On Thursday, August 29th, 2024, His Holiness Catholicos Aram I received the Lebanese Ambassador to the Vatican, Dr. Farid el-Khazen. Ambassador el-Khazen provided an update on the Vatican’s efforts to address Lebanon’s challenges and shared the positive reception of His Holiness’s recent lecture at the Vatican. In turn, His Holiness Aram I shared his thoughts…
On Tuesday evening, August 20th, 2024, His Holiness Catholicos Aram I received His Beatitude Patriarch Raphaël Bedros XXI of the Armenian Catholic Church, who was accompanied by Bishop Robert (Krikor) Badichah, Auxiliary Bishop of the Patriarchal Eparchy of Beirut. In attendance with His Holiness were: H.E. Arch. Shahe Panossian, Prelate of the Armenian Prelacy in…
The World Council of Churches Commission on Ecumenical Education and Formation met at Yonsei University in Seoul, South Korea, during the last week of June. This was the first in-person meeting of the EEF, during which commissioners envisioned and planned the commission’s work for the next eight years. The meeting was hosted by the Presbyterian…
On Saturday, June 29th, 2024, the Adyan Foundation, an NGO dedicated to diversity, solidarity, and human dignity, organized an interreligious conference on women’s role, participation, and rights in religious spheres. With the blessing of His Holiness Catholicos Aram I, V. Rev. Fr. Sarkis Aprahamian—officer of the Middle Eastern section of the Ecumenical Department at the…
A few days ago, during his meeting with Pope Francis at the Vatican, His Holiness Catholicos Aram I expressed his deep gratitude for the solidarity Pope Francis has shown regarding the Artsakh issue and urged him to show the same support regarding the return of the Artsakh Armenians to their homeland under international protection and…
During his visit to the Vatican, His Holiness Catholicos Aram I met with the following key Vatican officials: 1. In the absence of the Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin, His Holiness met with the Secretary for Relations with States, Archbishop Paul Gallagher. They discussed the current situation in Lebanon, the issue of the Armenian…
On Wednesday, June 12th, 2024, His Holiness Catholicos Aram I met with His Holiness Pope Francis in the Vatican. During the meeting, they discussed several important topics proposed by the Catholicos: a) The necessity to broaden and transform the ecumenical relations into a partnership. b) The goal of establishing a common date for the celebration…
On June 11th, 2024, His Holiness Catholicos Aram I delivered a lecture on “Religion in the Geopolitics of the Middle East” at the Pontifical Oriental Institute in the Vatican. The event was organized by the said Institute, Pontifical Gregorian University, and the Lebanese Embassy. The lecture was attended by Armenian Catholic Patriarch Raphaël Bedros XXI,…
On Tuesday, June 11th, 2024, His Holiness Catholicos Aram I departed for a one-day visit to the Vatican, where he will deliver a lecture at the Pontifical Oriental Institute, as well as meet with His Holiness Pope Francis, the Secretary for Relations with States, the President of Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity, and the Prefect…
On Monday, June 10th, 2024, His Holiness Catholicos Aram I met with Patriarch Cardinal Mar Bechara Boutros Al-Rai at the Maronite Patriarchate in Bkerke. They discussed matters concerning Lebanon, focusing on the delayed presidential election. His Holiness informed the Patriarch of his visit to the Vatican the following day, where he would deliver a lecture…
On Thursday, May 23rd, 2024, His Holiness Catholicos Aram I, together with His Holiness Patriarch Mor Ignatius Aphrem II of the Syriac Orthodox Church, attended the opening session of a conference focused on Levantine Christianity. The conference was organized by the Hungarian Center for Levantine Christianity (HCLC) in partnership with the Syriac Orthodox Patriarchate. It…
On Friday, May 10th, 2024, His Holiness Catholicos Aram I of the Holy See of Cilicia, His Holiness Pope Tawadros II of the Coptic Orthodox Church, and His Holiness Patriarch Mor Ignatius Aphrem II of the Syriac Orthodox Church met at the Coptic Patriarchate in Cairo. This gathering, part of a fellowship established in 1996…
At the invitation of the Muslim Council of Elders, the prelate of the Armenian Prelacy in the UAE and Qatar, H.E. Mesrob Arch. Sarkissian, delivered a speech in Arabic on solidarity and coexistence on Saturday evening, May 4th, 2024, at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Center. Arch. Mesrob began by conveying the pontifical greetings of…
The Apostolic Nuncio to Lebanon His Excellency Monsignor Paolo Borgia visited His Holiness Catholicos Aram I and extended a letter from Pope Francis. During the meeting, they discussed topics related to Lebanon.
On Wednesday, April 10th, 2024, the newly elected Executive Board of the Bible Society Lebanon assembled in Harissa. The General Secretary and CEO, Mike Bassous, delivered his remarks emphasizing the mission of the Bible Society and the objectives of the Board. The members also engaged in discussions, evaluating the activities of the past three years…
His Holiness Catholicos Aram I led the somber vigil service of Maundy Thursday, marking the Passion of Christ, on March 28th, 2024, at St. Gregory the Illuminator Cathedral. The service included readings from the Bible and Gospel, the extinguishing of 12 candles, recitation of hymns, and the poignant song “Where are you, my mother?” evoking…
On Saturday, March 23rd, 2024, a meeting was held between His Holiness Catholicos Aram I and the Syriac Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch Moran Mor Ignatius Aphrem II, at the Patriarchal Residence of the Syriac Orthodox church in Atchaneh. The discussions centered around various ecumenical matters. His Holiness was accompanied by HE Arch. Nareg Alemezian and V. Rev.…
On Wednesday evening, March 20th, 2024, an Ecumenical gathering was hosted by the Catholicosate of Cilicia on the occasion of the WCC General Secretary Prof. Rev. Dr. Jerry Pillay’s inaugural visit to Lebanon. The Ecumenical Officer of the Holy See of Cilicia, V. Rev. Fr. Hrant Tahanian, conveyed the opening remarks. His Holiness Catholicos Aram…
On Thursday, March 21st, 2024, Rev. Prof. Dr. Jerry Pillay, General Secretary of the World Council of Churches (WCC), paid a visit to His Holiness Catholicos Aram I. Accompanying the General Secretary were Carla Khijoyan—WCC Programme Executive for the Middle East—and Seta Khedeshian—Associate Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches. The discussion…
The World Council of Churches commissions held their inaugural meetingս in WCC headquarters in Geneva from the 5th to the 8th of March, 2024 to discuss their strategic plan for the current 8-year cycle. On behalf of the Holy See of Cilicia, Arshav Jerjerian, a member of the Armenian Church University Students Association, participated in…
During the recent meetings of three World Council of Churches (WCC) commissions in Geneva, Prof. Dr. Nora Bayrakdarian, representing the Holy See of Cilicia, was elected as vice moderator of the Commission of the Churches on International Affairs. At the session, she delivered a lecture titled “Global Governance: Challenges and Emerging Geopolitical Trends.” Prof.…
On Monday, March 4th, 2024, His Holiness Catholicos Aram I received a delegation from the Ethiopian community in Lebanon. Conveying warm fraternal greetings from the spiritual head of the Ethiopian church, they expressed gratitude for His Holiness’ care and support. It is noteworthy that the Ethiopian church does not have a state recognition in…
On Friday, March 1st, 2024, the newly elected Archbishop of Mount Lebanon and Tripoli of the Syriac Orthodox Church, HE Mor Chrysostomos Mikhael Shamoun, visited His Holiness Catholicos Aram I, seeking pontifical blessing for his new role. His Holiness Aram I welcomed the guest expressing well wishes for his pastoral endeavors and highlighting the…
The Permanent Christian Conference paid a visit to His Holiness Catholicos Aram I on Thursday, February 22nd, 2024. Their purpose was to seek His Holiness’s insights and opinions on their intention to establish ecumenical cooperation among various Lebanese sects. During the meeting, the delegation presented the outcomes of their efforts in areas such as…
At the invitation of the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity and with the blessing of His Holiness Catholicos Aram I, V. Rev. Fr. Avedik Der Garabedian, V. Rev. Fr. Kevork Karageozian, both serving as assistant of the Armenian Theological Seminary Dean, along with and Rev. Fr. Hrant Kevorkian, the pastor at Sourp Sarkis Church in…
On January 22 and 23, 2024, The Gulf Churches Fellowship (GCF) convened its annual meeting in Dubai, with the participation of V. Rev. Fr. Bedros Manuelian, Pontifical Vicar of Kuwait, representing the Armenian Church, Holy See of Cilicia. Notably, His Holiness Catholicos Aram I addressed the conference on the first day, when he was…
The 20th meeting of the Joint International Commission for Theological Dialogue between the Catholic Church and the Oriental Orthodox Churches was held from January 22 to 26, 2024, hosted by the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity, with a primary focus on Mariology. With the blessing of His Holiness Catholicos Aram I, HE Arch. Nareg Alemezian…
With the blessing of His Holiness Catholicos Aram I, on January 22nd, 2024, HE Arch. Nareg Alemezian visited Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican’s Secretary of State, The discussion primarily focused on the current situation in Lebanon, where Arch. Nareg conveyed His Holiness’ concerns and thoughts regarding the ongoing issues. Additionally, Arch. Nareg briefed Cardinal Parolin…
With the blessing of His Holiness Catholicos Aram I, His Eminence Archbishop Nareg Alemezian met with Cardinal Kurt Koch, the Prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity, on January 18th, 2024. The discussions centered around various aspects of the ecumenical movement, including relations between the Vatican and the Holy See of Cilicia, as…
On January 18th, 2024, a meeting took place in Antelias between His Holiness Catholicos Aram I and His Holiness Moran Mor Ignatius Aphrem II, Patriarch of Antioch and All the East. Accompanying Moran Mor Aphram II were His Eminence Mor Clemis Daniel Kourieh, Archbishop of Beirut, and Very Rev. Raban Dr. Joseph Bali Archbishop,…
On Monday, January 15th, 2024, His Holiness Catholicos Aram I received Archbishop Paolo Borgia, the Apostolic Nuncio to Lebanon. Archbishop Borgia presented two letters from Cardinal Kurt Koch, the Prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity, to His Holiness. The meeting provided an opportunity to exchange views on the current situation in…
On December 29th, 2023, the Lebanese Ministry of Culture and the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran jointly organized a conference titled “The Tear of the Holy Virgin Mary – Tragedies of Gaza.” The event, dedicated to Gaza, featured the participation of Jamileh Alamolhoda, the wife of Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi and a lecturer…
On December 6th and 7th, HE Arch. Nareg Alemezian conducted official meetings in the Vatican with His Holiness Pope Francis, Cardinal Marc Ouellet, and representatives from the Dicasteries for Promoting Christian Unity and the Eastern Churches. During his meeting with Pope Francis, Arch. Nareg conveyed warm regards from His Holiness Aram I and discussed…
On December 7th, 2023, His Beatitude Patriarch Raphaël Bedros XXI of the Armenian Catholic Church visited His Holiness Catholicos Aram I. The discussion encompassed the recent Vatican Synod of Synodality, the international conference commemorating the 850th anniversary of the passing of St. Nerses the Gracious, the situation of displaced Artsakh Armenians in Armenia, and…
With the blessing of His Holiness Catholicos Aram I, HE Arch. Nareg Alemezian and V. Rev. Fr. Bsag Tepirdjian participated in a two-day international conference held from November 30th to December 1st, 2023, commemorating the 850th anniversary of the passing of St. Nerses the Gracious (Shnorhali). The conference was organized by the Pontifical Oriental Institute…
On Monday, November 20th, 2023, through a joint initiative by the National Council of Churches and St. Vladimir Orthodox Theological Seminary, a discussion meeting on ecumenical issues took place at the aforementioned seminary. The gathering included priests and university lecturers actively engaged in the World Council of Churches (WCC) and the National Council of Churches.…
On Tuesday, November 21st, 2023, a meeting was held between His Holiness Catholicos Aram I and Archbishop Gabriele Giordano Caccia, Permanent Observer of The Holy See to The United Nations. Having prior acquaintance with His Holiness, the meeting lasted approximately two hours in a friendly atmosphere. Discussions prominently featured the Artsakh issue, along with…
During His Holiness Catholicos Aram I’s pontifical visit to the Eastern Prelacy of the USA, the Armenian Prelacy organized ecumenical prayers at St. Illuminator’s Cathedral in New York, acknowledging the influential role of Aram I in the ecumenical movement and wide connections. The ceremony was attended by the prelate of the Eastern Prelacy, His Eminence…
During his pontifical visit to the United States, His Holiness Catholicos Aram I paid a visit to the Headquarters of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America on Friday, November 17th, 2023. During this visit, he was honored as the distinguished guest of His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America. Archbishop Elpidophoros extended a heartfelt welcome…
On Friday, November 10th, 2023, His Holiness Catholicos Aram I offered a lecture on the geopolitics of religion in the Middle East, in George Washington University. During the lecture, he emphasized the message of peace and respect for human rights in the monotheistic religions. First, His Holiness provided a general introduction to the increasing…
The Conference of Secretaries of Christian World Communions held its yearly meeting from October 30th to November 3rd, 2023. After last year’s meeting in Vancouver, the Conference met in The Ecumenical Institute of Bossey and the Ecumenical Centre in Geneva. The ecumenical officers and secretaries of each respective church family and communion shared their…
On behalf of His Holiness Catholicos Aram I, the prelate of the UAE and Qatar, HG Bp. Mesrob Sarkissian took part in the Global Faith Leaders Summit, organized by the Muslim Council of Elders in collaboration with the Vatican, the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28) Presidency, and the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP), on…
The 15th General Assembly of the Christian Conference of Asia convened in Kottayam, India, from September 28th till October 3rd, 2023 with the theme “God Renew us in your Spirit and Restore the Creation.” H.E. Arch. Sebouh Sarkissian—Prelate of the Armenian Prelacy in Tehran, and deaconess Ani Kristi Manvelian participated in the GA on behalf…
Since 2021, the “Season of Creation,” a dedicated period for renewing our relationship with the Creator and all creation, has been celebrated internationally from September 1st to October 4th. The season of Creation is a time to unite with the ecumenical family around the world in prayer and action for the well-being of our common…
On Saturday, October 7th, 2023, His Holiness Catholicos Aram I received a delegation of Syriac teachers visiting from Germany, headed by His Eminence Mor Clemis Daniel Kourieh, Archbishop of Beirut. Speaking on behalf of the delegation, Mor Clemis Daniel Kourieh expressed their solidarity with the Armenian people and then conveyed the purpose of their…
On Saturday, September 30th, 2023, His Holiness Catholicos Aram received the representative of His Beatitude Youhana X Yaziji, Patriarch of Antioch and all the East, Right Rev. Archimandrite Jack Khalil, who is also the Dean of the St John of Damascus Institute of Theology at the University of Balamand. In attendance were the Dean of…
The Christian Conference of Asia recently issued an official statement calling for the immediate lifting of the Artsakh blockade by Azerbaijan, noting that the blockade is a great humanitarian crisis that cannot be tolerated on moral and legal grounds. Christian Conference of Asia expressed its support for Artsakh’s right to self-determination in line with…
On Friday, August 4th, 2023, His Holiness Catholicos Aram I received the head of the Chaldean community in Lebanon Bishop Michel Kassarji, representing His Beatitude Cardinal Louis Raphaël Sako, the Patriarch of Babylon of the Chaldeans, and Rev. Dr. Paul Haidostian, the President of the Haigazian University, respectively. Bishop Kassarji provided Catholicos Aram I…
Archbishop Paolo Borgia, Apostolic Nuncio to Lebanon, visited His Holiness Catholicos Aram I on Monday, August 7th, 2023. They discussed issues concerning the Lebanese presidential election and ecumenical relations between the Holy See of Cilicia and the Vatican. His Holiness brought to the attention of the Apostolic Nuncio the current situation in Artsakh and…
The World Council of Churches and the Conference of the European Churches have extended a joint letter to the European Union and expressed deep concern about the worsening humanitarian crisis in Artsakh exacerbated by Azerbaijan’s blockade of the Lachin corridor. The letter underscores the gravity of the humanitarian crisis, stating, “The humanitarian crisis in…
The Central Committee of the World Council of Churches (WCC), convened in Geneva, Switzerland, from June 21st to the 27th. This is the first Central Committee meeting after the 11th General Assembly, which took place in September 2022, in Karlsruhe, Germany, under the theme “Christ’s love moves the world to reconciliation and unity.” The plenary…
On Wednesday, June 21st, 2023, the first full meeting of the World Council of Churches Central Committee following the WCC 11th Assembly in Karlsruhe commenced in Geneva, Switzerland, and will conclude on June 27th. H.E. Arch. Nareg Alemezian and V. Rev. Fr. Hrant Tahanian, who were elected as members of the Central Committee, participate in this…
Apostolic Nuncio Archbishop Paolo Borgia visited His Holiness Catholicos Aram I on Saturday, May 6th, 2023, and extended a letter to from Pope Francis to His Holiness. They also discussed issues concerning Lebanon and the delayed presidential election during the meeting.
On behalf of the Armenian Church, Catholicosate of Cilicia, V. Rev. Fr. Sarkis Aprahamian—Director of the Middle East section of the Ecumenical Department, and V. Rev. Fr. Arakel Kadehjian participated in the 50th-anniversary ceremony of the Syriac Orthodox Archdiocese of Mount Lebanon and the launching of a special publication dedicated to the occasion, on March…
With the blessing of His Holiness Aram I Catholicos of the Holy See of Cilicia, I had the privilege to participate in KAICIID (The International Dialogue Centre) Fellows Institutional Network Launch in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia from 17-18 March 2023. This was my first time participating in a KAICIID event and I had no expectations. My…
With the blessing of His Holiness Catholicos Aram I, V. Rev. Fr. Barouyr Shernezian—Dean of the Armenian Theological Seminary, participated in the KAICIID’s Fellows Programme for promoting a culture of interreligious dialogue (IRD) and fostering intercultural cooperation on institutional level, which took place on March 17th and 18th, in Malaysia. Fr. Barouyr presented the…
In preparation for a special event commemorating the 850th anniversary of the passing of St. Nerses the Gracious (Shnorhali) in the Vatican, a meeting was held on March 21st, in the Vatican, between H.E. Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, representing the Catholicosate of All Armenians, H.E. Archbishop Nareg Alemezian, representing the Catholicosate of the Holy See of…
A meeting was held between His Holiness Catholicos Aram I and His Beatitude Patriarch Mar Bechara Boutros Rai in Bkerki to discuss the delayed presidential election. In attendance was Lebanese Armenian MP Hagop Pakradouni and Vicar General of the Maronite Patriarchate Archbishop Paul Sayah. Patriarch Rai visited the Catholicosate two months ago to consult with Catholicos…
A delegation consisting of six cardinals and bishops from the USA visited His Holiness Catholicos Aram I on Friday, March 10th, 2023, to learn about the current situation in Lebanon and the works of the Christian communities. His Holiness offered an overview of the situation of the Christians in the Middle East and their…
On Friday, March 3rd, 2023, His Holiness Catholicos Aram I received the Executive Director of Adyan Foundation Dr. Elie Al Hindy, accompanied by Projects Manager Fadi Badran. Adyan is a foundation for managing diversity, promoting solidarity, and safeguarding human dignity in the Middle East based in Lebanon. Dr. Al Hindy briefed His Holiness…
At the invitation of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity and with the blessing of His Holiness Catholicos Aram I, three young priests: V. Rev. Fr. Ardavazt Sharoyan, V. Rev. Fr. Yeghia Malkhasian, and Fr. Movses Shannakian, participated in the Oriental Orthodox Churches’ study visit to the Vatican on behalf of the Armenian Church, Holy…
The Continental Synodal Assembly of the Catholic Churches of the Middle East convened on Monday, February 13th, 2023, in Harisa. On behalf of the Armenian Church, Holy See of Cilicia, H.E. Arch. Gomidas Ohanian and V. Rev. Fr. Sarkis Aprahamian participated in the event.
On Friday evening, February 10th, 2023, His Holiness Catholicos Aram I and the Maronite Patriarch Bechara Rai held a meeting in Bkerki to follow up on the January 27th meeting in Antelias, where they decided to invite Christian leaders and Christian members of the parliament to Bkerke, to work on reaching a common approach and…
The 19th Joint International Commission for Theological Dialogue between the Catholic Church and the Oriental Orthodox Churches was held from January 30th until February 5th, 2023, in Cairo. With the blessing of His Holiness Catholicos Aram I, H.G. Bishop Magar Ashkarian, Prelate of Peria (Syria), participated in the meeting on behalf of the Armenian Church,…
A meeting of Lebanese spiritual heads was held in Bkerke on Wednesday evening, February 1st, 2023, to discuss the delayed Lebanese presidential election. This meeting was the result of the discussions which took place between His Holiness Aram I and the His Beatitude Patriarch Mar Bechara Boutros Rai in Antelias a week before. …
The Qatari ambassador to Lebanon Ibrahim bin Abdulaziz Al-Sahlawi visited His Holiness Catholicos Aram I on Wednesday afternoon, February 1st, 2023. During the two-hour meeting, they discussed matters related to the mission of the Armenian Church, Holy See of Cilicia, the current situation in Lebanon, the Lebanese presidential election, and the Armenian Community in Qatar.…
H.G. Bishop Mesrob Sarkissian, Prelate of the UAE and Qatar, and V. Rev. Fr. Bedros Manouelian, Pontifical Vicar of Kuwait and neighboring countries participated, on behalf of the Armenian Church Holy See of Cilicia, in the annual meeting of the Gulf Churches Fellowship, which was held in Ras el Khaimah, UAE, on 23rd and 24th…
On Thursday, January 19th, 2023, His Holiness Catholicos Aram I received Father Andraos Al Anthouny, Pastor of the Coptic Orthodox Church in Lebanon and Syria, and the representative of His Holiness Pope Tawadros II. Fr. Andraos conveyed the fraternal greetings of Pope Tawadros and shared about issues pertaining to the Coptic community in the…
On Wednesday, January 18th, 2023, a delegation representing the council of Sunni and Shiite religious leaders met with His Holiness Catholicos Aram I. The delegation expressed solidarity with the Artsakh Armenians and stressed the imperative of ending the Lachin Corridor blockade, on humanitarian grounds. The delegation also expressed their commendation to His Holiness for…
The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity in Lebanon commenced on Sunday, January 15th, 2023, at St. George Greek Orthodox Church in Bsalim. With the Blessing of His Holiness Catholicos Aram I, H.E. Arch. Shahan Sarkissian, Prelate of the Armenian Prelacy in Lebanon, and V. Rev. Fr. Sarkis Aprahamian participated in the service. The…
In his condolence letter, His Holiness Catholicos Aram I praises the lifelong dedication of the late Emeritus Pope Benedictus XVI and mentions his contribution as one the greatest theologians of the Catholic Church who has played a key role in the formation and development of the theological approaches of the Catholic Church with his clear…
On Monday, January 2nd, 2023, His Beatitude Patriarch Raphaël Bedros XXI, the patriarch of the Armenian Catholic Church, visited His Holiness Catholicos Aram I. He was accompanied by Bishop Kevork Assadourian. In attendance was also Arch. Gomidas Ohanian and Arch. Nareg Alemezian. The meeting was an opportunity to exchange Christmas and New Year’s greetings. They…
PRO ORIENTE and the Institute for Ecumenical Studies of the Angelicum organized an international ecumenical conference entitled “Listening to the East” with the purpose of exploring the synodal traditions within the different Eastern and Oriental Orthodox Churches. The conference was held at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum), in Rome on November 22-27, 2022.…
On November 28th and 29th, 2022, the Executive Committee of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) held in person meeting for the first time since the outbreak of the pandemic, in Deir Saydet al Bir in Bkennaya, Lebanon. V. Rev. Fr. Sarkis Aprahamian and Dr. Jean Salmanian attended the meeting on behalf of the…
On Saturday, November 19th, 2022, a meeting was held between His Holiness Catholicos Aram I and His Beatitude Patriarch Raphaël Bedros XXI. During the meeting they discussed the commemoration of the 850th anniversary of St. Nerses the Gracious (Nerses Shenorhali), Armenian-Diaspora relations and Lebanese presidential election.
The Conference of Secretaries of Christian World Communions held its yearly meeting from November 7th to the 11th, 2022. This was the first meeting to occur in-person since the last gathering in 2019. Participants gathered from around the globe in Vancouver, Canada, and were hosted by the Pentecostal World Fellowship. The ecumenical officers of…
On Monday, November 7th, 2022, His Holiness Aram I extended a condolence letter to the Holy Synod of the Cyprus’ Greek Orthodox Church over the passing of Archbishop Chrysostomos II, head of the church. In his letter, His Holiness states that the late Archbishop Chrysostomos II has served the church remarkably on every level, and…
On Saturday, November 5th, 2022, His Holiness Catholicos Aram I received ecumenical representatives from Switzerland, Germany, Denmark, Finland, USA, and Egypt, who had arrived in Lebanon to hold consultations on the Christian presence and witness in the Middle East and to voice their support for the churches of the region through the Middle East Council…
The Oriental Orthodox-Anglican International Commission held its ninth residential meeting from 24th to 29th of October 2022, at The Bethel Centre of the Coptic Orthodox Church, in Braintree, Essex, England, hosted by the Coptic Orthodox Diocese of London. V. Rev. Fr. Hrant Tahanian, Ecumenical Officer of the Catholicosate, continued his participation in the commission on…
On October 17th to 19th, 2022, representatives from the Armenian Church, Holy See of Cilicia, the Syriac Orthodox Church of Antioch, and the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria convened in the Anba Bishoy Monastery, in Egypt. A fellowship between these three oriental orthodox churches was established in 1996, and since then, the heads of the…
On Tuesday, October 11th, 2022, the General Assembly of the Association of Theological Institutes in the Middle East (ATIME) convened online and discussed matters related to adopting a creative approach, the protection of environment, strengthening of inter-church cooperation and ecumenism, among other topics. V. Rev. Fr. Kevork Karageozian participates in the meeting on…
The World Council of Churches held its 11th General Assembly from August 31st to September 8th 2022, in the German city of Karlsruhe with the theme “Christ’s love moves the world to reconciliation and unity.” The Armenian Church, Holy See of Cilicia participated with a delegation consisting of twelve members—six clergy: Archbishops Gomidas Ohanian, Sebouh…
In a letter to H.E. Zbigniew Rau, OSCE chairman-in-office, and minister of Foreign Affairs of Poland, World Council of Churches acting general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Ioan Sauca and Dr Jørgen Skov Sørensen, general secretary of the Conference of European Churches, jointly appeal for urgent action by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe…
On Tuesday, August 16th, 2022, His Holiness Catholicos Aram I extended a condolence letter to the head of the Coptic Church His Holiness Pope Tawadros II over the fire erupted on August 14th, killing dozens of worshippers gathered for Sunday Morning Divine Liturgy at a church in Giza. The letter reads: “With deep sorrow we follow the…
The Lambeth Conference, a gathering of the bishops of the World Anglican Communion, convened from July 26th to August 7th, 2022, at the invitation of Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby. H.G. Bishop Magar Ashkarian participated in the conference on behalf of the Armenian Church, Holy See of Cilicia. The conference takes place once every…
His Holiness Catholicos Aram I received a delegation representing the World Council of Churches and the Middle East Council of Churches, headed by their respective General Secretaries, on Thursday morning, July 7th, 2022. The delegation consisted of high-ranking personnel of the two Councils. The aim of the visit was to consult with His Holiness…
On June 20th to 24th, 2022, the 18th Joint International Commission for Theological Dialogue between the Catholic Church and the Oriental Orthodox Churches was held at the Vatican. On behalf of the Armenian Church, Holy See of Cilicia, H.G. Bishop Magar Ashkarian and V. Rev. Fr. Boghos Tinkjian (co-secretary) participated in the meeting. Participants…
The Central Committee of the World Council of Churches (WCC), the highest decision-making body of the WCC, convened in Geneva, Switzerland, from June 15th to the 18th. This is the first time the Central Committee has met in person since the beginning of the pandemic. The plenary focused primarily on preparing for the 11th…
With the blessing of His Holiness Catholicos Aram I and on behalf of the Armenian Church, Holy See of Cilicia, three young priests participated in the Oriental Orthodox Churches’ study visit to the Vatican organized by the Pontifical Council for the Christian Unity, from May 30th to June 6th, 2022. The program was launched in…
On Wednesday, June 8th, 2022, a conference celebrating the 25th anniversary of Pope John Paul II visit to Lebanon was organized by Caritas Lebanon Youth, entitled “One Common Home, Lebanon of Hope.” With the blessing of His Holiness Catholicos Aram I, V. Rev. Fr. Sarkis Aprahamian, V. Rev. Fr. Kevork Karageozian, and V. Rev. Fr.…
On Thursday, May 12th, 2022, Orthodox Churches convened in Cyprus for a pre-assembly consultation in preparation for the WCC General Assembly to be held in Germany. On behalf of the Armenian Church, Holy See of Cilicia Arch. Sebou Sarkissian (Prelate of Tehran) and Arch. Kegham Khatcherian (Prelate of Greece), participated in the meeting.
On Tuesday, April 19th, 2022, His Beatitude Patriarch Raphael Bedros XXI, accompanied by the Patriarchal Auxiliary of Beirut Bishop Kevork Assadourian and the parish priest of the Armenian Catholic Holy Cross Church Fr. Sebouh Garabedian, visited His Holiness Catholicos Aram I in Antelias. In attendance was also the Prelate of Lebanon Arch. Shahe Panossian and the…
The Iranian Cultural Center of the Embassy of Islamic Republic of Iran in Lebanon, in collaboration with the International Centre for Dialogue Among Civilizations (ICDAC), and as part of the Fajr Cultural Days, has organized a symposium dedicated to the cultural diversity, under the sponsorship of the Lebanese Minister of Culture Mohamed Mourtada, on Tuesday,…
The Central Committee of the World Council of Churches (WCC), the highest decision-making body of the WCC, convened by virtual conference, from February 9th to the 16th. Over 200 committee members and advisors joined the meeting. The plenary focused primarily on preparing for the 11th WCC Assembly, which will take place in September of this…
Between January 26th and 28th, 2022, the Joint International Commission for Theological Dialogue between the Catholic Church and the Oriental Orthodox Churches was held online. On behalf of the Armenian Church, Holy See of Cilicia Bishop Magar Ashkarian and V. Rev. Boghos Tinkjian (co-secretary) participated in the Dialogue. Participants discussed the document on the seven…
At the initiative of World Council of Churches, a week of prayer for Christian unity is observed annually worldwide on the second week of January. In Lebanon, the opening ceremony of the prayer week was held on Sunday evening, January 16th, 2022, at St. Elias and St. Gregory the Illuminator Armenian Catholic Church in…
The Commission on World Mission and Evangelism of the World Council of Churches (WCC), in collaboration with the International Missionary Council (IMC), marks the 100th anniversary of the IMC through a series of activities taking place in 2021-2022. The events of the centennial will focus on the history, current status and future field of work…
On Tuesday morning, December 14th, 2021, Rev. Prof. Dr. Ioan Sauca, the Acting General Secretary of the World Council of Churches, accompanied by Carla Khijoyan, the representative of the Holy See of Cilicia at the WCC and the Programme Executive for the Middle East at the WCC. They discussed issues concerning the ecumenical movement…
Following the Divine Liturgy celebrated on Sunday, December 12th, 2021, His Holiness Catholicos Aram I received a delegation from the World Council of Churches (WCC) composed of Ms. Carla Khijoyan, Rev. Dr. Abraham Wilar and Rev. Yoleni Rebelais. Ms. Khijoyan is the Programme Executive for the Middle East at the WCC, while Rev. Dr.…
