On Wednesday morning, a delegation led by Sheikh Hamid Shahriari, the General Secretary of the Iranian inter-religious center, visited His Holiness Aram I. Ā Sheikh Shahriari exposed the work of the center and the importance of inter-religious relations and dialogue. His Holiness stressed the vital role of religion in promoting tolerance and mutual respect in…
On Tuesday, March 30th, 2021, Holy Tuesday service commemorating the parable of the Ten Virgins was held at St. Gregory the Illuminator Cathedral in Antelias. During the ceremony, ten young students from the Antelias Sunday School were holding lanterns and stood in front of the alter. Five of them kept their lanterns lit, representing…
The Opening of Portals ceremony was held on Sunday evening, March 28th, 2021, at St. Gregory the Illuminator Cathedral in Antelias, presided over by His Holiness Catholicos Aram I. This ceremony is unique to the Armenian Church and depicts the second coming of Christ and the final judgement. Bishop Magar Ashkarian delivered the…
“CHRIST EXHORTS AT ALL TIMES: DO NOT BE AFRAID, DO NOT LOSE HOPE, BUT HOLD ON TO FAITHā HIS HOLINESS CATHOLICOS ARAM I Ā Jesusā triumphal entrance into Jerusalem was solemnly celebrated at St. Gregory the Illuminator Cathedral in Antelias on Sunday, March 28th, 2021, presided over by His Holiness Catholicos Aram I. Ā Following…
With the blessing of His Holiness Catholicos Aram I, Sunday School students participated in the Vespers services during Great Lent. At the end of each service, the Catholicos encouraged the children and offered each a gift of a cross, as a token of appreciation for their participation. On Friday, March 26th, 2021, the last…
On Thursday, March 25th, 2021, Dr. Farid al-Khazen, Ambassador of Lebanon to the Holy See, visited His Holiness Catholicos Aram I, for the second time this week. During the previous meeting, given the close relations between the Catholicos and Vatican, the Ambassador had proposed extending a letter to the Vatican to describe the challenges facing…
On Tuesday morning, March 23rd, 2021, a delegation representing the Central Committee of the National Liberal Part (Lebanon) visited His Holiness Catholicos Aram I to discus issues pertaining the current situation in Lebanon. Ā The Party expressed their concern and vision of overcoming the prevalent turmoil in Lebanon. In turn, His Holiness stressed the importance…
This past weekend, the Armenian Apostolic Church commemorated its patron saint, St. Gregory the Illuminatorsā Commitment to the Pit. This day coincides with the name day of the Holy See of Ciliciaās St. Gregory the Illuminator Cathedral. Ā In previous years, St. Gregory the Illuminatorās has been celebrated in grand fashion with many faithfuls staying…
On Tuesday March 23rd, 2021, the Armenian Ambassador to Lebanon Vahagn Atabekyan visited His Holiness Catholicos Aram I. Ā During the meeting, they talked about the internal situation in Armenia and Artsakh, the Armenia-Diaspora relations, as well as the current challenges facing Lebanon. His Holiness informed the ambassador that issues pertaining the role of Turkey…
On Monday, March 22nd, 2021, the ambassador of Saudia Arabia to Lebanon, His Excellency Walid Abdullah el-Bukhari visited His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia. During His Excellency’s visit, many matters were discussed including the ongoing political-economic crisis in Lebanon. His Holiness and His Excellency stressed the importance of the…
The Commissioners of the World Council of Churchesā Commission on World Mission and Evangelism (CWME) held their 4-day meeting from March 4-5 and 8-9, 2021.Ā Participants of the meeting consisted of 25 Commissioners from all over the world from various Church denominations, in addition to a handful of advisors, and guests including the Director of…
On Saturday, March 13th, 2021, the Khatchig Babikian Fund Committee held their virtual meeting presided by His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia. The meeting was chaired by Yervant Pamboukian. Also present were Professor Ashod Melkonian, Shahan Kandaharian, Giro Manoyan, and Khatchig Dedeyan who are members in the committee. Ā The…
On Saturday, March 13th, His Holiness Catholicos Aram I presided over the Religious Council of the Central Committee held online and co-chaired by Archbishop Oshagan Choloyan and Archbishop Nareg Alemezian. Members of the Council, prelates and directors of different departments at the Catholicosate of Cilicia were present at the meeting. Ā The meeting commenced with…
On Thursday, March 11th, 2021, the Regional Committee of the Hamazkayin in Lebanon visited His Holiness Catholicos Aram I in Antelias. Ā First and foremost, the chair of the committee congratulated His Holiness on his birthday wishing him prosperity, and emphasized that the relations between Hamazkayin and the Catholicosate have been close and consistent for…
On Wednesday, March 10th, 2021, His Holiness Catholicos Aram I presided over the Mid-Lent Sunrise Service and delivered his message at St. Gregory the Illuminator Cathedral in Antelias. Ā His Holiness would have marked the Mid-Lent at St. Nshan Cathedral of the Diocese of Lebanon, accompanied by the Prelate of Lebanon, Cilician brothers and Seminarians…
On Saturday, March 6th, 2021, the Ambassador of Lebanon to Vatican Dr. Farid Al-Khazen visited His Holiness Catholicos Aram I to discuss matters concerning the Middle East in general and current situation in Lebanon in particular, relations between the Catholicosate of Cilicia and Vatican, as well as Pope Francisās historical visit to Iraq.
On Thursday February 25th, 2021, The Executive Committee of the Middle Eastern Council of churches held an online meeting. Archbishop Sebouh Sarkissian, Prelate of the Armenian Prelacy in Tehran, and Dr. Jean Salmanian, both members of the Executive Committee, attended the meeting on behalf of the Catholicosate of Cilicia. Ā Following approving the agenda and…
