On February 16th, 2023, His Holiness Catholicos Aram I paid a pontifical visit to Aleppo in solidarity with the Armenian Community amid the devastating earthquakes on the border of Syria and Turkey.
The pontifical delegation was welcomed at the entrance of the Holy Mother of God Church by the Heads of the Armenian Orthodox, Catholic, and Evangelical Churches in Aleppo, the Counselor of the Armenian Consulate General, the Head of the Humanitarian Mission of Armenia, the Syrian Armenian MP from Aleppo, members of the Diocesan Council of the Prelacy, as well as representatives and members of the cultural and educational organizations, the church community and the faithful.
Following the traditional welcome ceremony of blessing of salt and bread, the Catholicos entered the church and presided over the Divine Liturgy conducted on the occasion of the feast of St. Vartan the Warrior and his Companions. During the Divine Liturgy, His Holiness addressed the faithful with his pontifical speech, where he exhorted them to remain strong in their faith and to continue trusting in God during these challenging times. He also reaffirmed the solidarity of the Holy See of Cilicia and its adjacent bodies and institutions with the Armenians in Syria. Finally, the Catholicos called upon Armenians everywhere to offer a helping hand to their brothers and sisters in Syria.
After the Liturgy, His Holiness appealed to the international community via mass media to lift the sanctions imposed on Syria and help the disaster-stricken people.
