(originally published by Horizon Weekly) His Holiness Catholicos Aram I has spoken about the consequences of Artsakh War, especially the return of Armenian captives, with His Holiness Pope Francis. The conversation was held on the sidelines of the meeting of Lebanon’s religions leaders in the Vatican. His Holiness reminded that Azerbaijan’s illegal…
(Originally published by Horizon Weekly) His Holiness Pope Francis held a meeting with His Holiness Catholicos Aram I, Maronite Patriarch Cardinal Bechara Boutros al-Rai, and other Lebanon’s Christian leaders to discuss the country’s crisis. Pope Francis and the patriarchs of Lebanon’s various Christian groups walked from the Santa Marta residence where he lives…
(originally published by Horizon Weekly) His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the great House of Cilicia is leaving for the Vatican on June 30th to attend a meeting of Lebanese Christian leaders in the presence of His Holiness Pope Francis. The meeting will take place on Thursday, July 1, and will consist of…
On Monday evening, June 14th, 2021, His Holiness Catholicos Aram I received the newly-elected committee of the Shnorhali Choir, accompanied by the conductor V. Rev. Fr. Zaven Najarian. Fr. Zareh presented their upcoming agenda of events and projects, including three concerts dedicated to the memory of the Armenian Genocide martyrs, to Armenian composer and…
On Sunday, June 27th, 2021, the Armenian Church celebrated His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia’s 26th anniversary of election and consecration. Coinciding with this occasion, a special pontifical prayer was held at St. Gregory the Illuminator Armenian Cathedral in Antelias, Lebanon. The clergy took part in the prayer where…
On Monday, June 21st, 2021, a delegation representing the Supreme Council of the National Evangelical Synod of Syria and Lebanon – composed of Dr. Habib Badr, Judge Fawzi Dagher and Rev. Megerditch Karageozian – visited His Holiness Aram I. Among their discussions, the delegation was also keen to learn more about the upcoming meeting of…
On Wednesday, June 23rd, 2021, His Holiness Aram I received Nadine Maenza, the Chair of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF). They discussed freedom of religion, human rights and issues related to US international relations. In this regard, His Holiness expressed his vision and offered suggestions. The Catholicos also shed light on…
On Sunday, June 20th 2021, during the Divine Liturgy, five graduating seminarians were ordained and consecrated into the Priesthood, at St. Gregory the Illuminator Cathedral in Antelias. The ceremony was presided over by His Holiness Catholicos Aram I, performed by His Grace Bishop Mesrob Sarkissian, Prelate of the UAE and Qatar, and sponsored by V.…
On Saturday evening, June 19th, 2021, His Holiness Catholicos Aram I presided over the calling to the priesthood ceremony of 5 graduating Seminarians, performed by the Prelate of the UAE and Qatar His Grace Bishop Mesrob Sarkissian, and sponsored by the Dean of the Seminary V. Rev. Fr. Barouyr Shernezian. During the ceremony, the…
On Wednesday evening, June 16th, 2021, His Holiness Aram I received the Armenian Revolutionary Federation Bureau Chairperson Hagop Der Khatchadourian, accompanied by Bureau member Hagop Khatcherian. They discussed issues pertaining to Armenia, the Armenian Diaspora and the Armenia-Diaspora relations.
With the blessing of His Holiness Aram I, on Saturday, June 12th, 2021, the Armenian Church University Students Association, headed by their spiritual advisor V. Rev. Fr. Ardavazt Sharoyan, provided relief to 20 Armenian families, as part of their charity work.
Considering that the July 1st meeting of the Christian leaders of Lebanon in the Vatican is the initiative of His Holiness Catholicos Aram I, various political, religious and academic figures, as well as Lebanon’s Ambassador to the Holy See and representatives of the Lebanese civil society and media, held correspondences with the Catholicos to learn…
The Armenian Church grants ordinations to those who dedicate their lives to the service of the church and its people. Deaconhood is the first of the three basic orders granted by laying on of hands performed with a special ceremony during the Divine Liturgy. On Sunday, June 13th, 2021, His Holiness Catholicos Aram I…
On Saturday, June 12th, 2021, His Holiness Aram I received Zaven Khanjian, Executive Director of the Armenian Missionary Association of America (AMMA), accompanied by Sona Khanjian, Rev. Megerdich Karageozian, President of the Union of the Armenian Evangelical Churches in the Near East, and Rev. Dr. Paul Haidostian, President of the Haigazian University. The discussions…
Under the umbrella of “The Interreligious Platform for Dialogue and Cooperation in the Arab World- IPDC” and in cooperation with and organized by KAICIID, “She4Dialogue” commenced its online training sessions on May 24th, 2021. The one-year program aims at empowering women as practitioners of dialogue, strengthening the role of women in combating hate speech,…
During the past week, His Holiness Aram I received the following visitors: 1) Simon Karam, a politician from the Maronite Community. Mr. Karam briefed His Holiness on the perspectives of a group of Christian politicians regarding Lebanon and asked for His Holiness’ viewpoints. 2) A delegation headed by Dr. Toufic Hindi. The delegation…
On Tuesday, June 8th, 2021, Patriarchs from Maronite, Armenian Orthodox, Greek Orthodox, Greek Catholic, Syriac Catholic, Armenian Catholic and Chaldean Churches met at the Maronite Patriarchate in Bkerki, to consult on the upcoming summit of Christian Leaders that will be held in the Vatican on July 1st, and consider a common approach. The Catholicos…
Accompanied by their spiritual advisor, V. Rev. Fr. Ardavazt Sharoyan, the Armenian Church University Students Association (ACUSA) visited His Holiness Catholicos Aram I. After being briefed on their forthcoming projects, His Holiness blessed them and commended their efforts, especially during the pandemic. He also applauded their charitable work as well as their efforts in…
On Sunday, June 7th, 2021, His Holiness Aram I presided over the Divine Liturgy during which Bishop Magar Ashkarian conducted the ordination of acolytes and subdeacons, at St. Gregory the Illuminator Cathedral in Antelias. V. Rev. Fr. Kevork Karageozian acted as the sponsoring priest. Following the ordination, in his sermon, Bishop Magar exhorted the…
On Friday morning, June 4th, 2021, five students from the Armenological Center of the Educational-Armenological Department of the Catholicosate of Cilicia received their certificates upon successful completion of the three-year program. Given the circumstances caused by the pandemic, a small ceremony was held at the Antelias office of His Holiness Aram I, who distributed…
On Friday, June 4th, 2021, Beirut governor judge Mr. Marwan Abboud, accompanied by Mr. Aram Malian, member of the Beirut Municipality Council, visited His Holiness Aram I and briefed him on the projects for the development of Beirut.
Among his regular work meetings, His Holiness Aram I received the following Cilician brothers in Bikfaya and was briefed on their activities and challenges in their respective communities: The Prelate of the Aderbadagan Prelacy H.E. Archbishop Krikor Tchiftjian; the Pontifical Vicar of Kuwait and its neighboring countries V. Rev. Fr. Bedros Manuelian, accompanied by Roupen…
On Monday, May 13th, 2021, His Holiness Aram I received the Armenian Ambassador to Lebanon Vahagn Atabekyan. They discussed matters pertaining to Armenia and Lebanon.
On Sunday, May 30th, 2021, His Holiness Aram I presided over the thanksgiving prayer dedicated to the independence of the first Republic of Armenia, at St. Gregory the Illuminator Cathedral in Antelias. The Armenian Ambassador to Lebanon was also present for the ceremony. During the Divine Liturgy, Cilician priests and bishops processed His Holiness…
On Thursday, May 27th, 2021, the newly appointed French Ambassador to Lebanon paid her first visit to the Catholicosate of Cilicia. During their meeting, His Holiness Aram I and the Ambassador discussed a number of matters relating to Armenian and Lebanese affairs. His Holiness recounted the historical relations between Armenians and French, as well…
On Tuesday, May 25th, 2021, His Holiness Aram I received the following visitors and held the following meetings in Antelias: A) Syriac Archbishop George Saliba. Archbishop Saliba extended an invitation on behalf of His Holiness Patriarch Ignatius Aphrem II to His Holiness Aram I for the episcopal ordination of Syriac Orthodox bishops to be…
A) On Friday, May 21st, 2021, His Holiness Aram I received a letter from His Holiness Pope Francis concerning a plan regarding the current situation in Lebanon. B) On the passing of Dr. Soritua Nababan, His Holiness Aram I extended his condolences to the family of the deceased and the the Christian Conference of…
On Monday, May 17th, 2021, the annual meeting of the Standing Committee of the Oriental Orthodox Churches in the Middle East was held online. Present to the meeting were Methropolitan Thomas, Metropolitan Angelos and Dr. Gerges Saleh from the Coptic Church, Metropolitan George Saliba and Metropolitan Daniel Kourieh from the Syriac Church, and Archbishop Sebouh…
On Tuesday, May 18th, 2021, the recent publication “100th Anniversary of the Republic of Armenia: Conference Materials (Antelias, 21-23 March 2018)” was presented in the Presidential Center of the National Academy of Science of the Republic of Armenia (NAS of RA), in Yerevan. The publication was released this year and contains the research papers…
On Saturday, May 15th, 2021, a pan-Armenian online student conference entitled “Armenian Students: Leaders of the National Revival” was held, organized by the Yerevan State University. Representatives of Armenian students from the Republic of Armenia, the Republic of Artsakh and the Armenian Diaspora attended the conference to discuss the consequences of the Artsakh war…
With the blessing of His Holiness Catholicos Aram I, the Youth Department of the Catholicosate of Cilicia organized an online youth assembly with participants from various prelacies and the diaspora, on Friday, May 14th, 2021. The assembly commenced with a prayer followed by opening remarks by Bishop Mesrob Sarkissian, chair of the Department, who…
By V. Rev. Fr. Barouyr Shernezian Prior to my short trip to the States, I visited His Holiness in his office to receive his blessings. I was privileged and honored to be presented with his new book entitled “Turning to God”; a diary depicting the events during the coronavirus pandemic. It was the best…
On Tuesday, May 11th, His Holiness Aram I received the following visitors: 1) Msgr. Antoine Bou Najem, the recently elected Maronite Archbishop of Antelias 2) Mr. Ardavazt Melkisetian, from The Armenian Democratic Liberal Party, Lebanon 3) Mr. Serop Ohanian, Lebanon Field Director of the Howard Karagheusian Commemorative Corporation 4) Ms. Ani…
On Friday, May 7th, 2021, upon returning from Armenia, Ms. Vartineh Ohanian-Kevorkian, Lebanon’s Caretaker Minister of Youth and Sports, visited His Holiness Aram I. Ms. Ohanian-Kevorkian had traveled to Armenia to attend and represent Lebanon’s President Michel Aoun in the ceremonies commemorating the 106th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, in Yerevan. The Caretaker Minster…
The Honorable Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Prime Minister of Greece wrote a April 23rd dated letter to His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the Armenian Church, Holy See of Cilicia, which outlined the intimate relationship between the Greek and Armenian people and churches. Additionally, the letter stressed the importance to further enhance special relationship that exists between…
On May 1st, 2021,His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the Armenian Church, Holy See of Cilicia, accompanied by H.E. Archbishop Shahe Panossian, Prelate of the Armenian Prelacy of Lebanon visited Bkerki, on the invitation of His Beatitude Mar Bechara Boutros al-Rahi, Maronite Catholic Patriarch of Antioch. Present at the luncheon was the Vicar General of…
On Thursday, April 29th, 2021, His Holiness Aram I received the Norwegian Ambassador to Lebanon HE Martin Yttervik, accompanied by representatives of Norwegian state and church humanitarian organizations. This gathering was organized as a follow-up to a meeting that had recently convened between His Holiness and the Ambassador, and aimed at discussing the possibilities…
On Thursday, April 29th, 2021, Samy Gemayel, Leader of Lebanese Kataeb Party, alongside his entourage met with His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia. Present also at the hour-long meeting was ARF Member of Parliament, Hagop Pakradounian. On behalf of the Kataeb Party, Mr. Gemayel highly commended the US Government’s…
On Tuesday morning, April 27th, 2021, His Holiness Aram I, accompanied by Cilician brothers, visited the Birds’ Nest Orphanage, in Byblos, where the Armenian Genocide Orphans’ “Aram Bezikian” museum is located, and presided over the requiem service and wreath laying held in front of Maria Jacobson’s tomb. Following the service, His Holiness Aram I…
On Monday morning, April 26th, 2021, His Holiness Aram I received delegations representing the Lebanese Forces and the Free Patriotic Movement respectively. The delegations consisted of members of parliament and ministers. Present to the meetings was Armenian MP Hagop Pakradouni, head of the Armenian Bloc. After laying wreaths in front of the Armenian Genocide…
The president of the Republic of Lebanon Michel Aoun held a phone conversation with His Holiness Aram I following the Divine Liturgy celebrated on the occasion of the commemoration of the Armenian Genocide on Saturday, April 24th, 2021, and expressed his solidarity with the Armenian people noting that the Lebanese people too have been subjected…
On April 24th, 2021, in his official statement marking the 106th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, the President of the United State of America Joe Biden described the planned extermination of the Armenian people carried out by the Ottoman-Turkish state by its exact, historical and legal name: Genocide. His Holiness Aram I…
On the occasion of 24th April which is the Remembrance Day of one and a half million Armenian martyrs, the victims of genocide which was planned and executed by the Ottoman Turkish Empire in 1915, a Eucharistic celebration was held in the court of the Catholicosate, in Antelias, Lebanon, under the auspices of His Holiness Catholicos Aram I.…
On Friday, April 23rd, 2021, His Holiness Aram I received a 16-member delegation representing various establishments of the Armenian General Benevolent Union (AGBU), headed by Mr. Gerard Tufenkjian, AGBU Lebanon president. On behalf of the AGBU, Mr. Tufenkjian briefed His Holiness on the educational, cultural, social and benevolent activities of the Union, focusing on…
Antelias, April 19th, 2021 Your Eminence Archbishop Anoushavan Tanielian Prelate of Eastern Prelacy New York Dear Archbishop, With profound sadness we learned the news of the passing of Dr. Vartan Gregorian, a dear friend to the Catholicosate of Cilicia and one of the most prominent figures of the Armenian community…
His Holiness Aram I received a delegation from KAHL – the Armenian Elderly Home – consisting of the director Rev. Sebouh Terzian, as well as Diki Torigian and Tamar Der Bedrossian, members of the Board of Trustees. The delegation briefed His Holiness on their activities and shed light on how the economic situation is…
On Tuesday morning, 20th of April, 2021, His Holiness Aram I received the Austrian Ambassador to Lebanon H.E. Dr. René Amry. The two discussed the circumstances prevailing in Lebanon, the situation of Christians in the Middle East, as well as the implications of Turkish politics in the region and Europe, especially in regards to…
His Holiness Aram I received HE Martin Yttervik, Norwegian Ambassador to Lebanon, accompanied by the head of political affairs of the embassy. The meeting was an opportunity to discuss issues concerning recent conditions of Lebanon, including the formation of a new government and the economic crisis. They also touched upon the historical relationship between…
On Friday morning, April 16th, 2021, His Holiness Catholicos Aram I received Archbishop Paul Sayah, the vicar general of the Maronite Patriarch Bechara Boutros al-Rai. The aim of the meeting was to inform His Holiness about the efforts of the Patriarch al-Rai on the issues of the formation of the Lebanese Government, as well as…
On Thursday, April 15th, 2021, His Holiness Aram I received the Ambassador of the Republic of Armenia to Lebanon H.E. Vahagn Atabekyan. During the meeting, they discussed matters concerning Armenia and Lebanon, as well as the commemoration of the 106th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide.
In 2015, at the height of centennial of the Armenian Genocide, the Holy See of Cilicia launched a lawsuit against the Republic of Turkey in efforts to acquire and reclaim the historical Catholicosate of Sis, which was for centuries the Seat of the Catholicosate and continues to be lawfully and legitimately owned by the Holy…
20210409 -Report- Misuse of St Magar Monastery
The Assembly Planning Committee of The World Council of Churches, which was appointed by the Central Committee in 2018, met online from March 23rd to the 25th, to continue planning the WCC 11th Assembly, which will take place in Karlsruhe, Germany, from August 31st to September 8th 2022. Prof. Teny Pirri-Simonian participated on behalf of…
On Saturday, April 10th, 2021, following Evening Service, six Archimandrites from the Cilician Brotherhood were elevated to the rank of Supreme Archimandrite. The service was presided by His Holiness Aram I, while the ordination was performed by His Eminence Archbishop Shahan Sarkissian. Very Rev. Frs. Sdepanos Pashayan, Ardag Arabian, Hrant Tahanian, Shnorhk Ashekian, Boghos Tinkjian,…
On Friday, April 9th, 2021, following Evening Service, candidates for the rank of Supreme Archimandrite defended their thesis in the presence of His Holiness Aram I, as well as the Cilician Brotherhood. Very Rev. Fr. Stepanos Pashayan presented “Archbishop Torkom Koushaghian, Vicar General (later Prelate) of the Armenian Prelacy of Egypt as well as…
The book is a crises-diary; it discusses issues and challenges of theological, political, social and ecological nature. In its preface the author writes.- “The urgent call spelled out in these reflections is two-fold: first, humanity should respond in faith and hope to situations of crisis, uncertainty, and anxiety; and, second, anthropocentrism must be challenged by…
On Tuesday, April 6th, 2021, a high-ranking delegation from the Lebanese Armed Forces visited the Catholicosate of Cilicia, in Antelias, to congratulate His Holiness Aram I on the occasion of Easter.
On Sunday, April 4th, 2021, on the occasion of the Resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ, His Holiness Moran Mor Ignatius Aphrem II, Patriarch of the Syriac Orthodox Church paid a visit to His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia. H.H. Aphrem II’s entourage included two prelates as well as a…
On Sunday, April 4th, 2021, on the occasion of the Resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ, His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia celebrated a pontifical Divine Liturgy. Serving the altar alongside the Pontiff was H.E. Archbishop Shahan Sarkissian and H.G. Bishop Magar Ashkarian, as well as members from the Cilician…
“WE ARE CALLED TO BURY OUR SINS WITH CHRIST SO THAT WITH HIS RESURRECTION WE WILL BECOME A NEW PERSON” HIS HOLINESS CATHOLICOS ARAM I Although the COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact the lives of everyone across the globe, during the Holy Week, the faithful attended Our Lord Jesus Christ’s final stage of his…
TO LIVE WITH THE IMPERATIVE OF THE RESURRECTED LIFE In his epistle to the Colossians, the Apostle Paul reminds us that, “when you were buried with him in baptism, you were also raised with him through faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead” (Colossians 2:12). With the baptism, the…
“LOVE MUST BECOME OUR WAY OF LIFE” HIS HOLINESS CATHOLICOS ARAM I On April 1st, 2021, His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia presided and conducted the once a year service, the Washing of the Feet. Sung by the Seminary’s “Armash” Choir, Catholicos Aram I, following the footstep of…
On Wednesday morning, a delegation led by Sheikh Hamid Shahriari, the General Secretary of the Iranian inter-religious center, visited His Holiness Aram I. Sheikh Shahriari exposed the work of the center and the importance of inter-religious relations and dialogue. His Holiness stressed the vital role of religion in promoting tolerance and mutual respect in…
On Tuesday, March 30th, 2021, Holy Tuesday service commemorating the parable of the Ten Virgins was held at St. Gregory the Illuminator Cathedral in Antelias. During the ceremony, ten young students from the Antelias Sunday School were holding lanterns and stood in front of the alter. Five of them kept their lanterns lit, representing…
The Opening of Portals ceremony was held on Sunday evening, March 28th, 2021, at St. Gregory the Illuminator Cathedral in Antelias, presided over by His Holiness Catholicos Aram I. This ceremony is unique to the Armenian Church and depicts the second coming of Christ and the final judgement. Bishop Magar Ashkarian delivered the…
“CHRIST EXHORTS AT ALL TIMES: DO NOT BE AFRAID, DO NOT LOSE HOPE, BUT HOLD ON TO FAITH” HIS HOLINESS CATHOLICOS ARAM I Jesus’ triumphal entrance into Jerusalem was solemnly celebrated at St. Gregory the Illuminator Cathedral in Antelias on Sunday, March 28th, 2021, presided over by His Holiness Catholicos Aram I. Following…
With the blessing of His Holiness Catholicos Aram I, Sunday School students participated in the Vespers services during Great Lent. At the end of each service, the Catholicos encouraged the children and offered each a gift of a cross, as a token of appreciation for their participation. On Friday, March 26th, 2021, the last…
On Thursday, March 25th, 2021, Dr. Farid al-Khazen, Ambassador of Lebanon to the Holy See, visited His Holiness Catholicos Aram I, for the second time this week. During the previous meeting, given the close relations between the Catholicos and Vatican, the Ambassador had proposed extending a letter to the Vatican to describe the challenges facing…
On Tuesday morning, March 23rd, 2021, a delegation representing the Central Committee of the National Liberal Part (Lebanon) visited His Holiness Catholicos Aram I to discus issues pertaining the current situation in Lebanon. The Party expressed their concern and vision of overcoming the prevalent turmoil in Lebanon. In turn, His Holiness stressed the importance…
This past weekend, the Armenian Apostolic Church commemorated its patron saint, St. Gregory the Illuminators’ Commitment to the Pit. This day coincides with the name day of the Holy See of Cilicia’s St. Gregory the Illuminator Cathedral. In previous years, St. Gregory the Illuminator’s has been celebrated in grand fashion with many faithfuls staying…
On Tuesday March 23rd, 2021, the Armenian Ambassador to Lebanon Vahagn Atabekyan visited His Holiness Catholicos Aram I. During the meeting, they talked about the internal situation in Armenia and Artsakh, the Armenia-Diaspora relations, as well as the current challenges facing Lebanon. His Holiness informed the ambassador that issues pertaining the role of Turkey…
On Monday, March 22nd, 2021, the ambassador of Saudia Arabia to Lebanon, His Excellency Walid Abdullah el-Bukhari visited His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia. During His Excellency’s visit, many matters were discussed including the ongoing political-economic crisis in Lebanon. His Holiness and His Excellency stressed the importance of the…
The Commissioners of the World Council of Churches’ Commission on World Mission and Evangelism (CWME) held their 4-day meeting from March 4-5 and 8-9, 2021. Participants of the meeting consisted of 25 Commissioners from all over the world from various Church denominations, in addition to a handful of advisors, and guests including the Director of…
On Saturday, March 13th, 2021, the Khatchig Babikian Fund Committee held their virtual meeting presided by His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia. The meeting was chaired by Yervant Pamboukian. Also present were Professor Ashod Melkonian, Shahan Kandaharian, Giro Manoyan, and Khatchig Dedeyan who are members in the committee. The…
On Saturday, March 13th, His Holiness Catholicos Aram I presided over the Religious Council of the Central Committee held online and co-chaired by Archbishop Oshagan Choloyan and Archbishop Nareg Alemezian. Members of the Council, prelates and directors of different departments at the Catholicosate of Cilicia were present at the meeting. The meeting commenced with…
On Thursday, March 11th, 2021, the Regional Committee of the Hamazkayin in Lebanon visited His Holiness Catholicos Aram I in Antelias. First and foremost, the chair of the committee congratulated His Holiness on his birthday wishing him prosperity, and emphasized that the relations between Hamazkayin and the Catholicosate have been close and consistent for…
On Wednesday, March 10th, 2021, His Holiness Catholicos Aram I presided over the Mid-Lent Sunrise Service and delivered his message at St. Gregory the Illuminator Cathedral in Antelias. His Holiness would have marked the Mid-Lent at St. Nshan Cathedral of the Diocese of Lebanon, accompanied by the Prelate of Lebanon, Cilician brothers and Seminarians…
On Saturday, March 6th, 2021, the Ambassador of Lebanon to Vatican Dr. Farid Al-Khazen visited His Holiness Catholicos Aram I to discuss matters concerning the Middle East in general and current situation in Lebanon in particular, relations between the Catholicosate of Cilicia and Vatican, as well as Pope Francis’s historical visit to Iraq.
On Thursday February 25th, 2021, The Executive Committee of the Middle Eastern Council of churches held an online meeting. Archbishop Sebouh Sarkissian, Prelate of the Armenian Prelacy in Tehran, and Dr. Jean Salmanian, both members of the Executive Committee, attended the meeting on behalf of the Catholicosate of Cilicia. Following approving the agenda and…
On Sunday, February 28th, 2021, His Holiness Catholicos Aram I presided over a requiem service held at St. Gregory the Illuminator Cathedral, for the souls of the victims of the Sumgait Pogroms. In his address on Cilicia TV, following the prayers, the Catholicos called upon the Armenians to be vigilant, united, organized and…
ACT Alliance in coordination with the ACT Lebanon Forum held a virtual dialogue on February 17th and 18th, 2021. V. Rev. Fr. Hrant Tahanian, Ecumenical Officer, participated on behalf of the Catholicosate of Cilicia. During this year, ACT Alliance is promoting a Climate Justice Programme across the world, through regional and national processes of…
On Saturday evening, the Lay Council of the National Central Committee of the Catholicosate of Cilicia held a virtual meeting, presided over by His Holiness Catholicos Aram I. Stepan Der Bedrossian from Lebanon and Krikor Mahseredjian from Abu Dhabi co-chaired the meeting. The Chancellor briefed on the minutes of the previous two meetings which…
On Saturday evening, February 13th, 2021, on the Eve of the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord to the Temple, a special service was held at St. Gregory the Illuminator Cathedral in Antelias. Given the situation of the pandemic in Lebanon, the Feast was celebrated without the public, who they were able…
With the blessings of His Holiness Catholicos Aram I, the Information and the Communication Department of the Catholicosate of Cilicia organized a virtual book launch event on the volumes of hymnals “Tsaynakryal Sharagan Hayasdanyayts Yegeghetsvo” (Recorded hymns of the Armenian Church) on Friday evening, February 12th, 2021. The editor of the volumes Archbishop Oshagan…
On the 10th and 11th of February 2021, the feast of St. Vartan and His Companions was observed at the Catholicosate of Cilicia, presided over by His Holiness Catholicos Aram I. The special “Nakhadonag” service was held Wednesday on the eve of the feast, and Divine Liturgy was offered on Thursday, followed by a concert…
As per the tradition of our Catholicosate, every year, on the first Sunday of February, a requiem service is held in memory of the deceased catholicoi and clergy of the Catholicosate of Cilicia, who have served during the post Armenian Genocide era. Subsequently, following the Divine Liturgy on Sunday, February 7th, 2021, His Holiness Catholicos…
On Friday evening, February 5th, 2021, the junior and senior classes of the Armenian Theological Seminary presented talks about the late catholicoi of the Catholicosate of Cilicia, who have served the Holy See after the latter’s establishment in Antelias. The event preceded the annual requiem service held at the Mausoleum of the Catholicosate on…
The Conference of Secretaries of Christian World Communions held a virtual executive session meeting on January 29th, 2021. V. Rev. Fr. Hrant Tahanian, Ecumenical Officer of the Catholicosate and member of the conference, participated on behalf of the Catholicosate of Cilicia. On the agenda were the further development of the ‘Nature and Identity’ paper…
On Tuesday, February 2nd, 2021, His Holiness Aram I received Lebanon’s caretaker Minister of Youth and Sports Vartine Ohanian-Kevorkian. Ohanian-Kevorkian briefed His Holiness on the projects of the Ministry, as well as on works related to the Covid-19 as she is a member of the Inter-Ministerial Committee for the follow up of Coronavirus Vaccination…
Providing aid to the vulnerable and impoverished Lebanese Armenian families is a priority for the Catholicosate of Cilicia. This time, the assistance was directed to the educational, religious, social and cultural institutions. His Holiness believes that the core of the life of the community is its structures and it is necessary for them…
His Holiness Aram I congratulated president Joe Biden on his inauguration as the 46th president of the United State of America. “We stand ready to work with you and your administration to protect our common values, strengthen U.S.-Armenia ties, and advance the cause of peace across Eurasia, the Middle East, and around the world,”…
The Worship Planning Committee of the WCC’s next General Assembly held its second meeting virtually, from January 11th to the 15th, 2021, in lieu of its planned physical gathering, due to the Coronavirus. V. Rev. Fr. Hrant Tahanian, Ecumenical Officer of the Catholicosate, and member of the Central Committee of the WCC and the AWPC…
His Holiness Catholicos Aram I declared 2021 “the year of Artsakh.” The Pontifical Encyclical was read at St. Gregory the Illuminator Cathedral in Antelias by Archbishop Shahan Sarkissian during the Divine Liturgy. The Pontifical Encyclical was also read in all Armenian Orthodox prelacies and parish churches under the jurisdiction of the Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia…
In response to the call of His Holiness Aram I regarding sending donations to the disadvantaged in lieu of the traditional celebrations of New Year’s Eve and Christmas, the Armenian Theological Seminary of the Catholicosate of Cilicia donated their Christmas fund to needy families in Lebanon and Syria, and, similarly, the Christian Education department of…
People around the globe will be celebrating New Year’s Eve amid the Corona Virus Pandemic and economic crisis. Adding fuel to the fire, Armenians are enduring the trauma of the Artsakh war due to Azeri aggressions on Artsakh. Hence, based upon our Christian and national zeal, His Holiness Catholicos Aram I exhorts the…
In the presence of the Religious and Lay Councils of the Executive Council of the Catholicosate of Cilicia, we address our church and nation the following pontifical message: The Armenian people is in deep anguish: the sense of defeat has caused confusion and hopelessness. In fact, despite the heroic resistance of our army…
On Saturday evening, December 5th, 2020, a Cilician Brotherhood gathering was held in the hall of Cilicia Museum, in the presence of His Holiness Aram I, to discuss topics related to a) religion and science, and b) faith and religion. During this gathering, 5 Cilician brothers: V. Rev. Fr. Ardag Arabian, V. Rev. Fr.…
H.E. Audrey Azoulay Director-General UNESCO Madame Director-General, Re: Nagorno-Karabakh/Artsakh’s Armenian historical, religious and cultural heritage The World Council of Churches is a global fellowship of churches in over 120 countries and territories, representing an estimated 580 million people. Included among WCC’s more than 350 member churches are the Armenian Apostolic…
The six weeks of bloody armed conflict that occurred a few weeks ago in Artsakh- Armenian name of Nagorno-Karabakh- ended with a ceasefire, in effect as of midnight November 9-10, as well as with a deal that leaves the region short of a clear and sustainable and long-lasting peace. It was an arrangement loose…
