January 28, 2019

“UNITY DOES NOT MEAN UNIFORMITY; IT MEANS HARMONY IN DIVERSITY” HIS HOLINESS ARAM

The conclusion of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity in Lebanon took place at St. Gregory the Illuminator Cathedral on January 27th, 2019, in Antelias. His Holiness Aram I presided over the ceremony, and present were leaders from different Christian churches and denominations, as well as the faithful.

 

Spiritual fathers, the Armenian Theological Seminary students and “Shnorhali” choir participated in the ceremony, which was conducted in three languages: Armenian, Arabic and English.

 

His Holiness Aram I delivered his message in French. He commended the tradition of marking the third week of January as a prayer week for Christian unity, stating that this initiative is an invitation to renew our dedication to the unity of the Churches. Speaking about our Lord Jesus Christ’s prayer for His apostles’ unity before sending them to preach, His Holiness said that unity and mission are closely interrelated in Church life.

 

His Holiness stated 4 important topics regarding church unity, which are:

 

  1. Although Churches have different perspectives in their approach to unity, they agree on the unity of belief
  2. Unity does not indicate uniformity, but it constitutes harmony in diversity
  3. Unity remains within the realm of theory if churches do not cooperate together
  4. Unity should become part of the existential reality of the parish

 

In his conclusion, His Holiness addressed the situation of the Churches in the Middle East, stressing that they are an integral part of the region’s history and present, and continued that they have their active presence in the Middle East. Finally, he underlined the importance of reorganizing the Christian communities and revitalizing the Christian witness, especially in within the sphere of the Christian education.

 

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