During the first day of his pontifical visit to Abu Dhabi, on Monday, January 22^nd, 2024, His Holiness Catholicos Aram I addressed the Gulf Churches Fellowship (CGF) conference and visited the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque.

At the venue of the conference, the Catholicos and his delegation were officially welcomed by the chair of the CGF, the Most Reverend Archbishop Makarios of Qatar, who lauded His Holiness’ more than 50 years of experience and leadership in the ecumenical movement and deemed his presence and participation at the CGF conference enriching and inspiring.

In his speech at the conference, His Holiness shed light on the contemporary mission and objective of the ecumenical movement. He emphasized the importance of considering the environment and addressing present-day challenges within the movement. Aram I also shared his views on Christian-Muslim dialogue, stating that it is an existential reality. Following his speech, Archbishop Makarios presented him with a souvenir on behalf of the CGF as a token of gratitude.

At the Grand Mosque, His Holiness and his pontifical delegation were warmly received by the center’s director. His Holiness Aram I expressed his appreciation for the work undertaken at the Grand Mosque as he toured the Mosque.