On October 24th, His Holiness Aram I, accepting the invitation of the Old Catholic Church in Switzerland, departed to Bern. Ā Within the scope if this official visit, His Holiness will deliver a lecture in the University of Bern, have public statements on inter-church and ecumenical matters, as well as on issues relating to the…
A phone conversation was held between His Holiness Aram I and the President of the Republic of Artsakh Pago Sahakian. The two discussed issues concerning the situation in Artsakh, where His Holiness reaffirmed the high consideration that The Catholicosate of Cilicia and the Armenian Diaspora have for the strengthening of the independence and prosperity of…
A meeting took place between His Holiness Aram I and the President of the Republic of Armenia Mr. Armen Sarkissian, in Geneva. The agenda of their discussion included issues related to the actual situations in Armenia and the collaboration between Diaspora and Armenia. Ā The President once again congratulated the 50th anniversary of the priesthood…
On October 23rd, His Holiness Aram I received the International Commission for Anglican-Orthodox Theological Dialogue. The commission is composed of 18 members, including V. Rev. Boghos Tinkjian and V. Rev. Zareh Sarkissian representing the Catholicosate of Cilicia.Ā Ā Among various topics discussed in the meeting, His Holiness underlined the importance of addressing contemporary socio-ethical issues,…
On Sunday, October 21st, 2018, an official banquet was organized in honor of His Holiness Aram I, dedicated to the 50th anniversary of his ordination to priesthood, in Hotel Le Royal. Ā Krikor Mahseredjian, the co-chair of the Central Council of the National General Assembly delivered the welcoming remarks. Ā Bedo Demirdjian, Advisor to the…
On October 21st, a meeting took place between His Holiness Aram I and the acting Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan, in Antelias. A number of timely issues pertaining to the internal situation in Armenia and Armenia-diaspora relations were discussed during the meeting. They both stressed the vital importance of…
The jubilee of His Holiness Aram I was celebrated at the Catholicosate of Cilicia in Antelias, Lebanon, on Sunday October 21st, 2018. Ā In the morning, His Holiness celebrated the Holy Mass at the Cathedral. The ceremony was attended by Mr. Nikol Pashinyan, the acting Prime Minister of Armenia and the first lady, the representatives…
On Friday, October 19th, 2018, His Holiness Aram I presided over the meeting of the Lay Council of the National General Assembly. Topics related to property and construction, finance and administration, reorganization of the prelacies, relations and cooperation with Armenia and Artsakh, social and humanitarian institutions administered by the Catholicosate, the Armenian district in Fanar…
Under the presidency of His Holiness Aram I, the Religious Council of the National General Assembly of the Catholicosate of Cilicia convened in Antelias, on October 18th, 2018. Ā During the meeting, the following topics were discussed: Christian education, youth involvement in church life, ecumenical and interfaith relations, Armenian Theological Seminary, information and communication relations,…
The opening of the 89th Academic year of the Armenian Theological Seminary took place on Sunday, October 14th, with a Divine Liturgy celebrated by the Dean of the Seminary V. Rev. Boghos Tinkjian, at St. Gregory the Illuminator Cathedral in Antelias. His Holiness Aram I presided over the Divine Liturgy. Ā Following the service, a…
An international conference on āThe Holy Scriptures in a Changing Worldā was held on September 27th to October 1st, 2018, in Holy Etchmiadzin, Armenia. 40 theologians, representatives from Orthodox churches and United Bible Societies (UBS) were present in the conference to sign the āMemorandum of Understanding and Collaboration between the Eastern Orthodox Church, the Oriental…
On Sunday. October 7th, 2018, requiem service was held at St. Gregory the Illuminator Cathedral in Antelias for the soul of Charles Aznavour. His Holiness Aram I presided over the service. The last meeting between His Holiness and the international artist was three years ago. Note that the late Catholicos Khoren I had bestowed upon…
On September 2nd, 2018, His Holiness Aram I left for Geneva for a short visit where he will confer with the legal committee of the lawsuit filed by the Catholicosate of Cilicia for the return of its historical seat in Sis. Aram I will also hold a meeting with the Preparatory Committee of the “Silk…
On September 1, 2018, His Holiness Aram I sent a condolence letter to Charles Aznavourās family on the artistās demise. In the letter, His Holiness commends the international artistās legacy and advocacy of the Armenian Cause. His Holiness stated āthrough the chansons he composed and sang, Charles Aznavour embodied and expressed the French cultural heritage;…
His Holiness Aram I received Samvel Tadevosyan, the director of āHardev Grivā (The Ongoing Battle) which documents the April 2016 war in Artsakh. The director was accompanied by Giro Karageozian from the Armenian Revolutionary Federationās Shushi Chapter and Vladimir Boghossian from the Armenian embassy in Lebanon. His Holiness commanded the director for his achievements, particularly…
On September 20th to 22nd, The Regional Committee of the World Student Christian Federation Middle East (WSFC-ME) held its annual meeting at St. Marc Educational Center in Nasr city, Egypt. Garen Yosoulkanian, the chair of the Armenian Christian University Studentsā Association (ACUSA), was among the participants. Ā The meeting dedicated its sessions to evaluation of…
On September 22nd, 2018, His Holiness Aram I received Dr. Frank Otfried July, Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Wurttemberg, accompanied by a delegation. His Holiness briefly introduced to the guests the Christian presence and witness in the Middle East, talked about the ecumenical and interfaith relations and stressed the imperative for strengthening…
On September 25th, His Holiness Aram I received H.E. Arch. Levon Zekiyan, the Apostolic administrator of the Armenian Catholic Archepachy of Istanbul and the Mekhitarist Congregation. The meeting was an opportunity to discuss issues related to Armenia, Armenia-Diaspora relations, inter-church collaborations, as well as topics concerning armenology and Armenian culture. His Holiness Aram I…
On Monday, September 24th, His Holiness Aram I held a meeting with the Cilician brotherhood members residing in Antelias. During the meeting, he gave a general account of the summer events organized by the Brotherhood and stressed the imperative of reorganizing and revitalizing the diakonia and service by placing the community needs first. His Holiness…
On the occasion of the 27th anniversary of the re-independence of the Armenian Republic, Thanksgiving Prayers for the Republic of Armenia took place at St. Gregory the Illuminator Cathedral in Antelias, on Sunday, September 23rd 2018. His Holiness Aram I presided over the Prayers. Present at the Divine Liturgy were Armeniaās Diaspora Minister Mkhitar Hayrapetyan,…
On September 21st, His Holiness Aram I conducted a work meeting with the Youth Department of the Catholicosate of Cilicia. Present to the meeting were also V. Rev. Bedros Manuelian and V. Rev. Zareh Sarkissian. During the meeting, the members of the Department presented their upcoming program to His Holiness, who in turn expressed his…
On September 14th, V. Rev. Bedros Manuelian, the vice-director of the Armenian Genocide Orphansā āAram Bezikianā Museum Committee, represented the Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia on the Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute Board of Trustees in Yerevan, Armenia, and participated in the election of new director to the Museum-Institute. Harutyun Marutyan was elected to serve this position. Later,…
In September 2018, Holiness Aram I received the following art and culture experts from Armenia: A. Dr. Ashot Grigorian, Prof. Aram Isabekyan and Prof. Gedig Baghdassarian. They arrived to Antelias upon Catholicos’s invitation to conduct research on placing of sculptures representing important events and symbols in the Armenian history on the premises of the St.…
A group of volunteers from the Christian Education Department worked together for weeks and prepared some church objects, such as handmade veil/curtain of the Holy Altar and other handmade covers. They offered these items to St. Gregory the Illuminator Cathedral in Antelias.
On September 8th, 2018, His Grace Bishop Anoushavan Tanielian was elected to serve as the new prelate of the Eastern Prelacy of the USA at a special session of the Diocesan National Representative Assembly. His Holiness Aram I ratified the election in a Pontifical letter directed to the Assembly. His Holiness wished the newly…
The Metropolitan Museum of Art of New York City is organizing its first major exhibition on artistic and cultural achievements of the Armenian people in a global context. The Cilicia Museum of the Catholicosate of Cilicia will present a sample of it collections during the exhibition, which will open on September 22nd and continue through…
On September 6th, 2018, His Holiness Aram I received the Lay and the Religious Councils of the Diocesan Council of Lebanon headed by the newly elected Primate of Lebanon H.E. Arch. Nareg Alemezian. Ā His Holiness welcomed the election of the new Primate, as well as the elections of above-mentioned Councils that preceded the election…
The lecture was delivered by Catholicos Aram I on Wednesday at the Near East School of Theology, within the framework of a conference on āChristian Political Theology in the Middle East.ā At the outset of his lecture Catholicos Aram I said that in his opinion there is no so-called āpolitical theology.ā āTheology is the…
A special exposition dedicated to Jacob KĆ¼nzler (Papa KĆ¼nzler), the Swiss eyewitness to the Armenian Genocide, who saved the lives of thousands of Armenian orphans, will take place in the coming months at the Catholicosate of Cilicia. On that account, on September 4th, 2018, a meeting was held at the Catholicosate between representatives from the…
On September 3rd, 2018, His Holiness Aram I received the King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz International Center for Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue (KAICIID) committee members in Antelias. Ā During the meeting, His Holiness presented his perspective on the Christian-Muslim dialogue and cooperation, focused on the recent circumstances of the region and answered their questions. In turn,…
On September 2nd, 2018, His Holiness Aram I received Vahram Balayan, the Vice-President of National Assembly of the Republic of Artsakh, accompanied by the Armenian National Committee of Lebanon at St. Maryās Monastery in Bikfaya. Ā The guests participated in the Divine Liturgy at St. Maryās chapel and then met with His Holiness. They discussed…
On September 1st, 2018, His Holiness Aram I received the chairpersons of the Lebanese Diocesan National Representative Assembly Mr. Karnig Mgrditchian and Garo Salkhanian as well as the newly elected primate H.E. Arch. Nareg Alemezian and the former Primate Bishop ShahĆ© Panossian. They informed His Holiness of the election and His Holiness endorsed the election…
On Tuesday, August 28th, 2018, during a meeting of the President of Switzerland Mr. Alain Berset with the Christian and Muslim spiritual leaders of Lebanon, His Holiness Aram I stressed the pivotal importance of broadening the collaboration between Switzerland and Lebanon. He welcomed the humanitarian assistance provided to the Palestinian and Syrian refugees in Lebanon,…
On Wednesday, August 29th, 2018, His Holiness Aram I and Mr. Pago Sahakian, the president of the Republic of Artsakh, held a phone conversation, where His Holiness reaffirmed his full support to all the efforts aimed at strengthening the independence of the Republic of Artsakh, considering the preservation of the independence of Artsakh crucial for…
On August 22nd,Ā 2018, His Holiness Aram I has generously received the Royal House of Ghassan headed by HRH Prince Gharios El Chemor of Ghassan Al-Nuāman VIII. Also part of the delegation Mr Antoine Kaladjian, international Director of ecumenical dialogue, Mr. Petro Achkar, Public Relations Manager, and Mr. Carl Doumit, Prince Ghariosā assistant. His Holiness…
On Saturday, August 25th, 2018, His Holiness Aram I received Berge Setrakian, the president of the Armenian General Benevolent Union (AGBU). They discussed the current situation in Armenia and issues regarding the relations between Armenia and the Diaspora.
On August 24th, 2018, His Holiness Aram I visited the Summer Bible Camp organized by the Christian Education Department of the Catholicosate of Cilicia. The Bible Camp is held in āBirdsā Nestā in Jbeil, from August 20th to August 27th. Upon his arrival, His Holiness was received by the participants and welcomed by the Head…
Within the field of meetings with the Armenian Theological Seminary students, this morning, a group of seminarians visited His Holiness Aram I. At a meeting with the seminarians, His Holiness Aram I talked of the pressing challenges to the Church and the Republic of Armenian, and what it means to commit oneself to a vocation…
On Monday evening, August 20th, 2018, Dr. Antoine Chedid, the representative of CHREDO, visited His Holiness Aram I in Bikfaya and invited him to France to a conference about the Christians in the Middle East.
On Monday morning, August 20th, 2018, the former president of the Republic of Lebanon Amine Gemayel visited His Holiness Aram I in Bikfaya. They discussed the recent political, economic and social situation in Lebanon and the Middle East.
On Friday, August 17th, 2018, the participants of the Journalism Seminar from Aztag, the Armenian Lebanese daily newspaper, accompanied by their supervisor Arsho Balian, visited His Holiness Aram I in Bikfaya. Ā The meeting came as a conclusion to the seminar. Before the session, Arsho Balian presented the program to His Holiness and briefed him…
On Monday, August 18th, 2018, His Holiness Aram I visited the renovations taking place in the Armenian Theological Seminary in Bikfaya. The renovations are possible thanks to Mardig Bouldoukian and Raffi Ohanian from the USA. After inspecting the renovations, His Holiness commended the work in progress and expressed his recognition of the efforts of…
On Friday, August 17th, 2018, His Holiness Aram I received representatives of Nabih Berri, the Speaker of the Lebanese Parliament, in Bikfaya. The delegation extended the good wishes of Speaker Nabih Berri on the occasion of the feast of Assumption of the Holy Mother of God to His Holiness, and invited him to the commemoration…
On Friday, August 17th, 2018, His Holiness Aram I received Michel Naser and Nicole Gemayel, the mayors of Saqiet El-Misk and Bikfaya respectively. Present to the meeting were the Dean of the Armenian Theological Seminary V. Rev. Boghos Tinkjian and the supervisor of the Seminary V. Rev. Shnorhk Ashekian. Ā They mayors presented His Holiness…
On Wednesday, August 15th, 2018, His Holiness Aram I received Mr. Bedros Terzian, the acting executive director of Hayastan All Armenian Fund, in Bikfaya. Mr. Terzian briefed His Holiness on the recent consultations he has had with the Armenian President and the Prime Minister, as well as the President of Artsakh, regarding ways to…
On Friday, August 10th, 2018, under the auspices of His Holiness Aram I, the opening ceremony of the renovated āNouneh and Ninareh Nazarianā library of the Armenian Theological Seminary took place. Present to the ceremony were the benefactors of the renovation Mr. Anoushavan and Mrs. Anahid Nazarian, and their daughters, Nouneh and Ninareh. Ā Delivering…
On Friday evening, August 10th, 2018, the Summer Youth Academy concluded its program with a closing session headed by His Holiness Aram I in Bikfaya. For over two weeks, the Academy, entitled āThinking Through the Armenian Church: the Anchor of Identity and Compass for Action,ā equipped the participants, who had come from the USA and…
On Monday, August 13th, 2018, His Holiness Aram I presided over a requiem service for the repose of the souls of all departed Armenians around the world at St. Maryās Monastery in Bikfaya. His Holiness prayed for the souls of those who had fallen for the freedom of Armenia, and asked God to protect the…
On Saturday evening, August 11th, 2018, the Armenian Church, Catholicosate of Cilicia celebrated the feast of the Assumption of the Holy Mother of God on the open-air alter of St. Maryās Monastery in Bikfaya. The Divine Liturgy was presided over by His Holiness Aram I and celebrated by His Grace Bishop Massis Zoboyan, the…
In August, His Holiness Aram I received the deputies of the Civil Contract party Alen Simonian, Lena Nazarian and Hraychya Hagopian, in Bikfaya. The sides discussed the latest situation in Armenia. His Holiness Aram I expressed his thoughts on post-revolution Armenia and commended Pashinyanās efforts in confirming the rule of law and improving the living…
The Armenian Church celebrates the pilgrimage week of the St. Maryās Monastery every year during the second week of the month of August. This year, the pilgrimage week was celebrated August 6 through 11, 2018 and it was concluded by the feast of the Assumption of the Holy Mother of God. Ā Under the auspices…
On Thursday, August 9th, 2018, His Holiness Aram I received the Ambassador of Germany to Lebanon H.E.Ā Martin Huth, and his wife at St. Mary’s Monastery in Bikfaya. During the meeting, they discussed issues related to Lebanonās situation and the process of government formation. Here, they stressed the significant role of the religious leaders…
His Holiness Aram I made this powerful statement at the conclusion of a discussion with the participants of the Summer Youth Academy and members of the Armenian Church University Students Association (ACUSA) in the courtyard of the Catholicosate of Cilicia in Antelias. The session, which was held on Monday evening, 7th August, was broadcast live…
On Monday, July 30th, 2018, around 20 youth coming from the USA and Canada gathered at the Catholicosate of Cilicia to start the Summer Youth Academy, entitled āThinking Through the Armenian Church: the Anchor of Identity and Compass for Action.ā The aim of the Academy, which will run from July 30th to August 11, is…
We are happy to announce that the new building, which is under construction at St. Maryās Monastery in Bikfaya, will consist of 24 dormitories and a storeroom. The building will serve as an Episcopal Residence and guesthouse. The construction is expected to be completed by Spring 2019. His Holiness Aram I will announce the name…
His Holiness Aram I announced new appointments for four young members of the Cilician Brotherhood as follows: Ā -V. Rev. Hrant Tahanian: Ecumenical Officer and lecturer at the Armenian Theological Seminary. Ā -V. Rev. Hovhannes Saghdejian: Pastor in Northern Greece. Ā -V. Rev. Zareh Sarkissian: Director of the Youth Department, lecturer at the Seminary, as…
The Armenian Church, Catholicosate of Cilicia, participates in the celebrations of Homenetmenās centennial, in Yerevan, represented by H.E. Arch. Nareg Alemezian and V. Rev. Bedros Manuelian. At the official ceremony, the pontifical encyclical on the centennial was read.
On behalf of His Holiness Aram I, H.E. Arch. Kegham Katcherian, Prelate of Greece, expressed condolences regarding Greece wildfire victims to H.E. Arch. Ieronymos II of Athens, Primate of the Autocephalous Orthodox Church of Greece, over a phone conversation held on July 23rd.Ā
On Tuesday morning, July 24th, 2018, His Holiness Aram I received Mr. Antoine Laham, Assistant to the Special UN Envoy to Syria Mr. Staffan de Mistura, at the pontifical residence in Bikfaya. Ā Mr. Laham updated His Holiness about the recent accomplishments of their office in the region and the current situation in Syria. In…
Ordered by His Holiness Aram I and funded by āHayokiā publications, the Christian Education Department of the Armenian Church, Catholicosate of Cilicia, released its latest service booklet āAghotenk Havadkov.ā You can collect one of the 100.000 copies available for you for free from our churches.
On July 18th, on the occasion of the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, the International Day of Nelson Mandela and the Fifa World Cup Russia 2018, the Global Forum for Religions and Humanity organized a friendly football match in Hammana, Lebanon, between a group of clergy and ulama from across Lebanon. V.…
On July 17th, His Holiness Aram I visited the Birdsā Nest Orphanage in Byblos to inspect the renovation works that have been completed. Thanks to the generous donation of Diana Der Hovsepian from Argentina, the orphans of the Birdsā Nest are now provided with new bedrooms. Der Hovsepian has dedicated her deed to the memory…
On July 16th, 2018, His Holiness Aram I received Farid Elias Al-Khazen, Lebanonās ambassador to the Vatican, in Bikfaya. One of the aims of the visit was to discuss Vaticanās position on Lebanon and the region. His Holiness gave Dr. Al-Khazen a brief account of the situation, as well as talked about the Christian-Muslim coexistence…
On Thursday, July 12th, 2018, a group of university students coming from various countries of the Middle East and Africa visited His Holiness Aram I in Bikfaya as part of their three-week theological intensive courses. His Holiness Aram I delivered a lecture entitled āThe Church and the Society,ā underlining that Christianity, in its essence and…
On July 10th, 2018, the director general of ARMENPRESS News Agency Aram Ananyan visited His Holiness Aram I in Bikfaya. Present in the meeting were also chief editors of Lebanese Armenian daily newspapers: Shahan Kandaharian(Aztag), Sevag Hagopian (Zartonk) and Ani Yepremian (Ararad), as well as V. Rev. Bedros Manuelian, head of the Information and Communication…
On July 8th, 2018, upon his return from Bari, Italy, His Holiness Aram I held a phone conversation with Pago Sahakian, the president of the Republic of Artsakh. Ā They discussed the current situation and the challenges of Artsakh. His Holiness expressed his support to the Armenian Army and the people of Artsakh, stressing that…
On July 5th, 2018, a meeting between spiritual leaders was held in Bkerke, with the participation of Catholicos Aram I of the Armenian Church, Holy See of Cilicia, Patriarch RaĆÆ of the Maronite Church, Patriarch Aphrem II of the Syriac Orthodox Church, and Patriarch Yonan of the Syriac Catholic Church. Ā The leaders discussed issues…
On Sunday evening, July 1st, 2018, the Executive Committee of the Christian Conference of Asia (CCA) started its meeting at the Armenian Church, Catholicosate of Cilicia, in Antelias, under the auspices of His Holiness Aram I. Alongside the ExCom members of the CCA, present at the meeting was the Acting General Secretary of the Middle…
On Monday, July 2nd, 2018, His Holiness Aram I received FranƧois Asselineau, the president of the Popular Republican Union, in his summer seat in Bikfaya. Ā During the meeting, they exchanged their thoughts on the situation in Lebanon and the role of France in the area. His Holiness Aram I stressed the importance of reaffirming…
On Saturday, June 30th, 2018, the members of āShnorhaliā choir of the Catholicosate of Cilicia honored their parents with a special celebration. Rev. Zaven Najarian, the director of the choir opened the evening with his warm speech. He commanded parentsā unconditional love and blessed their devotion to their families. Ā The evening came to an…
On Sunday, July 1st, 2018, the 23rd anniversary of the election and consecration of His Holiness Aram I as Catholicos was celebrated with Pontifical Thanksgiving Prayer at St. Gregory the Illuminator Cathedral in Antelias, under the auspices of His Holiness Aram I. Pontifical Thanksgiving prayers were also held throughout all the Prelacies of the Holy…
The Central Committee of the World Council of Churches (WCC), the highest decision-making body of the WCC, met in Geneva and Bossey, Switzerland, from June 15th to the 22nd. During the meeting, the Committee celebrated the 70th anniversary of the WCC and decided on the theme and venue of the 11th Assembly. One of…
On Friday, June 29th, 2018, the 8th round of Religious Dialogue between the Islamic Culture and Relations Organization (ICRO) and the Armenian Church, Catholicosate of Cilicia, concluded its three-day meeting. His Holiness Aram I, Dr. Abouzar Ebrahimi, , the President of ICRO, and Dr. Mohammad Mahdi Taskhiri, the Director General of Center for interreligious Dialogue…
The 8th round of Religious Dialogue between the Islamic Culture and Relations Organization (ICRO) and the Catholicosate of Cilicia continued its sessions on Thursday, June 28th, 2018. Three sessions were held on day two of the religious dialogue. The guest speakers included Mr. Ardouyd Zohrabian from the Armenian Prelacy of Tehran and Dr. Shahin…
The 8th Round of Religious Dialogue between the Islamic Culture and Relations Organization (ICRO) of the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Armenian Church, Catholicosate of Cilicia, under the title āReligions and Environment,ā was held at the Catholicosate, in Antelias, from June 27th to June 29th, 2018. Ā The opening ceremony of the three-day program…
On Monday, June 25th, 2018, the President of the Near East School of Theology, Dr. George Sabra, visited His Holiness Aram I, in Bikfaya, and invited him to participate in a conference about church and politics, which will be held in September. The meeting was also an opportunity for Dr. Sabra to present the…
On Saturday, June 23rd, 2018, under the auspices of His Holiness Aram I and sponsored by Mr. and Mrs. Sdepan and Tamar Der Bedrossian, the Armenian Church University Studentsā Association marked the 55th anniversary of its establishment with a Gala dinner at Ruby hall in Hotel Le Royal, Dbayye. The Chairperson of the Association Garen…
On Saturday, June 23rd, His Holiness Aram I received Fr. David Nazar, rector of the Pontifical Oriental Institute, in Bikfaya. One of the purposes of the visit was to learn about the challenges that the Christian communities in the Middles East are facing, as well as to consult about certain points regarding the mission of…
On Saturday, June 23rd, 2018, His Holiness Aram I received the newly appointed Apostolic Nuncio to Lebanon Archbishop Joseph Spiteri, in Bikfaya. During the meeting, His Holiness Aram I shared a detailed account of the mission of the Armenian Church, as well as its local situation in Lebanon and in the Middle East. His…
On June 21st 2018, Heads of the Oriental Orthodox Churches in the Middle East: His Holiness Pope Tawadros II, Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of Saint Mark Episcopate, His Holiness Patriarch Mor Ignatius Aphrem II, Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, and His Holiness Aram I Catholicos of Armenian Church holy see of Cilicia,…
On Friday evening, June 22nd, His Holiness Aram I received His Holiness Pope Tawadros II, Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of Saint Mark Episcopate, and His Holiness Mor Ignatius Aphrem II, Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, at St. Mary’s Monastery in Bikfaya. The three Holy Fathers first offered prayers in front of…
On Tuesday, June 19th, 2018, Berge Setrakian, the President of the Armenian General Benevolent Union, visited His Holiness Aram I. During the meeting, the discussed the current situation in Armenia and exchanged ideas regarding Armenia-Diaspora relations.
On Tuesday, June 19th, 2018, His Holiness Aram I welcomed the participants of the Womenās Bible Study in the Main Hall of the Catholicosate, where more than 100 women had gathered to receive His Holinessā blessings. The Womenās Bible Study is a weekly gathering taking place at the St. Gregory the Illuminator Cathedral, under the…
On Sunday morning, June 17th, 2018, the interschool competition of the Educational-Armenological and the Khatchig Babigian Fund took place at the Catholicosate of Cilicia. Out of 122 participants in the following three categories: Armenian language and literature, Armenian history, culture and religion, and poetry reciting,Ā 33 students received awards. Mr. Jirayr Tanielian, the head…
The 88th commencement ceremony of the Armenian Theological Seminary took place on Saturday, June 16th, 2018, in Bikfaya. The ceremony ceremony was dedicated to His Holiness Aram Iās 50th anniversary of the priesthood ordination. The welcoming remarks was delivered by Fr. Zaven Najarian, who pointed out the significant aspects of the Seminary that makes…
On Tuesday, June 12th, 2018, 13 graduates received certificates for successfully completing the three-year program in Armenology from the Educational-Armenological Department of the Catholicosate of Cilicia. Ā The Armenological Center was launched in 2012-2013 under the Educational-Armenological Department of the Catholicosate of Cilicia. The late Sarkis Guiragossian directed the program for the first three years…
On Tuesday, June 12th, 2018, His Holiness Aram I received Patriarch Aphrem II of the Syriac Orthodox Church at St. Mary’s Monastery in Bikfaya. They reviewed the current situation in the Middle East in general and in Syria in particular, and discussed cooperation between the two Churches. The meeting was also an opportunity to examine…
On Sunday, June 10th, 2018, under the auspices of His Holiness Aram I, Bishop Meghrig Parikian celebrated Divine Liturgy and performed the ordination of ten deacons from the Seminary. During the Service, Fr. Zaven Najarian, the sponsoring priest, led the candidates to the alter. They came to the altar on their knees and gave…
On Saturday, June 9th, 2018, thousands were gathered in front of the Martyrsā Monument at St. Maryās Cathedral in Bikfaya to celebrate the 50th anniversary of His Holiness Aram Iās ordination to the priesthood. The Lebanese Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Maestro Harout Fazlian, and Soprano Hasmik Babian performed on this occasion. Representatives of diplomats, community…
On Friday, June 9th, 2018, His Holiness Aram I received Mohammad FathAli, the Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran to Lebanon. During the meeting, they both exchanged their perspectives regarding the situation in the Middle East in general, and the situation in Lebanon and Syria in particular. His Holiness and His Excellency reflected…
On Sunday evening, June the 3rd, His Holiness Aram I held a phone conversation with Pago Sahakian, the President of the Republic of Artsakh, and expressed his concern in regards to the recent demonstrations occurring in the capital Stepanagerd. President Sahakian briefed His Holiness about the situation and the motives behind the protests, while…
Under the patronage of Information Minister Melhem Riachy, on Friday, June 1st, 2018, the Information and Communication Department of the Catholicosate of Cilicia participated in a joint press conference with the Mr. Riachi, TĆ©lĆ© LumiĆØre and NourSat, where the formation of the āConsortium of Christian Communication and Information Organizationsā was announced. The aim of this…
Over the last few days, His Holiness Aram I received the following visitors: a) Dr. Szuromi Szabolcs Anzelm, the president of the PĆ”zmĆ”ny PĆ©ter Catholic University (Budapest, Hungary). b)Mr. Zaven Khanjian, the executive director/CEO of the Armenian Missionary Association of America (AMAA) and Dr. Nazareth Darakjian, the president of AMAA. c) Dr. Mike Bassous, the…
On Thursday, May 31st, His Holiness Aram I received Mor Theophilus George Saliba, the representative of the Patriarch of the Syrian Orthodox Church Ignatius Aphrem II. The purpose of the visit was to consult with His Holiness on the agenda of the meeting between the three spiritual leaders (the Armenian Church, the Coptic Church and…
The Catholicosate of Cilicia dedicated the evening of Sunday, May 27th 2018 to the centennial of the First Independence of the Republic of Armenia. The evening commenced with a requiem service for the soul of Catholicos Karekin Hovsepian, who was a leading figure in the battle of independence, followed by a concert by the Armash…
On the week of May 14th, members from the legal committee of the lawsuit filed by the Catholicosate of Cilicia for the return of its historical seat in Sis held a work meeting in Antelias under the supervision of His Holiness Aram I. A complete session of the legal committee will take place in the…
On May 16th, His Holiness Aram I held a phone conversation with the Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia Mr. Nigol Pashinyan. His Holiness congratulated Pashinyan on his election, saluted the new government, and wished Pashinyan success in his efforts towards building a stronger and more prosperous Armenia. Ā
On Wednesday, May 9th, the international Ecumenical Youth Gathering Committee met with the M.E.C.C. and its Partnerās Delegation, at the Dhour Choueir Evangelical Center. The Committee took the opportunity to present to the guests details of the planned gathering, and answer their questions. Considering many of the guests were foreign visitors, each Lebanese church…
On May 11th, 2018, Mr. Fotis Fotiou, the Commissioner for matters on Overseas Cypriots and Religious Groups and the representative of the president of the Republic of Cyprus, accompanied by the ambassador of Cyprus to Lebanon Christina Rafti and embassy officials, visited His Holiness Aram I. Ā Ā The meeting was an opportunity to discuss…
