On Sunday, April 21st, 2024, during the Divine Liturgy at St. Gregory the Illuminator Cathedral in Antelias, His Holiness Catholicos Aram I, in his Pontifical message to the faithful, spoke of the suffering Armenian population of Artsakh and their struggle. He assured them of the commitment of the Armenian church to seek solutions and affirm…
Under the auspices of His Holiness Aram I, the conference organized by the “Cilicia Analytic Platform”, completed its task scheduled for the first day. Different aspects of the theme “Reinstating the Indigenous Rights of Artsakh People: Confronting Azerbaijan’s Genocidal Policy” were presented by experts in six working sessions. Following the opening procedures of the day,…
“THE PAGE CONCERNING ARTSAKH IS NOT YET CLOSED FOR US” HIS HOLINESS CATHOLICOS ARAM I The conference entitled “Reinstating the Indigenous Rights of Artsakh People: Confronting Azerbaijan’s Genocidal Policy”, presided by His Holiness Catholicos Aram I, was organized by the ‘Cilicia Analytical Platform’, convened on Saturday, April 20th, 2024, at the Cilicia Museum Hall.…
On Saturday evening, April 20th, 2024, a meeting convened at the office of His Holiness Catholicos Aram I to address concerns regarding Artsakh. Attendees included Dr. Luis Moreno Ocampo, Founder and Former Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), Vartan Osganian, Former Minister of Foreign Affairs in Armenia, and Mario Nalbandian, Vice-President of the Socialist…
On April 19th, 2024, First Prosecutor Dr. Luis Moreno Ocampo arrived in Lebanon upon the invitation of His Holiness Catholicos Aram I. The same evening, the First Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, gave a public lecture at the Main Hall of the Catholicosate. He addressed representatives of the Armenian community educational, social, and political…
On Friday, April 19th, 2024, His Holiness Catholicos Aram I received Dr. Louis Moreno Ocampo, Founder and Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (from 2003 to 2012). During their meeting, they discussed issues related to recent Azerbaijan-Artsakh-Armenia relations, the Artsakh 2020 war, the Artsakh blockade, and the forced displacement of indigenous Armenians of Artsakh.…
On Wednesday, February 21st, 2024, a phone conversation took place between His Holiness Catholicos Aram I and Dr. Luis Moreno-Ocampo, the first prosecutor of the New and Permanent International Criminal Court. They emphasized that, in accordance with legal principles and relevant international laws, Azerbaijan’s genocidal policy against the people of Artsakh was a deliberate…
Recent online sessions of the Cilicia Analytical Platform, under the auspices of His Holiness Catholicos Aram I, focused on preparations for a conference addressing Azerbaijan’s genocidal policy against Armenians. The conference is set to take place in April, on the commemoration of the Armenian Genocide, at the Catholicosate of Cilicia, in Antelias, with the participation…
Under the auspices of His Holiness Catholicos Aram I, the two-day conference on Armenia, Artsakh, and regional developments concluded its sessions on Saturday, January 20th, 2024, addressing critical issues related to the depopulation of Artsakh. Noteworthy statements emerged from the conference, including the unanimous characterization of the depopulation of Artsakh as genocide by international law…
Under the auspices of His Holiness Catholicos Aram I, the “Analysis and Awareness Platform” (AAP) commenced its two-day conference titled “Armenian World and Recent Regional Events” on Friday, January 19th, 2024. It will extend through Saturday, January 20th. Following a series of online consultations within the AAP, this conference serves as a pivotal platform…
With the blessing of His Holiness Catholicos Aram I, a two-day conference focusing on Armenia and regional developments will be held at the Catholicosate of Cilicia in Antelias on January 19th and 20th. The conference will gather experts from Armenia, Artsakh, the USA, South America, France, and Switzerland. This conference follows a series of…
His Holiness Catholicos Aram I closely monitors the concerning situation surrounding the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem through representatives of the World Council of Churches (WCC) based in Geneva and Jerusalem. According to a message released by the Patriarchate, attached below, approximately 30 unidentified individuals attacked the congregation and the Patriarchate’s office in protest against…
On Tuesday, December 12th, 2023, the Armenian ambassador to Lebanon, Vahagn Atapekyan, visited His Holiness Catholicos Aram I. They discussed matters concerning the aftermath of the seizure of Artsakh, the internal affairs of Armenia, and Armenia-Diaspora relations.
His Holiness Catholicos Aram I presided over the fifth online consultation on December 7th, 2023, uniting experts to delve into pressing matters for the Armenians of Artsakh. In attendance were Prof. Ashod Melkonian, Prof. Rupen Safrasdian, Dr. Armen Maroukian, Dr. Vahram Palayan, Dr. Vicken Cheterian, Dr. Khatchig Der Ghougasian, Mr. Shahan Kandaharian, and Aharon…
During His Holiness Catholicos Aram I’s pontifical visit to the Eastern United States, as previously reported, he was honored with an invitation to serve as the Guest Chaplain of the US House of Representatives. His Holiness delivered the opening prayer before the session, a prayer he composed. In this prayer, he highlighted that “more than…
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…
On Monday, November 13th, 2023, His Holiness Catholicos Aram I, accompanied by HE Arch. Anoushavan Tanielian, Prelate of the Eastern Prelacy of the USA, and the co-chair of the Central Executive Council of the Holy See of Cilicia, Stepan Der Bedrossian, visited the headquarters of the ANCA in Washington. The director of the Information and…
On Thursday, November 9th, 2023, His Holiness Catholicos Aram I visited the Capitol and met with the Speaker of the House of the Representatives, Mike Johnson, followed by a meeting with Representative Adam Schiff. Subsequently, he offered the opening prayer before the session. The prayer he recited is as follows: “In the name…
On Monday, October 30th, 2023, the third of the online sessions dedicated to Artsakh, presided by His Holiness Catholicos Aram I, was held. The group of experts from Armenia, Artsakh, and the diaspora discussed the potential ramifications deriving from the rapidly changing geopolitical situation surrounding the Artsakh issue. Their discussions encompassed a wide range…
Under the initiative of His Holiness Catholicos Aram I, two online consultation sessions were held on October 12th and 13th, 2023. These sessions involved a group of specialists in history, international law, and political science from Armenia and the diaspora. The purpose was to assess the repercussions of the ethnic cleansing in Artsakh and to…
His Holiness Catholicos Aram I established a special committee to manage the aid provided by the prelacies to the 100,000 displaced Armenians of Artsakh, following nine months of blockade. The members of the committee are HE Archbishop Anoushavan (Prelate of the Eastern Prelacy of the USA), HG Bishop Torkom (Prelate of the Western Prelacy…
On Tuesday evening, October 3rd, 2023, a conference was convened in Ashrafieh, Lebanon, to shed light on the fate of Artsakh and its indigenous people following the ethnic cleansing committed by Azerbaijan. Titled “Lessons Learned from the Fall of Artsakh,” the conference saw participation from representatives of the state, various political parties, organizations, and clergy.…
– Freedom for the Armenian Prisoners of War and Artsakh leaders held captive by Azerbaijan – The extension of humanitarian assistance to the people of Artsakh – A guarantee by the international community of the right of the indigenous people of Artsakh to return to their homeland His Holiness Catholicos Aram I The…
On Tuesday, October 3rd, 2023, a delegation representing former Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri and the Future Movement visited His Holiness Catholicos Aram I. MP Hagop Pakradouni was also in attendance. Following conveying the former Prime Minister’s warm greetings to His Holiness, the delegation expressed Saad Hariri’s deep concern about the current situation in…
In mid-September, Azerbaijan launched a military operation against the indigenous population of Artsakh, after imposing a nine-month blockade, resulting in the forced displacement of Artsakh Armenians from their homeland. Today, Armenians worldwide are enduring yet another episode of ethnic cleansing all while justice for the Armenian genocide that occurred in 1915 remains elusive. And as…
The Catholicos Aram I has called for “Hamazkayin Zorasharj,” a worldwide mobilization of the Armenian community to protect Artsakh Armenians’ rights and to provide them with essential socioeconomic support. The call is in response to the recent tragic events of ethnic cleansing against the indigenous population of Artsakh. Following consultations with the National Central…
On Wednesday, September 27th, 2023, an online meeting was convened by His Holiness Catholicos Aram I and the prelates of the Holy See of Cilicia. The meeting centered around the strategies to support the people of Artsakh following the recent ethnic cleansing. Catholicos Aram I underscored three main actions: a) Declare Sunday, October…
On Thursday, September 21st, 2023, His Holiness Catholicos Aram I presided over Thanksgiving Prayers for the Republic of Armenia, marking the 32nd anniversary of the Republic of Armenia’s re-independence, along with prayers of solidarity with Artsakh at St. Gregory the Illuminator Cathedral in Antelias. His Holiness blessed the Armenian and Artsakh flags at the end…
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…
Upon the invitation of His Holiness Catholicos Aram I of the Armenian Church, Holy See of Cilicia and with the participation of the spiritual leaders and the representatives of the highest bodies of the three Armenian political parties, a special consultative meeting was held at the Catholicosate in Antelias, with the sole agenda of supporting…
His Holiness Catholicos Aram I addressed his Pontifical Message on the occasion of the 32nd anniversary of the independence of the Republic of Artsakh, emphasizing the importance of lifting the blockade and supporting its right to self-determination. As a God-given right and a major principle of international law, independence is inviolable for any nation. …
On Tuesday, August 22nd, 2023, His Holiness Catholicos Aram I received the Iranian Ambassador to Lebanon, Moujtaba Amini. The main topics of discussion were the Azerbaijani blockade of Artsakh, which has been ongoing since December 2022, and the delayed Lebanese presidential election. As His Holiness described the situation of the indigenous people of…
His Holiness Catholicos Aram I raised the issue of the Artsakh blockade and its dire consequences for the 120,000 indigenous people of Artsakh during the feast organized in his honor by the Canadian ambassador to Lebanon on Thursday, August 17th, 2023, where other ambassadors were also present.The international community should take concrete steps to prevent…
The Pilgrimage Day of St. Mary Monastery in Bikfaya was marked on the evening of Saturday, August 12th, 2023 with a ceremonious Divine Liturgy presided over by His Holiness Catholicos Aram I, who also conducted the blessing of the grapes and madagh (sacrifice) ceremony, and delivered his pontifical message. The solemn Divine Liturgy was celebrated…
The Artsakh National Assembly Speaker Tavit Ishkhanyan held a phone conversation with His Holiness Catholicos Aram I, on Thursday, August 10th, 2023, and expressed his gratitude for His Holiness’ congratulations on his position. Discussing the blockade, Speaker Ishkhanyan specifically mentioned His Holiness’s efforts towards the lifting of the siege and the meetings with ambassadors…
On Thursday, August 10th, 2023, a delegation from the Iranian Embassy in Lebanon visited His Holiness Catholicos Aram I. During the meeting, His Holiness condemned the burning of the Quran in Sweden and emphasized the importance of strengthening the foundations of Christian-Muslim coexistence and dialogue. On this occasion, His Holiness shed light on…
On Wednesday, August 9th, 2023, Joanna Wronecka, Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, visited His Holiness Catholicos Aram I. Two main topics were discussed during the meeting: the blockade of Artsakh by Azerbaijan; and the Lebanese Presidential election. The Holiness highlighted the humanitarian crisis in Artsakh resulting from the illegal blockade of the…
On Tuesday, August 8th, 2023, His Holiness Catholicos Aram I extended a congratulatory letter to Tavit Ishkhanyan for his election as the Speaker of the Artsakh National Assembly. In the letter, His Holiness underscored the immense responsibility assumed by Ishkhanyan in the face of the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Artsakh. His Holiness expressed his…
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 (WCC) calls on Azerbaijan to urgently and immediately lift the blockade on Artsakh. This call comes following a recent communication from His Holiness Catholicos Aram I to the WCC and the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), urging them to once again shed light on the Artsakh situation and denounce…
His Holiness Catholicos Aram I met with the participants of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation’s International Youth Conference and blessed them on Thursday morning, July 27th, 2023. Notably, the launching of this conference, organized by the Lebanese Youth Association (LYA) Central Committee of the ARF, took place in Bikfaya on the same day, with attendees coming…
On Friday 30th, 2023, a phone conversation was held between His Holiness Catholicos Aram I and the President of the Republic of Artsakh, Arayik Harutyunyan, regarding the recent ongoing crisis in the country due to Azerbaijan’s genocidal blockade of Artsakh. His Holiness reaffirmed his solidarity with the Artsakh people and informed the President of…
The Holy See of Cilicia, along with the prelacies as well as the community leadership and affiliated structures throughout the world, expresses its full agreement with the statement issued by the National Assembly of the Republic of Artsakh, rejecting any approach that would consider the Republic of Artsakh as an integral part of the territory…
His Holiness Catholicos Aram I presided over consultation sessions, an initiative of the Khatchig Babiguian Publication Fund committee, dedicated to the centennial of the Treaty of Lausanne, on April 22 to 24, at the Cilicia Museum in Antelias. The consultations aim to shed light on the legal avenues that do not render the historical…
The defence of Artsakh is a critically urgent pan-Armenian imperative today; tomorrow may be too late. The Armenians of Artsakh have repeatedly expressed their collective will for self-determination. The protection of the right of self-determination of the Armenians of Artsakh, and the support of their socio-economic well-being is the sacred duty of every…
On Monday, January 9th, 2023, His Holiness Catholicos Aram I received the Iranian Ambassador to Lebanon Mujtaba Amani, accompanied by the Deputy Ambassador. Two pressing issues were discussed during the meeting: the Lebanese Presidential election; and the urgency of reopening the Lachin Corridor. Regarding the elections, His Holiness and the Ambassador expressed the imperative…
On Wednesday, December 21st, 2022, His Holiness Catholicos Aram I and the President of Artsakh, Arayik Harutyunyan, held a phone conversation during which Harutyunyan briefed His Holiness on the unfolding situation in Artsakh due to the Lachin corridor blockade by Azerbaijan and the efforts towards preventing the worsening of the humanitarian crisis. In turn,…
On Tuesday, December 20th, 2022, the Ambassador of Saudi Arabia to Lebanon Walid bin Abdallah Bukhari visited His Holiness Catholicos Aram I. The Catholicos spoke with the Ambassador about the blockade of the Lachin corridor by Azerbaijan that has caused a precarious humanitarian condition to the indigenous people of Artsakh and asked for the…
The Armenian Church, Holy See of Cilicia condemns, in the strongest possible terms, Azerbaijan’s blockade of the only road connecting Artsakh to Armenia—the Lachin Corridor. The Lachin Corridor is a patent lifeline for the Armenians of Artsakh, secured by the Trilateral Statement of 10 November 2020, to provide them unfettered access to and from Armenia. …
His Holiness Catholicos Aram I extended a congratulatory letter to Emmanuel Macron on the occasion of his re-election as president of France. In his letter, the Catholicos underlines the decisive role of France in the current geopolitical situation, and states that France is called to reiterate its role in defending human rights especially in…
Under the high auspices of His Holiness Catholicos Aram I, on Sunday evening, April 24th, 2022, the “Shnorhali” Choir of the Catholicosate of Cilicia, led by V. Rev. Fr. Zaven Nadjarian and accompanied by Cilicia Band, held a concert of national songs in commemoration of the 107th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, in Liqaa, Rabiew.…
On September 27, 2020, Artsakh was attacked by Azerbaijan, and as a result more than 5000 Armenians were martyred, at least 200 were captured as POWs and hundreds are reported missing until this day, apart from losing our historical lands. This day leaves Armenians around the world in immense agony. The memory of the…
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
Armenians worldwide mark the commemoration of the Armenian Genocide annually on April 24th. On this occasion, His Holiness Aram I presided over the Divine Liturgy celebrated by Bishop Shahe Panossian, Pontifical Vicar of the Armenian Prelacy in Lebanon, at St. Gregory Illuminator Cathedral in Antelias, and delivered his pontifical message. Aram I commenced his…
On 30 July 2019, under the leadership of His Holiness Aram I, the legal team of the Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia filed a case in the 2nd Kozan Court of First Instance against the Kozan Municipality and the Turkish State Treasury for the return of the Monastery and Catherdral of St. Sophia, the historical centre…
Friday, June 28th, 2019 became a significant date for His Holiness Aram I, because it is the day that the Catholicos took the risk and crossed the border to the Northern Cyprus, occupied by Turkey, and paid a visit to the Armenian historical and spiritual centers. Accompanied by Archbishop Khoren Doghramajian, Catholicosal Vicar in…
On September 2nd, 2018, His Holiness Aram I left for Geneva for a short visit where he will confer with the legal committee of the lawsuit filed by the Catholicosate of Cilicia for the return of its historical seat in Sis. Aram I will also hold a meeting with the Preparatory Committee of the “Silk…
On the week of May 14th, members from the legal committee of the lawsuit filed by the Catholicosate of Cilicia for the return of its historical seat in Sis held a work meeting in Antelias under the supervision of His Holiness Aram I. A complete session of the legal committee will take place in the…
(Interview donnée en septembre 2017, dont des extraits ont été diffusés dans le documentaire de l’émission Chrétiens Orientaux « Renaissance des Arméniens au Liban » diffusé le 22.04.2018 sur France 2) Thomas Wallut (Chrétiens Orientaux – France 2) : Sainteté, cent trois ans après le génocide, quelle est la place du Liban dans le cœur des arméniens ?…
A brief comment by H.H. Aram I What happened recently in Armenia was a first step in social transformation. In fact, the people rose against the widening gap between haves and have-nots, the growing corruption, and the dominance of injustice in all aspects and spheres of life in the country. Struggle for social injustice has…
On Friday, April 28th, His Holiness Aram I received Taner Akcam, Turkish historian and expert on the Armenian Genocide, who was accompanied by Ohannes Geukjian, Assistant Professor in the Political Science and Public Administration Department at the American University of Beirut. During the visit, Akcam offered His Holiness a copy of his latest publication…
“THE COMMEMORATION OF THE GENOCIDE IS RECOMMITMENT TO THE STRUGGLE FOR RECOGNITION AND REPARATION” HIS HOLINESS ARAM I 24 April is the day that Armenians all over the world commemorate the Genocide and demand that their stolen rights be restored. The 24th of April is the day to honour the life and legacy of the…
On the morning of April 23rd, 2018, His Holiness Aram I presided over a meeting of the Cilicia Brotherhood, in Antelias. His Holiness took the opportunity to discuss the current political situation unfolding in Armenia. His Holiness stressed that the church, the motherland and its people are one; therefore, the church cannot remain indifferent and…
HIS HOLINESS ARAM I Brussels. Addressing the conference on the Armenian Cause at the European Parliament in Brussels on Thursday 19 October 2017, His Holiness Aram I said, “the Armenian Genocide is no longer an exclusive concern of Armenian-Turkish relations; this well-documented fact of history, the first genocide of the 20th Century, has…
7 September 2017. His Holiness Aram I met with UN special envoy for Syria Steffan de Mistura in The Palais des Nations, the main building of the United Nations Office at Geneva. Also present in the meeting were Prof. Teny Pirri-Simonian, president of the Swiss Armenian Foundation: ARMENOFAS and Rev. Bedros Manuelian, the head of Information and Communication department at the Catholicosate of Holy…
6 September 2017. On Wednesday, His Holiness Aram I met with the deputy foreign minister and director of MENA department at the Swiss Ministry of Foreign Affairs Wolfgang Amadeus Bruelhart in Geneva. Also present in the meeting were Mr. Antoine Laham, assistant to Steffan de Mistura, Prof. Teny Pirri-Simonian, president of the Swiss Armenian Foundation: ARMENOFAS and Rev. Bedros Manuelian, the…
In his reflections at the opening session of the bilateral theological dialogue between the Oriental Orthodox Churches and the World Anglican Communion, at the Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia, in Antelias, Lebanon, His Holiness Aram I described the present ecumenical landscape as one of “stagnation and uncertainty”. In his judgment “the continuous efforts of…
During a special visit to the ANCA offices, on Wednesday 28 September, 2016, His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia, recognized the ANCA’s leadership in advancing the Armenian Cause, bestowing the Knight of Cilicia medal on Executive Director Aram Hamparian, in honor of the ongoing and tireless work of ANCA leaders,…
14 February 2016. A two-day conference to evaluate the 100th Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide Commemorative events was held at the Catholicosate of Cilicia in Antelias. The participants included Mrs Heranoush Hagopian, Minister of Diaspora of Armenia, Mr Ashod Kocharian, Ambassador of Armenia to Lebanon, Diocesan Bishops, members of Genocide Commemoration committees of the region…
Սոյն խօսքը ամփոփումն է Ն.Ս.Օ.Տ.Տ. Արամ Ա. Վեհափառ Հայրապետին պատգամին՝ արտասանուած Պէրնի Մայր Տաճարին մէջ, Զուիցերիայ, Հայոց Ցեղասպանութեան 100-ամեակի նուիրուած միջ-եկեղեցական արարողութեան ընթացքին: This gathering that takes place within the context of the Centennial of the Armenian Genocide has been named Switzerland-Armenia: 100 years of solidarity. As we celebrate this great event,…
Սոյն խօսքը ամփոփումն է Ն.Ս.Օ.Տ.Տ. Արամ Ա. Վեհափառ Հայրապետին պատգամին արտասանուած Զուիցերիոյ մէջ, Հայոց Ցեղասպանութենէն ճողոպրած Պէնյէնի եւ Ժընեւի որբերուն, ինչպէս նաեւ մարդասէր ու հայասէր Պատուելի Անթոնի Քրաֆթ Պոնարտի նուիրուած յիշատակի ձեռնարկի ընթացքին: Vous connaissez la parole de notre Seigneur Jésus Christ, rapportée par l’Evangile de Matthieu (25: 34-6). Jésus dit qu’il a faim, soif,…
In a keynote address at a conference organized by KAICIID on “Supporting the Citizenship Rights of Christians in the Middle East”, His Holiness Aram I developed his reflections in the following four points: The importance of the inter-religious dialogue. Christianity and Islam are monotheistic religions but they are not monolithic, they are different…
Aztag Armenian Daily Newspaper “The main purpose of the lawsuit is to demand the return of the See of the Catholicosate of Cilicia and not financial compensation,” stated Prof. Sofuoglu 1 July 2015. On Wednesday morning, a Press Conference organized by the Communication Department of the Catholicosate of Cilicia was held at the Cilicia Museum Hall…
30 June 2015. On Tuesday evening His Holiness Aram I presided over a special event on the Armenian Genocide organized by the communication department of the Catholicosate of Cilicia. Professor Taner Akçam, Professor of History and the Robert Aram, Marianne Kaloosdian and Stephen and Marian Mugar Chair in Armenian Genocide Studies at Clark University, spoke…
19 June 2015. On Friday His Holiness Aram I was the speaker at the conference dedicated to the Armenian Cause, organized by the Committee for the Defense of the Armenian Cause (CDCA). The conference was held at the Republic Hall of the French Parliament in Paris. Bruno Le Roux, Head of Socialist Group in Parliament…
12 May 2015. While in Washington, His Holiness Aram I met with Dr. Taner Akçam, a member of the international legal team of experts assisting the Catholicos on the lawsuit presented to the Turkish Constitutional Court, which demands the return of its Centre in Sis. After assessing the status of, His Holiness and Dr…
During a recent interview, His Holiness Aram I explained the reasons for the lawsuit filed on 28 April 2015 before the Turkish Constitutional Court demanding the return of the Centre of the Catholicosate in Sis (Kozan). He recounted how the Catholicosate of Cilicia, which had moved to Sis in 1295 in order to accompany…
Leaders and lawyers representing the Catholicosate of Cilicia held a press conference earlier today at the National Press Club to discuss their lawsuit against the Turkish Government seeking the return of the historic seat of the Catholicosate, located in Sis (currently Kozan), one-time capital of Cilician Armenia, reported the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA).…
On Tuesday 28 April 2015, the attorney of the Catholicosate of Cilicia in Turkey submitted a brief to the Constitutional Court in Turkey, requesting the return of its Centre in Sis (Kozan). Convinced that recognition of the Genocide and compensation should go together, His Holiness Aram I, on the year of the 100th…
12 April 2015. In the morning, a special Mass was celebrated in Rome at St. Peter’s Papal Basilica to mark the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. A number of clergy, members of the diplomatic corps, the President of Armenia and a large number of Armenians arriving from different continents attended the service. Quoting a…
On Friday, 19 September 2014, in his address at the opening session of the Armenia-Diaspora Pan Armenian Conference, His Holiness Aram I said that the 100th Anniversary Commemoration of the Armenian Genocide urges Armenians to adopt new strategies for the pursuit of their just cause, and that they must move from demanding recognition to legal…
10 February 2014. In a letter to the Federal Counselor of the Department of Justice and Police, Simonetta Sammaruga, His Holiness Aram I shared the indignation of Armenians with the decision of the European Court of Human Rights on the Perençik case condemning Switzerland. The Catholicos wrote,” legitimization of negationism of the Armenian Genocide by…
On the occasion of his presence in Brussels to address the 3rd Conference of the Armenian Genocide Committees in Europe, Catholicos Aram I of Cilicia had the opportunity to meet the representatives of countries and institutions at the EU during formal dinners. At a luncheon offered by the Ambassador of Lebanon to Belgium, the…
During the closing dinner of the conference organized by the Armenian Genocide Committee in Brussels, His Holiness Aram I addressed the President of Karabagh, the President of the National Assembly of Armenia and the delegates. He said, “the values we cherish as a nation and our common challenges should outweigh our differences and provide the…
In his opening remarks to the 3rd Convention of the European Armenians, His Holiness Aram I urged Turkey to “return the Armenian churches to their legitimate owners, the Armenian people”. Speaking about the Armenian people’s struggle for justice, he said that “Numerous studies, publications, lectures, seminars and conferences, substantiated by historical evidences and eye…
Addressing the Conference of the Armenian Communities and Organizations of Europe, His Holiness Aram I stressed the need “to move from the stage of recognition to reparation in our struggle for justice”. The main item on the agenda of the conference was the Armenian Genocide. Catholicos Aram I expressed his high appreciation to…
13-15 October 2013 the Armenian Genocide Committee in Brussels is holding two meetings to discuss the just cause of the Armenians, organized by the Armenian Cause (Hay Tad) committee in Brussels. The first consultation will address the Armenian representatives of the Hay Tad committees in Europe and will then expand to include non-Armenian jurists…
25 July 2013. Accompanied by five members of the construction projects committee, His Holiness Aram I inspected the site with architects Raffi and Viken Tarkhanian and discussed the progress of the project. The new museum in the old historical building of Bird’s Nest will be completed by 2015 and will tell the story of the…
Recently, a delegation of the Association headed by its General Secretary Sameh Ashouri, also Chairman of the Egyptian Lawyers Syndicate, and Samah Kreisi, Vice Chairman of the Jordanian Lawyers Syndicate, as well as lawyers from Morocco, Syria and Lebanon, accompanied by Member of Parliament Hagop Pakradouni met with His Holiness Aram I. The delegation and…
General Assembly of the Catholicosate of Cilicia (12-15 June 2013) Restoration of our Just Rights should be the axis of 100th Anniversary Commemorations of the Armenian Genocide The 100 delegates, comprising clergy and laity from the Dioceses of the Catholicosate and special guests, concluded their work under the leadership of His Holiness Aram I.…
His Holiness Karekin II Catholicos of All Armenians, Holy See of Etchmiadzin His Holiness Aram I Catholicos of Cilicia, Holy See of Cilicia We demand that Turkey return our confiscated Churches and Church Properties In 2015, Armenians living in the Republics of Armenia and Karabagh and in the diaspora will commemorate the…
On Wednesday 24 April 2013, after the Holy Liturgy and the Memorial Service in front of the Martyr’s Chapel, His Holiness Aram I addressed the thousands of people who had come to honour their martyrs. The Catholicos said, “The memory of our one-and-a-half million martyrs of the 1915 Genocide, organized and implemented by Ottoman…
On Sunday 22 April 2013, His Holiness Aram I organzed a special reception in honor of the President of the Federation of Protestant Churches in Switzerland Dr. Gottfried Locher at the Main Hall of the Catholicosate. Catholicos Aram I had invited Dr. Locher and Rev. Serge Fornerod the Chief Officer for Ecumenical and International relations…
“OUR UNITED POSITION AND OUR DEMNAD FOR COMPENSATION SHOULD BE THE FOCUS OF THE 100th ANNIVERSARY COMMEMORATIONS OF THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE” SAID HIS HOLINESS ARAM I On 6 April 2013, His Holiness Aram I opened the consultation organized by the Lebanon Committee of the 100th Anniversary Commemoration of the Armenian Genocide, held at the…
1 February 2013. The members met with His Holiness Aram I in his office and reported on their activities and future plans. After listening to the committee’s plans and a brief discussion, the Catholicos proposed that the committee focus its work not only on commemoration but also on activities that would reclaim the stolen…
