PRESS RELEASE
Catholicosate of Cilicia
Communication and Information Department
Contact: V.Rev.Fr.Krikor Chiftjian, Communications Officer
Tel: (04) 410001, 410003
Fax: (04) 419724
E- mail: [email protected]
Web:
PO Box 70 317
Antelias-Lebanon
Armenian version: nian.htm
VATICAN
His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI: THE SEE OF CILICIA HAS LONG BEEN INVOLVED IN
ENCOURAGING POSITIVE ECUMENICAL CONTACTS BETWEEN THE CHURCHES
His Holiness Aram I: THE UNITED VOICE AND THE COMMON WITNESS OF THE CHURCHES
IN A POLARIZED WORLD IS THE CALL OF CHRIST
After the private meeting His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI and His Holiness
Catholicos Aram I, had their public meeting in the Vatican. They presided
over a special church service especially prepared for this occasion.
At the end of the service, greeting the visit of His Holiness Catholicos
Aram I, the Pope said that this meeting today "stands in continuity with the
visit which you made to my beloved predecessor Pope John Paul II in January
1997, and with the many other contacts and mutual visits which, by God’s
grace, have led in recent years to closer relations between Catholic Church
and the Armenian Apostolic Church". He referred to the 20th century, as a
"century, which proved a time of unspeakable suffering for your people. The
faith and devotion of the Armenian people have been constantly sustained by
the memory of the many martyrs who have borne witness to the Gospel down the
centuries".
Speaking about the ecumenical relations of the Catholicosate of Cilicia,
Pope said that "The See of Cilicia has long been involved in encouraging
positive ecumenical contacts between the Churches". His Holiness also
referred the Christian presence in the Middle East: "I cannot fail to assure
you of my daily prayers and deep concern for the people of Lebanon and the
Middle East. How can we not be grieved by the tensions and conflicts which
continue to frustrate all the efforts to foster reconciliation and peace at
every level of civil and political life in the region? Most recently we have
all been saddened by the escalation of persecution and violence against
Christians in parts of the Middle East and elsewhere. Only when the
countries involved can determine their own destiny, and the various ethnic
groups and religious communities accept each other fully, will peace be
built on the solid foundations of solidarity, justice and respect for the
legitimate rights of individuals and peoples" said the Pope.
His Holiness Catholicos Aram I addressing His Holiness the Pope said that
"we must continue the ecumenical journey of our predecessors. We firmly
believe that this is the only way, sustained by our Lord’s commandment of
love and unity that shall lead us to a common mission in a world in dire
need of the life-giving message of the Gospel". He reminded the Pope that
"the ecumenical relations and collaboration of our two Churches are deeply
rooted in our respective histories. In fact, due to geo-political
circumstances, when the Armenians were obliged to leave Armenia and
establish their national and political life in Cilicia, the Armenian Church,
too, moved its administrative center, the Catholicosate, from Armenia to
Cilicia. This new environment, with its multi-religious, multi-confessional
and multi-ethnic character, engaged the Armenians in a creative and dynamic
interaction with the Latin and Byzantine Churches".
His Holiness referring complexities and polarizations of the world, as well
as the corrupted values and violation of human rights the growing poverty,
the genocides, denial of freedom and self determination and different form
of injustice and discrimination, said that "in spite of our doctrinal,
ecclesiological and theological differences, we must work together on the
basis of our common apostolic faith and in faithfulness to our common
calling". Catholicos Aram I also emphasized the importance of
inter-religious dialogue He said: "The world of today, with its growing
pluralism, manifested in all spheres and aspects of the society life, calls
our Churches to involve themselves in a responsible inter-faith dialogue. We
are living in a globalized world characterized by interdependence and
interaction. We must become part of the dialogue that preserves and
articulates the integrity and uniqueness of Christian faith and opens God’s
revelation, enfolded in the Bible and the Tradition, to other religions,
while at the same time, respecting their traditions and values. Lebanon,
where I come from, is, indeed, a country of such dialogue".
This public ceremony was followed by a lunch between two spiritual leaders
accompanied by Cardinals and Archbishops.
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View the photos here:
tos/Photos332.htm
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The Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia is one of the two Catholicosates of
the Armenian Orthodox Church. For detailed information about the Ecumenical
activities of the Cilician Catholicosate, you may refer to the web page of
the Catholicosate, The Cilician
Catholicosate, the administrative center of the church is located in
Antelias, Lebanon.
http://www.armenianorthodoxchurch.org/
http://www.armenianorthodoxchurch.org/v04/doc/Arme
http://www.armenianorthodoxchurch.org/v04/doc/Pho
http://www.armenianorthodoxchurch.org