19 September 2016. On Monday evening, His Holiness Catholicos Aram I left for Armenia, in response to the invitation of the President of Armenia, HE Serge Sarkissian, to take part in the celebrations of the 25th anniversary of the independence of the Republic. Catholicos Aram I is accompanied by Archbishop Sebouh…
7 September 2016. On Wednesday noon the Heads of Churches of the Middle East met with His Royal Highness King Abdullah of Jordan at his palace. After a brief formal reception, the Patriarchs were the guests for lunch of the King. In his welcoming speech, King Abdullah spoke of the significance of holding the…
6 September 2016. The 11th Assembly of the MECC held its opening prayers in Amman with the participation of the Hierarchs of all the member churches, official representatives and ecumenical guests. During the first session, the Assembly heard the messages of the Patriarchs, all of whom spoke of the necessity to strengthen Christian witness in…
4 September 2016. On Sunday morning His Holiness Aram I met with Archbishop Shahan Sarkissian, Prelate of Peria (Syria). The Archbishop updated the Catholicos on the recent escalation of violence in Aleppo and the organization of humanitarian assistance to the community under siege. Catholicos Aram I praised the commitment of the clergy and…
5 September 2016. On Monday morning, His Holiness Aram I and his delegation left for Amman to attend the Assembly of the MECC. Catholicos Aram I, who is one of the four Presidents of the Council representing the Oriental Orthodox Family, will be the keynote speaker. He will address the current conflicts in the Middle…
2 September 2016. On Friday, His Holiness Aram I received former Minister of State Ibrahim Shamseddine, the son of deceased President of the Higher Shia Counsel, Imam Mohammed Mehdi Shamseddine, in his office at St Mary’s Monastery in Bikfaya.. They exchanged views on the current conflict in the Middle East and issues related to…
1 September 2016. His Holiness Aram I, through a Pontifical Letter appointed Rev Boghos Tinkdian Dean of the Seminary of the Catholicosate. Rev Tinkdjian, is a graduate of Fuller Seminary in Los Angeles with Master of Arts degree in Theology and served as Vice Dean of the Seminary during the 2015-16 school year. Upon…
31 August 2016. The Catholicosate of Cilicia was invited to attend the consultation on Global Communication Network held 25-26 August in Yerevan, Armenia. Organized by the Ministry of Diaspora of Armenia and the Yerevan State University, the consultation focused on the following issues: new media, networking and security in Armenia and the Diaspora. Rev…
26 August 2016. During the weekly summer workshops, the clergy meet to discuss church and society issues affecting Armenians in the homeland and the diaspora. Participants present their research on these issues, providing space for discussion and helping the clergy achieve consensus. His Holiness Aram I moderates the workshops and shares his experience and…
Following his meeting with Staffan de Mistura, the UN envoy for Syria, Catholicos Aram I met with representatives of organizations providing humanitarian assistance to the region and urged them to continue their support. His Holiness also met with Ms Teny Pirri-Simonian, President of the Swiss Armenian Foundation: ARMENOFAS. The Catholicos stressed the urgent need to…
Since his arrival in Geneva, His Holiness Aram I has been consulting with experts regarding the lawsuit asking from Turkey the Return of the historic Seat of the Catholicosate in Sis (Kozan). Discussions have focussed on the recent attempted coup in Turkey and its temporary suspension of the European Convention on Human Rights. The Catholicosate…
16 August 2016. On Tuesday afternoon, in Geneva, His Holiness Aram I met Staffan de Mistura, the UN mediator, and his two assistants. Very Rev Housig Mardirossian, Director of the Ecumenical Relations Department, and Ms Teny Simonian, the Ecumenical Representative in Switzerland, also attended the meeting. In response to Catholicos Aram I’s concerns about…
13 August 2016. On Saturday evening after the Holy Liturgy dedicated to the Feast of St Mary, the Mother of God, in Bikfaya, His Holiness Aram I decorated Mr Anoushavan Nazarian with the ‘Prince of Cilicia’ insignia. Prior to the decoration, the Catholicos spoke of Mr Nazarian’s valuable contribution to the construction of the church…
On Saturday 13 August, following the Holy Liturgy of Assumption at St Mary’s Monastery in Bikfaya, His Holiness Aram I addressed the community and in the end shared his pain and concern regarding the recent events in Armenia and Karabagh. The following is a brief summary of his speech. According to Catholicos Aram…
On Saturday evening, the pilgrimage to St Mary’s Monastery concluded with the Holy Liturgy, presided by His Holiness Aram I, celebrated by Archbishop Yeprem Tabakian, and sung by the “Shenorhali” choir. The pilgrimage was established with the construction of St. Mary’s Chapel in Bikfaya in 1952; over the past four years, under the initiative…
The one-week-long series of Bible Studies organized for women at St Mary’s Monastery by the Christian Education department concluded with a meeting with His Holiness Aram I. Led by the members of the Brotherhood, the participants focused on the theme, “Walking on the Path of the Mother of God”; they studied the Bible and the…
5 August 2016. On Friday morning His Holiness Aram I received the Ambassador Samuel Mekertchian in the main Hall of St Mary’s Monastery in Bikfaya. After the Ambassador updated His Holiness on the recent events in Armenia, they discussed Armenia-Diaspora relations and the increasing economic ties between Armenia and Lebanon.
On 1 August 2016, the 7th Pan-Armenian Education consultation, organized by the Ministry of Science and Education of the Republic of Armenia, was held in Yerevan. The consultation assessed the quality of education in Armenia and the diaspora today and its response to the demands of today’s world. Archbishop Shahan Sarkissian, Prelate of the Diocese…
The Feast of the Assumption of St Mary has a special place in the mind and witness of the church and in the life of Armenians. She is always present and is a source of inspiration for spiritual life and renewal for the people. Armenians have consecrated churches in her name, built shrines and organized…
28-29 July 2016. During the past five years of the conflict in Syria, the Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia, with the guidance of His Holiness Aram I, has accompanied the Armenian communities in Syria through prayers and messages, while providing humanitarian assistance and raising funds in the diaspora. All assistance to Armenians in Syria through the…
26 July 2016. On Tuesday morning, the members of the Assembly Planning Committee, the General Secretary, Rev Dr Michel Jalekh, and the Programme staff of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), met at St Mary’s Monastery in Bikfaya to finalize the agenda and review the list of participants. His Holiness Aram I, a President…
22 Jul 2016. On Friday morning, His Holiness Aram I visited the Birds’ Nest compound in Byblos, accompanied by Very Rev Housig Mardirossian, Ecumenical Officer and Director of Communications, and Rev Bedros Manuelian, the director of the Audio Visual Department. The visit combined His Holiness’ annual visit to the school-orphanage and the First anniversary of…
21 July 2016. On Thursday morning, a high-level delegation representing the Catholic Relief Services (CRS) met with His Holiness Aram I at St Mary’s Monastery. After a presentation of the relief activities of CRS in the Middle East, the Catholicos thanked representatives for the CRS’ commitment to support the educational and medico-social programmes of the…
20 July 2016. On Wednesday morning, Catholicos Aram I received Emmanuel Bonne, the French Ambassador to Lebanon at his office at St Mary’s Monastery in Bikfaya. Ambassador Bonne was accompanied by the embassy’s political officer. During the two-hour meeting they discussed the Lebanese presidential election, issues related to security in Lebanon, the conflict in…
18 July 2016. On Saturday, the three-day conference under the spiritual guidance of His Holiness Aram I concluded its work in Antelias. Rev Bedros Manuelian opened the meeting at the “Cilicia Museum Hall.” He told the participants that the theme “Armenian Youth and Social Media” demonstrates the determination of the Catholicos to strengthen reciprocity between…
15 July 2016. His Holiness Aram I wrote a letter of condolence to President François Hollande following the violent lorry attack in Nice during the French National Day celebration. Deploring the act of violence perpetrated on a packed crowd celebrating the 14th of July, the Catholicos stated that violence is a global evil that transcends…
14 July 2016. On Thursday, the two-day Inter-Diocesan Youth Conference, organized jointly by the Youth and Audiovisual Departments of the Catholicosate of Cilicia, began at St Mary’s Monastery in Bikfaya. His Holiness Aram I welcomed the participants and said that the Catholicosate considers the youth as important contributors to Armenian communities everywhere, and urged…
14 July Antelias. His Holiness Aram I received the Finnish historian Svante Lundgren and the film producer Manvel Saribekian, two key persons involved in the making of the documentary film on the Armenian Genocide, at his office in St Mary’s Monastery. Mr Saribekian produced and Mr Lundgren narrates “Map of Salvation,” which dramatises the…
1 July 2016. On Friday evening His Holiness Aram I presided over the special celebration organized by the Association of Armenian University Alumni Association, to celebrate the graduates of 2015-2016 from Universities in Lebanon. The celebration was held at the hall of “Cilicia Museum” in the presence of Samuel Mkertician, Ambassador of Armenia, representatives of…
The historic Council of Orthodox Bishops, presided by the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, was held 19-26 June 2016 at the Orthodox Academy in Crete. Since 787 AD, this was the first Council of Orthodox Bishops and the Oriental Orthodox Churches were invited as observers. Archbishop Gomitas Ohanian represented the Holy See of Cilicia. On the topic…
22 June 2016. On Sunday, the 21st anniversary of the election (21 June 1995) and consecration (1 July 1995) was celebrated at St Gregory the Illuminator Cathedral in Antelias. Rev Bessag Tepirdjian, on behalf of the recently ordained young priests, celebrated the Holy Liturgy and prayed for the Catholicos to continue his mission as the…
The Executive and Central Committees of the WCC met from 21-28 June 2016 in Trondheim (Norway), focusing their discussions on the WCC’s current theme of a “pilgrimage of justice and peace.” The Very Reverend Housig Mardirossian, Ecumenical Officer, and Ms Teny Pirri-Simonian, the Ecumenical Representative in Switzerland and Europe, represented the Catholicosate of Cilicia. …
On 22 June 2016, Maarten Pontal, a Dutch reporter who was on a fact- finding mission on behalf of the churches in the Netherlands, met with His Holiness Aram I. Speaking of the Christian presence in general, the Catholicos told the Maarten Pontal that Christians are native to the region. Historically, he said that although…
24 June 2016. On Friday, the Near East School of Theology in Beirut held a conference on the theme of “The Influence of Protestantism on Eastern Churches.” The participation included Lebanese and German theologians, historians, and representatives of the churches in the region. The representative of His Holiness Aram I, Rev Boghos Tinkjian, Vice…
Communiqué On 27 April 2015, the Catholicosate of Cilicia filed a lawsuit at the Turkish Constitutional Court, demanding the return of its historical Seat in Sis. The legal team, which comprises Turkish lawyers and experts on International Human Rights Law and the European Court of Human Rights, prepared a folder of more than…
12 June 2016. On Sunday evening, His Holiness Aram I presided over the graduation ceremony of the Seminary in the presence of the clergy and the community. After Rev Boghos Tinkjian welcomed the audience, seminarians, who had participated in a special two-year music module, performed a short musical programme, followed by a presentation…
12 June 2015. On Sunday morning, His Holiness Aram I presided over the Holy Liturgy and ordination of three priests as Archimendrites. Before the Lord’s Prayer, Archbishop the celebrant, Kegham Khatchetrian, assisted by Rev Shenorhk Ashekian, invited the three priests to stand in front of the altar to pass the examination of faith, and…
08 June 2016. During the week His Holiness Aram I met three experts on Armenian History, language and culture: Prof. Seta Dadoyan, former Professor of Art and Philosophy at the American University of Beirut and Columbia University, Dr Barlow Meguedchian, Director of the Center for Armenian Studies at California State University, Fresno, and Prof Hratch…
The Annual meeting of the Board of Trustees of the All-Armenian Fund was held on 27 May 2016, in Yerevan. Presidents Serge Sarkssian of Armenia and Pago Sahakian of Karabagh presided over the meeting. The two Catholicoi, who are also members of the presidium, sent their representatives. Archbishop Kegham Khatcherian transmitted the blessings of…
4 June 2016. On Saturday after the evening service at St Gregory the Illuminator Cathedral, a first act of ordination to the priesthood was held. Two deacons, accompanied by the Vice-Dean of the Seminary, moved to the Holy Altar on their knees to confess their faith. Archbishop Papken Tcharian, Primate of Canada led them into…
Since the beginning of the Syrian conflict, His Holiness Aram I has been monitoring the situation of Armenians in Syria through regular telephone communication with Archbishop Shahan Sarkissian, the Primate, and the lay leadership. A few days ago, the Archbishop informed the Catholicos that the latest mortar attacks on Aleppo also hit the…
3 June 2016. On Friday noon, Bishop Shahé Panossian, accompanied by Very Rev Sipan Kechedjian and Rev Hovhannes Saghdjian, met with His Excellency Martin Huth, the Ambassador of Germany to Lebanon. They transmitted the letter of His Holiness Aram I to Chancellor Angela Merkel on the adoption of the resolution on the Armenian Genocide by…
Press Release: The resolution of the German Bundestag declaring the massacre of Armenians by the Ottomans “Genocide” is an act of historical significance, states His Holiness Aram I Antelias – 2 June 2016. In his letter addressed to Chancellor Angela Merkel, His Holiness Aram I wrote, “Today’s overwhelming vote by Germany’s Bundestag…
3 June 2016. On Friday morning, His Holiness Aram I received the members of the Committee, headed by Archbishop Mazloum, at his office in St Mary’s Monastery in Bikfaya. The Assembly brings together the religious and secular leadership of all Christian Communities in the Middle East and aims at strengthening relationships between the various Christian…
25-28 May 2016. The second regional meeting of the GCF, organized in cooperation with the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), was held at the Saydet El Bir monastery in Lebanon. The participants included, Rev Larry Miller, Secretary of the GCF, Rev Dr. Michel Jalkh, General Secretary of the (MECC), representatives of the Churches in…
28 May 2016. On Saturday evening Rev Larry Miller, Secretary of Global Christian Forum, Mr Huebert van Beek, former Secretary, and Rev Dr Gabriel Hachem, representing the GCF, met with Catholicos Aram I at St Mary’s Monastery in Bikfaya. Very Rev Housig Mardirossian, the Ecumenical Officer, also attended the meeting. The representatives first thanked…
30 May 2016. On Monday morning Ambassador Samuel Meguerditchian met with Catholicos Aram I at St Mary’s Monastery in Bikfaya. They discussed Armenia-Diaspora cooperation, the situation in Karabagh and issues related to economic cooperation with Armenia. The ambassador then visited the newly renovated Monastery and the monuments marking the Centennial of the Armenian Genocide.…
29 May 2016. On Sunday the clergy and the faithful celebrated the establishment of the first Republic of Armenia in 1917 and the post-Soviet Republic in 1991, as well as the name day of His Holiness Catholicos Aram I. His Holiness presided over a requiem service to remember the soldiers who lost their lives during…
29 April 2016. On Sunday during the Holy Liturgy at St Gregory the Illuminator Cathedral, eleven seminarians took the vow to serve the Church. Rev Karekin Shekherdemian, the Superintendent of the Seminary, led them to the Holy Altar on their knees. As the choir sang hymns and the clergy read prayers, Bishop Magar Ashkarian proceeded…
22 May 2013. On Sunday during the Holy Liturgy at St Gregory the Illuminator Cathedral, three priests, Rev. Anania Koujanian, Parish of Shahin Shahr (Iran), Rev. Mesrob Sarkissian, Pontifical Legate of the United Arab Emirates and Qatar, and Rev Torkom Donoyan, Dean of the Seminary, were promoted to the rank of Very Reverend. After…
14 May 2016. On Friday, the Board of the Garevorian Foundation, comprising Archbishop Nareg Alemezian, Mrs Garevorian and Mrs Mimi Yozgatian, met in Antelias under the auspices of His Holiness Aram I to decide on the grant recipients for 2016. The foundation was established by Mrs Veronique Garevorian in 2014 in memory of her husband,…
9 May 2016. On Monday evening, the Diocese of the United Arab Emirates and Qatar celebrated the 20th Anniversary of His Holiness Aram I’s spiritual leadership at the Al-Bustan Rotana Hotel in Dubai. Joining the Catholicos were the Pontifical Delegate Rev Mesrob Sarkissian, Revs Torkom Donoyan and Bedros Manuelian, members of Aram I’s delegation, and…
8 May 2016. On Sunday evening and Monday morning, at his hotel, His Holiness Aram I received Rev Mesrob Sarkissian, the Pontifical delegate to the UAE, and members of the Church Councils of Dubai, the Northern Region of the UAE and Qatar. The Council members reported on their activities and future plans to His Holiness,…
7 May 2016. On Saturday noon His Holiness Aram I, accompanied by Rev Mesrop Sarkissian, the Pontifical delegate to the UAE, the delegation accompanying the Catholicos and representative of the Armenian Community in the UAE, visited the Lebanese Embassy. Ambassador Hassan Saad and the diplomatic corps welcomed the Catholicos and his entourage. During a brief…
7 May 2016. On Saturday evening Catholicos Aram I held meetings with members of Church Committees at the ‘Souren Kojakian’ Hall of the Prelacy. After meeting with the Pontifical delegate, he continued dialogue with the UAE representatives on the General Assembly of the Catholicosate, members of the Diocesan Council, the Director and Faculty of ‘Ara…
7 May 2016. On Friday evening, His Holiness presided over the Holy Liturgy at the Holy Martyrs, Church in Abu Dhabi, celebrated by Rev Torkom Donoyan. During the sermon, Rev Mesrob Sarkissian thanked His Holiness Aram I for his visit and invited him to address the people. His Holiness spoke of the centrality of the…
On Friday, His Holiness Aram I was the official guest of Sheikh Nahayan, UAE’S Minister Of Culture, Youth And Community Development, at a special luncheon organized in his honor. Rev Mesrob Sarkissian, the members of the Church Council and the two priests from Lebanon were also among the guests. At the end of the…
5 May 2016. On Thursday, Catholicos Aram I visited the Diocese of Qatar and the United Arab Emirates in Abu Dhabi at the invitation of the Pontifical Delegate of the diocese, Rev Mesrob Sarkissian, and the Members of the Church Council. He was accompanied by Rev Torkom Donoyan, Dean of the Seminary, and Rev Bedros…
4 March 2016. On Wednesday morning, His Holiness Aram I received Dr Abouzar Ebrahimi Torkaman, Head of the Islamic Culture and Relations Organization of the Islamic Republic, accompanied by his two assistants and the Cultural Attaché of the Iranian Embassy in Lebanon. The Ecumenical Officer, Very Rev. Housig Mardirossian, and the Chancellor, Khatchik Dedeyan,…
3 May 2016. On Tuesday, Nicolas Michel, under-secretary-general for legal affairs, met with His Holiness Aram I to discuss the Syrian crisis. Mr Antoine Laham, assistant to UN special envoy for Syria Mr. Staffan de Mistura and V. Rev. Housig Mardirossian, the Ecumenical officer, also attended the meeting. The meeting in Antelias was a…
30 April 2016. On Thursday His Holiness Aram I received Bishop Atle Sommerfeldt of the Diocese of Borg. The Bishop was on an information-gathering visit on refugees, on behalf of his Church. Very Rev. Housig Mardirossian, the Ecumenical officer of the Catholicosate, was also present at the meeting. His Holiness Aram I described the…
29 April 2016. On Friday His Holiness received HE Samuel Meguerditchian, Ambassador of Armenia to Lebanon. During the meeting they discussed problems in Armenia and the situation in post-conflict Karabagh. His Holiness stressed the importance of all Armenians to respond together to priority needs.
Antelias 28 April 2016. On Thursday morning a women’s group met with Catholicos Aram I. The visit was organized by the Karagueuzian Humanitarian Foundation. He first welcomed and thanked the women for their visit and service to the community. He said “to serve those in need is central to Christ’s teachings and an important aspect…
28 April 2106. On Thursday His Holiness Aram I received Mr Hrant Markarian and other representatives of the ARF Bureau in his office in Antelias. They discussed the consequences of the recent military aggression on Karabagh and cooperation between Armenia and the diaspora.
Abridged message of His Holiness Aram I on the One hundred and first Anniversary Commemoration of the Armenian Genocide, on Sunday 24 April 2016, in front of the Martyrs’ Memorial Chapel in Antelias Following the Holy Liturgy, His Holiness Aram I addressed the thousands of Armenians who had come to pay their respects to…
Upon his return from Artsakh (Karabagh), Catholicos Aram I contacted Prime Minister Tamam Salam and expressed his appreciation as well as that of the people of Artsakh for Lebanon’s stand regarding Karabagh during the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Summit in Istanbul.
17 April 2016. On Sunday morning 190 members of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) youth section attended the Holy Liturgy at St Gregory the Illuminator Cathedral in Antelias. They took part in the Holy Eucharist and then met with His Holiness Aram I. After Karin Minassian, from the ARF “Navasartian” Chapter, and Natalie Markarian,…
ՀԱՍԿ 2016 կարդալ հոս
13 April 2016. On Wednesday afternoon, Holinesses Karekin II of All Armenians and Aram I of the Great House of Cilicia, accompanied by Ashod Ghoulian, President of the National Council of Karabakh, visited the historical monastery of Kantsasar. At the Monastery, the two Catholicoi entered St. John Cathedral in procession and celebrated the Canonical Service.…
13 April 2016. On Wednesday at noon, Karekin II, Catholicos of All Armenians, and Aram I, Catholicos of the Catholicosate of Cilicia, arrived in the Republic of Nagorno – Karabakh and were welcomed by Archbishop Barkev Mardirossian, the prelate, the clergy and government officials. After the official welcome, the two catholicoi met with Pako Sahakian,…
11 April 2016. On Monday evening His Holiness Aram I arrived in Yerevan for meetings on Karabagh. During the forthcoming days the two Catholicoi will meet with the presidents of Armenia and Karabagh and express their solidarity with the soldiers defending their homeland of Karabagh.
9 April 2016. On Saturday evening, the President of the Organization, Toufik Baakline, and his delegation met with His Holiness Aram I in his office. After presenting their plans and hearing the recommendation of the Catholicos, they assured him of their solidarity with the Armenians in Karabagh and promised to lobby in Washington on…
9 April 2016. On Saturday morning the 11th Grade students of the School visited the Antelias Monastery. They were accompanied by their instructor, Very Rev Housig Mardirossian. The visit was part of the exposure programme for the students studying classical Armenian, the Church fathers and Church History. After the visit and an introduction to…
8 April, 2016. On Friday evening, the special event, organized by the Seminary of the Catholicosate and the Regional Committee of the Hamazkayin Cultural Association, began with speeches, introducing the twin brothers. The speaker highlighted their unique talent and contribution to culture through their concerts, their teaching, fostering of the love for classical music.…
5 April 2016. Since the beginning of recent aggressions on Nagorno Karabagh, His Holiness Aram I has been in regular contact with the authorities in Armenia and Karabagh, as well as His Holiness Catholicos Karekin II. The two Catholicoi have agreed to coordinate their initiatives. On Tuesday morning, representatives of the three Armenian political…
4 April 2016. On Monday morning, His Holiness Aram I, accompanied by Very Rev Housig Mardirossian, the Ecumenical Officer, took part in the Spiritual Summit organized by Patriarch Al Rai in Bkerke. At the end of the meeting, the Patriarchs made a statement, to which Catholicos Aram I contributed, expressing their concern for the…
3 April 2016. On Sunday, following the Holy Liturgy at St Gregory the Illuminator Cathedral in Antelias, His Holiness Aram I presided over a memorial service for the victims of the recent border clashes in Karabagh. In his message, His Holiness said, “This aggression against our people will be met as aggressions have always been…
2 April 2016. Upon hearing the news of clashes along the Nagorno Karabagh borders between the Aziri and the Nagorno Karbagh armies, Catholicos Aram I contacted Pago Sahakian, the president of Nagorno Karabagh, and assured him of the solidarity of the Catholicosate of Cilicia; later, the Catholicos said, “Armenia and Nagorno Karabagh are one and…
On 21 March 2016, “Haber Turk” interviewed Cem Sofuoglu, the Turkish lawyer representing the Catholicosate of Cilicia at the Constitutional Court of Turkey. In response to the questions of the journalist, Sofuoglu explained the reasons for the litigation and said that if the Turkish Constitutional Court rejects the case, the Catholicosate will go to the…
27 March 2106. On Sunday morning the Easter Liturgy began in Antelias with His Holiness Aram I entering the St. Gregory the Illuminator Cathedral in procession as the bells of the Cathedral rang. The Easter Liturgy, which was chanted by the “Shenorhali” choir of the Catholicosate, was attended by the faithful, ambassadors, ministers, members of…
His Holiness Aram I based his Easter sermon on an exhortation by the Catholicos theologian Nerses the Gracious, in which the theologian describes Jesus as “The Gate to Life.” His Holiness said that today people, by falling into a self-centred hedonistic way of life, are in danger of forgetting God, to whom their lives belong.…
25 March 2016. His Holiness Aram I and the clergy commemorated the death of Christ on the Cross and the placement of the body in the tomb. The Good Friday Service was held around a coffin placed in front of the altar. The faithful visited the tomb, decorated it with flowers, and offered their prayers.…
24 March 2016. The celebration of Maundy Thursday, the commemoration of the last days of Jesus’ earthly presence, was held at St. Gregory the Illuminator Cathedral in Antelias in the presence of the faithful, including a large number of youth. The Service of Repentance was followed by the Holy Liturgy, which recalls the Last Supper,…
On the occasion of the Easter, the Noursat Broadcast will be broadcasting via satellite the Holy Mass presided over by His Holiness Aram I. Place: St. Gregory Cathedral – Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia – Antelias, Labanon. Time corresponding UTC (GMT): Sunday, March 27, 2016 between 1:00 to 1:30 pm To watch live via internet click…
21 March 2016. On Monday morning, His Holiness Aram I decorated Prof Dabbagh, Director of the Genocide and Diaspora Studies Institute at Bochum University, in the presence of the members of the brotherhood and representatives of ‘Hay Tad’ (Armenian Cause) committees in Lebanon. Mrs Vera Yacoubian, Director of the Middle East Office of ‘Hay Tad,’…
20 March 2016. Following the Palm Sunday Liturgy, celebrated by Archbishop Kegham Khatcherian, a large number of parents and children joined the procession within the Monastery, led by the seminarians and followed by the priests and His Holiness Aram I. At the end of the procession, the Catholicos said that celebrating the triumphant entry…
17 March 2016. On Thursday evening, on the occasion of “2016: Year of Service,” Catholicos Aram I honoured Hrayr Dzerounian, a long-serving member of his Parish Church Council and renowned master jeweller-craftsman. Bishop Shahé Panossian, Prelate of Lebanon, clergy, members of the Diocesan Council, representatives of Parish Councils, Mr Dzernounian’s family and friends attended the…
15 March 2016. On Monday morning the Prime Minister and his delegation met with Catholicos Aram I in his office. During the meeting they discussed relations between the Republic and the Catholicosate of Cilicia, the reconstruction of New Cilicia Village, which is being sponsored by the Catholicosate, and cooperation between the diaspora and Karabagh. …
13 March 2016. On Sunday, His Holiness Aram I presided over the Holy Liturgy at the Cathedral in Antelias, concluding the one-week long pilgrimage with prayers to the right-hand relic of St Gregory the Illuminator, Patron Saint of the Armenian Church. 2016 is the 85th anniversary of the edict by Catholicos Sahak II Khabayan of…
5 March 2106. On Friday evening, His Holiness Aram I met Nicolas Michel, the senior advisor to Staffan de Mistura, special envoy of the United Nations Secretary-General Ban-Ki-moon for Syria. During the two-hour meeting, Mr Michel briefed Catholicos Aram I on possible solutions to the conflict and processes leading to peace, and then asked the…
8 March 2016. On the occasion of International Women’s Day, His Holiness Aram I stated that throughout the ages Armenians have respected their women. In the context of the family, woman is mother, educator, keeper and transmitter of values; she sustains our hopes and visions. His Holiness stressed the idea that Armenian men must recognize…
2 March 2016. On Wednesday, according to established tradition, the Prelate and Church Council of the Diocese of Lebanon invited His Holiness Aram I to preside over the Mid-Lent Service at St Nishan, the Diocesan Church in Beirut. The seminary students accompanied His Holiness and chanted the prayers. In his message, Catholicos Aram I…
In continuation of the landmark case for the return of the historical Seat of the Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia at the Monastery of St. Sophia in Kozan, Turkey, His Holiness Catholicos Aram I held a meeting with his legal team in Geneva on Saturday, March 5th, to discuss progress of the case filed before the…
2 March 2016. On Tuesday evening at the “Cilicia” Museum Hall, His Holiness Aram I presided over the celebration, which honoured Garo Hovhannessian for his 40 years of service as teacher, man of letters, and editor. The evening was organized jointly by the Seminary of the Catholicosate and the Lebanon Committee of Hamazkayin Cultural Association.…
A Historic Publication The Catholicosate of Cilicia – History, Mission, Treasures Editor, Co-Author Seta B. Dadoyan. Antelias, Lebanon: Catholicosate Publications, 2015. [Hard cover, (32×24.5 cms) 400 pages ISBN: 978-9953-0-3164-4] To view the whole article please follow the Link https://www.armenianorthodoxchurch.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/New-C-Cath-ARTICLE-ENGLISH.pdf
28 February. From the 24th to the 26th of February, a consultation was held at the Ecumenical Centre in Geneva to discuss the response of the Ecumenical movement in 2016 to the crisis in the Middle East. Very Rev Fr. Housig Mardirossian represented the Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia and the Middle East Council of Churches…
25 February 2016. On Thursday morning representatives of the WCC and Norwegian Council of Churches met with His Holiness Aram I to discuss the problems in the Middle East, particularly those concerning Christians, and the problems concerning humanitarian assistance. His Holiness discussed the different faces of the Syrian crisis and their impact on Christian…
23 February 2016. On Thursday evening the members of the Committee and Very Rev. Sipan Ketchedjian, their spiritual advisor, met with His Holiness Aram I in Antelias. The Association was established in 2010 by His Holiness Aram I as a space for university graduates to meet and plan how to play an active role in…
In the week of week of 15-21 February, 2016, His Holiness Aram I presided over the meeting of the Committee chaired by Mr Yervant Pamboukian. The members of the Committee who attended the meeting were, Messrs. Shahan Kandaharian, Guiro Manoyan, Khatchik Der Ghougassian and Khatchik Dedeyan, Chancellor of the Catholicosate. Professor Ashod Melkonian had sent…
