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PRESS RELEASE
Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, Information Services
Address: Vagharshapat, Republic of Armenia
Contact: Rev. Fr. Ktrij Devejian
Tel: (374 10) 517 163
Fax: (374 10) 517 301
E-Mail: [email protected]
August 29, 2005
His Holiness Karekin II Receives Canadian Bishops
On August 26, His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos
of All Armenians, received the delegation of Canadian Church leaders
visiting Armenia on the occasion of the 1600th Anniversary of the
Creation of the Armenian Alphabet. They were accompanied by His Grace
Bishop Yeznik Petrosian, Director of the Department of Inter-Church
Relations, and His Grace Bishop Bagrat Galstanian, Primate of the
Armenian Diocese of Canada.
His Holiness welcomed the guests to the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin
and introduced the high-ranking leaders of the prominent Churches in
Canada to the history and mission of the Armenian Church. The Pontiff
of All Armenians stated, "Your presence here, in the spiritual center
of all Armenians, strengthens and assists our Church on the path of
achieving our sacred mission. Your unprecedented visit to Armenia
is the living testimony of the warm and close relations that exist
between our sister Churches, not only on the level of spiritual leaders
and heads of churches, but also within and throughout our diocesan
and parochial structures. Your visit is also a wonderful expression
of the positive ties between Armenia and Canada that have developed
since our independence nearly fifteen years ago. It is joyful for
us that the fraternal solidarity, cooperation and Christian love
are prevalent throughout all of our diasporan communities, wherever
Armenians have settled and created." The Catholicos further presented
the guests with a brief overview of the social, educational and
spiritual work being done by the Church in various spheres of life,
and expressed his appreciation to Bishop Bagrat for his devoted and
fruitful service to the Church and his faithful flock.
Additionally, the Catholicos of All Armenians spoke of the recognition
and condemnation of the Armenian Genocide by the Canadian parliament
in 2004, and expressed his high appreciation to the Church leaders
for their support and solidarity in the political process, as well
as for their personal participation and prayers offered during the
90th Anniversary Commemoration events in Canada earlier this year.
His Eminence Archbishop Andrew Hutchison, Primate of the Anglican
Church of Canada; His Eminence Archbishop Sotirios, Greek Orthodox
Metropolitan of Canada; His Excellency Archbishop Brendan O'Brien,
President for the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops and
Prof. Dr. Richard Schneider, President of the Canadian Council of
Churches each in turn thanked His Holiness for the invitation to visit
Armenia on a pilgrimage and for the warm reception and hospitality they
have been receiving. In the course of the meeting, the participants
also spoke of the challenges facing the Christian Churches in the
21st century and discussed possible spheres of further cooperation
and unification of efforts in the future.
Very Rev. Fr. Sasoon Zumrookhdian, Vicar of the Diocese of Gougark,
also attended the meeting.
In the afternoon, following their meeting with His Holiness, the
Canadian Church leaders visited the Tsitsernakaberd Memorial to the
Armenian Genocide in Yerevan, where they laid a wreath dedicated to
the solemn memory of the 1.5 million victims of the first genocide
of the 20th century.
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Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, Information Services
Address: Vagharshapat, Republic of Armenia
Contact: Rev. Fr. Ktrij Devejian
Tel: (374 10) 517 163
Fax: (374 10) 517 301
E-Mail: [email protected]
August 29, 2005
His Holiness Karekin II Receives Canadian Bishops
On August 26, His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos
of All Armenians, received the delegation of Canadian Church leaders
visiting Armenia on the occasion of the 1600th Anniversary of the
Creation of the Armenian Alphabet. They were accompanied by His Grace
Bishop Yeznik Petrosian, Director of the Department of Inter-Church
Relations, and His Grace Bishop Bagrat Galstanian, Primate of the
Armenian Diocese of Canada.
His Holiness welcomed the guests to the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin
and introduced the high-ranking leaders of the prominent Churches in
Canada to the history and mission of the Armenian Church. The Pontiff
of All Armenians stated, "Your presence here, in the spiritual center
of all Armenians, strengthens and assists our Church on the path of
achieving our sacred mission. Your unprecedented visit to Armenia
is the living testimony of the warm and close relations that exist
between our sister Churches, not only on the level of spiritual leaders
and heads of churches, but also within and throughout our diocesan
and parochial structures. Your visit is also a wonderful expression
of the positive ties between Armenia and Canada that have developed
since our independence nearly fifteen years ago. It is joyful for
us that the fraternal solidarity, cooperation and Christian love
are prevalent throughout all of our diasporan communities, wherever
Armenians have settled and created." The Catholicos further presented
the guests with a brief overview of the social, educational and
spiritual work being done by the Church in various spheres of life,
and expressed his appreciation to Bishop Bagrat for his devoted and
fruitful service to the Church and his faithful flock.
Additionally, the Catholicos of All Armenians spoke of the recognition
and condemnation of the Armenian Genocide by the Canadian parliament
in 2004, and expressed his high appreciation to the Church leaders
for their support and solidarity in the political process, as well
as for their personal participation and prayers offered during the
90th Anniversary Commemoration events in Canada earlier this year.
His Eminence Archbishop Andrew Hutchison, Primate of the Anglican
Church of Canada; His Eminence Archbishop Sotirios, Greek Orthodox
Metropolitan of Canada; His Excellency Archbishop Brendan O'Brien,
President for the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops and
Prof. Dr. Richard Schneider, President of the Canadian Council of
Churches each in turn thanked His Holiness for the invitation to visit
Armenia on a pilgrimage and for the warm reception and hospitality they
have been receiving. In the course of the meeting, the participants
also spoke of the challenges facing the Christian Churches in the
21st century and discussed possible spheres of further cooperation
and unification of efforts in the future.
Very Rev. Fr. Sasoon Zumrookhdian, Vicar of the Diocese of Gougark,
also attended the meeting.
In the afternoon, following their meeting with His Holiness, the
Canadian Church leaders visited the Tsitsernakaberd Memorial to the
Armenian Genocide in Yerevan, where they laid a wreath dedicated to
the solemn memory of the 1.5 million victims of the first genocide
of the 20th century.
##