The Meetings of the Central Councils of the Church Assembly and the Sub-Councils of Religious Affairs and Laity Conclude

The three-day meeting, scheduled 18-20 January 2016 and presided over by Catholicos Aram I, concluded with recommendations on the 19 items on the agenda, which address different manifestations of the mission of the Catholicosate of Cilicia. The three bodies met separately, as joint groups, and in plenary, depending on the topics.   After welcoming the…

The Catholicosate of Cilicia takes part in the Annual Meeting of the Council of Churches in the Gulf (CCG)

16-18 January 2017, the annual meeting of the Council of Churches in the Gulf Countries, comprising the Anglican, Evangelical and Orthodox Churches, which are officially recognized by the Gulf countries, was held in Abu Dhabi. The Very Rev Mesrob Sarkissian, Pontifical Vicar for UAE and Qatar and Executive Committee member of the CCG, represented the…

His Holiness Aram I receives Archbishop Paul Sayah, Vicar General of the Maronite Patriarchate

23 January 2017. On Tuesday morning Archbishop Sayah visited Catholicos Aram I in Antelias. The Archbishop transmitted his good wishes for Christmas and said that His Holiness’ recent visit to Syria had inspired hope to Armenians in Syria and to all Christian communities. After His Holiness shared his reflections on his pastoral visit, he and…

The Catholicosate of Cilicia participates in the Executive Committee Meeting of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC)

16-17 January 2017. The new Executive Committee of the MECC, elected during the 11th General Assembly in 2016, met for the first time at the Evangelical Church in Lebanon. Archbishop Sebouh Sarkissian, Prelate of Tehran, and Dr Jean Salmanian represented the Catholicosate at the meeting.   The members of the Committee discussed the documents approved…

His Holiness Aram I receives the Apostolic Delegate of the Vatican to Lebanon

13 January 2017. On Friday morning, Archbishop Gabriele Giordano Caccia, the Apostolic Delegate representing Pope Francis, personally delivered the Pope’s New Year Letter to Catholicos Aram I.   His Holiness and the archbishop discussed recent developments in Lebanon and Syria, and His Holiness said that the Vatican’s strong solidarity with Christians in Syria must continue.

His Holiness Aram I sends a letter of condolence to Hassan Rouhani, President Islamic Republic of Iran

His Holiness Aram I wrote to President Rouhani, expressing his condolences on the death of Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, former President of Iran. In his letter the Catholicos also mentioned his two meetings with the former president and he praised Rafsanjani’s contribution to the advancement of international relations. Archbishop Sebouh Sarkissian, accompanied by two clergy,…

His Holiness Aram I meets the local leadership and the religious leaders of Aleppo

During the two-day visit, Catholicos Aram I received political representatives, heads of religious communities of the city, and the director of Aleppo University, as well as a delegation representing its faculty.   They all welcomed him and expressed their appreciation for his tireless commitment to Christian-Muslim dialogue and his emphasis on Christians being an integral…