With the blessing of His Holiness Catholicos Aram I and as per the invitation of the His Holiness Catholicos Karekin II, V. Rev. Fr. Stepanos Pashayan and V. Rev. Fr. Hovagim Panjarjaian participated in the Holy Etchmiadzin Brotherhood conference, in Armenia.
The conference, entitled “Holy Etchmiadzin as a Mission,” was also attended by representatives from the Armenian Patriarchates of Constantinople and Jerusalem.
His Holiness Catholicos Karekin II delivered his pontifical address and conveyed his blessing. In his speech, the Catholicos underlined the imperative of implementing the most awake and responsible service necessary, so that the Church always keeps the torch of faith burning and preserves and protects the Armenian people from dangers and threats.
The Armenian Patriarch of Constantinople, His Eminence Archbishop Sahak Mashalyan greeted the participants of the Brotherhood Conference and conveyed his best wishes.
Subsequently, representatives of the Armenian Church Hierarchical Sees also delivered speeches. V. Rev. Fr. Stepanos Pashayan spoke on behalf of the Holy See of Cilicia. Firstly, he conveyed the warm fraternal greetings of His Holiness Aram I to His Holiness Karekin II and the pontifical blessings to the participants. Fr. Stepanos expressed his joy for the occasion, which serves as an opportunity to learn more about the challenges of our communities and benefit from the exchange of experiences. He underlined that the brotherhood is called to unite and call for the unity of Armenians to stand firm for the right of self-determination of the people of Artsakh and the security and territorial integrity of Armenia.
The program included lectures, discussions, and pastoral visits to the border communities of the Dioceses of Davush and Kegharkunik, where they visited the displaced families of Artsakh and recited prayers for the souls of the martyrs, and participated in celebrations of the Divine Liturgy.
