, 410003
Fax: (04) 419724
E- mail: [email protected]
Web:
PO Box 70 317
Antelias-Lebanon
The 12th General Assembly of the Brotherhood of the Catholicosate of
Cilicia was held in Antelias 3-4 April 2014
“Taking the Church to the people and building the church of the people is
our mission,” said His Holiness Aram I.
Antelias – The members of the Brotherhood met at the Meeting Hall of the
Gulbenkian Museum in Antelias under the leadership of His Holiness Aram I.
Following the election of the officers of the Assembly, in his opening
message, the Catholicos Aram I reminded the clergy that such meetings were
times to take account, to assess, to learn and to plan. He said, “This
process requires spiritual renewal and formation of intellectual
capabilities based on the principles of love, reciprocity and service to the
people.”
After the adoption of the agenda, the Assembly received the annual report
of the outgoing Committee of the Assembly. During the first two sessions of
the meeting, the Assembly discussed a draft report on “clerical
dress-codes,” and the final draft of “the by-laws of the Brotherhood.” At
the end of the discussions the officers of the Assembly invited individual
comments to be sent in writing to the drafting group. The final draft will
be approved and made public in a Pontifical Letter by the end of the month.
The next six sessions of the Assembly were devoted to presentations on and
discussions of the history of the Catholicosate of Cilicia from Sis
(Cilicia) to Antelias (Lebanon). The speakers presented research papers
describing the conditions under which the Catholicosate was uprooted, its
properties confiscated, and its spiritual and cultural heritage destroyed.
Papers also covered the early decades of settlement, the cold war,
Turkey-related conflict during the leadership of Catholicos Zareh I, the
Armenian Bishops Conferences, the renewal of the church and rising
challenges.
His Holiness Aram I concluded the meeting, and said, “As we move towards
the second century of the Catholicosate in Antelias, in order to take the
Church to the people and build the church of the people, we must continue
our journey with deepened faith, renewed spirituality and a strong
commitment to survive.”
The Assembly adjourned with the hymn “apostles of Jesus” and the Cilicia
anthem.
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