PRESS OFFICE
Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern)
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Contact: Karine Abalyan
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E-mail: [email protected]
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October 30, 2009
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ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS A PROMINENT THEME AT THE NINTH ANNUAL JOINT ORTHODOX
– UN PRAYER SERVICE
Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, Primate of the Diocese of the Armenian Church
of America (Eastern), was among the religious leaders welcoming His All
Holiness Bartholomew, the Archbishop of Constantinople, New Rome, and
Ecumenical Patriarch, to New York this week, both at the annual United
Nations prayer service on Monday and at an interfaith luncheon on Tuesday.
Patriarch Bartholomew, known as the "Green Patriarch" for his advocacy of
environmental concerns worldwide, is on a three-week visit to the United
States.
During the events this week, Archbishop Barsamian had the opportunity to
speak personally with the Ecumenical Patriarch, conveying to him the warm
wishes of His Holiness Karekin II, the Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of
All Armenians.
The Ecumenical Patriarch thanked Archbishop Barsamian for his kind welcome,
and asked him to relay to His Holiness Karekin II a message of
congratulations on the occasion of the Catholicos’10th anniversary of
consecration.
‘Stewards of God’s created order’
At the ninth annual Joint Orthodox Prayer Service on Monday, October 26,
religious leaders, UN diplomats, and Orthodox Christians living in the New
York metro area heard speakers urging that religious communities and world
leaders might confront the prospect of climate change.
The service – organized by the Joint Commission of the Standing Conference
of the Canonical Orthodox Bishops in the Americas (SCOBA) and the Standing
Conference of the Oriental Orthodox Churches of America (SCOOCH) – was held
at Manhattan’s Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Archdiocesan Cathedral. Patriarch
Bartholomew presided.
Remarks at the service revolved around themes of preserving the environment,
reducing carbon and greenhouse emissions, and averting crises that might be
sparked by changes in the earth’s climate. The United Nations is scheduled
to hold a conference on climate change in Copenhagen in December.
Individuals, businesses, civic leaders, and religious organizations were
called to work together to address global warming, in a message from U.N.
Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, delivered at the service by his chief of
staff, Vijay Nambiar.
"If ever there were a time for unity among religions and peoples, it is now.
We must be united in purpose, united in action," the Secretary General
wrote. "Let us work together for a safer, healthier, more equitable future
for all."
Strobe Talbott, a former Clinton administration foreign policy official, and
current president of the Brookings Institution, urged a long-range view of
the climate change issue.
Stressing that combating global warming would require an investment of time
and money, Mr. Talbott called on leaders and faithful to "remember that
personal sacrifice is nothing new in the realm of politics and religion."
"We must learn to live with more frugality," he said.
Speaking last, His All Holiness Bartholomew outlined three components of the
climate change issue from a faith-based perspective.
"First, there is our fundamental conviction that it is our responsibility as
human beings.to be stewards of God’s created order," he said. "We need not
see science, religion, and policy-making as oppositional forces, but as
partners."
He also extolled the value of religious freedom, without which, "it will be
a great struggle for human beings to cooperate, with solidarity of purpose."
Lastly, he called on Orthodox Christians to serve humanity, and to be open
to both supporters and detractors.
"The United Nations itself is a living expression of Christ’s call to all of
us – all nations, all peoples – to practice virtue, and to offer an example
to states, movements, groups who would otherwise oppose our efforts to work
together towards the common good of all of God’s created order, " the
Ecumenical Patriarch said.
His All Holiness Bartholomew also reflected optimistically on the close
relationship between the Oriental Orthodox Church and the ancient Oriental
Churches.
"It is not theology that divides us," he said. "Rather, we are united in our
commitment to address the pastoral, liturgical, and ecclesiastical issues on
which we may ever build our unity in Christ more and more. The dialogue must
continue and we must continue to seek opportunities for mutual exchange."
Also representing the Armenian Church at the service were the Very Rev. Fr.
Haigazoun Najarian, Diocesan Vicar; the Very Rev. Fr. Daniel Findikyan, dean
of St. Nersess Seminary; the Rev. Fr. Tateos Abdalian; and St. Nersess
seminarians.
Among the Orthodox figures at the service were representatives of the Greek,
Antiochian, Romanian, Serbian, and Albanian churches, the Orthodox Church in
America, and the Moscow Patriarchate in the U.S.A.
Oriental Orthodox figures at the service included representatives of the
Syrian, Ethiopian, Coptic, and Malankara Syrian, as well as Armenian
churches.
Archbishop Celestino Migliore, the Vatican’s Ambassador to the UN, was also
present.
‘Efforts to model tolerance and acceptance’
On Tuesday, October 27, more than 50 Christian, Jewish, and Muslim leaders
gathered at the New York headquarters of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of
America for a luncheon in honor of Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew.
Archbishop Khajag Barsamian represented the Armenian Church at the event,
which gave religious leaders an opportunity to pray together, hear from
Patriarch Bartholomew, and discuss issues in the interfaith community.
Archbishop Demetrios, Primate of the Greek Orthodox Church in America, noted
that the guests from different traditions were united in their commitment to
sharing "love and peace, and human contact in the best possible way."
Patriarch Bartholomew approvingly said that the religious leaders’ efforts
to work together had been strengthened in the years since the September 11,
2001 terrorist attacks.
"Here in the U.S. all of you have made tremendous progress in establishing
mutual cooperation and a tone of mutual respect," he said.
The Ecumenical Patriarch also warned that "love can grow lukewarm and even
cold," and encouraged religious leaders to safeguard the relationships they
have fostered.
"The international community," he said, "needs your efforts to model
tolerance and acceptance."
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Photos attached.
Photo 1: Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, His All Holiness Bartholomew, and
Archbishop Demetrios at the United Nations prayer service on Monday, October
26.
Photo 2: His All Holiness Bartholomew delivers remarks at the United Nations
prayer service on Monday, October 26.
Photo 3: His All Holiness Bartholomew enters the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox
Archdiocesan Cathedral for the United Nations prayer service on Monday,
October 26.
Photo 4: Archbishop Khajag Barsamian speaks with His All Holiness
Bartholomew at the interfaith luncheon on Tuesday, October 27.
Photo 5: Religious leaders at the interfaith luncheon on Tuesday, October
27, held in honor of Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew.
Photo 6: Archbishop Khajag Barsamian speaks with His All Holiness
Bartholomew at the interfaith luncheon on Tuesday, October 27.
Photo 7: Acolytes prepare the way for religious leaders to enter the Holy
Trinity Greek Orthodox Archdiocesan Cathedral for the United Nations prayer
service on Monday, October 26.
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