24 January 2013. Last week upon the invitation of His Holiness Aram I, the members of the Council of Laity and the Religious Council of the Central Committee of the National Assembly of the Catholicosate of Cilicia and the Diocesan Bishops met to prepare the National Assembly of the Holy See of Cilicia scheduled for June 2013.

The members of the Religious Council assessed the programmatic activities and prepared their report and recommendations to the Assembly. The programmes included religious education, Sunday schools, ecumenical and interfaith activities and the seminary. Members of the Council stressed the importance of offering seminary courses for future married priests and continual education for parish priests.

The Council of Laity discussed overall priorities of the Catholicosate and the 2012 audited financial report; they also approved the budget for 2013. In addition they received progress reports on the construction of the “New Cilicia” village in Artsakh (Karabagh) and plans for the commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. The members of the Council of Laity were also briefed on the situation of Armenians in Syria and the forthcoming Conference of the Bishops of the Holy Sees of Etchmiadzin and Cilicia and the Patriarchates of Jerusalem and Constantinople, where they will discuss the renewal of the Armenian Church.

The three-day event ended with a general meeting of the members of Councils and the Prelates. After listening to the reports, His Holiness Aram I said, “We should not congratulate ourselves for what we have done, but prepare ourselves to respond to the expectations and needs of our people.”