PRESS RELEASE
Catholicosate of Cilicia
Communication and Information Department
Tel: (04) 410001, 410003
Fax: (04) 419724
E- mail: [email protected]
Web:
PO Box 70 317
Antelias-Lebanon
Armenian version:
The Christian presence in Jerusalem
Is in jeopardy
Declared His Holiness Aram I
ANTELIAS, LEBANON – Referring to the recent attack of a Yeshiva student
on Archbishop Nourhan Manougian, the Armenian Orthodox Archbishop in
Jerusalem, His Holiness Aram I made the following statement to the
press. “The news reaching from the Christian quarter of Jerusalem are
worrying and disturbing. The Churches and Christians in Jerusalem are
increasingly witnessing the kind of incidents and situations which
clearly indicate the existence of a well planned Israeli policy of
Judiazation of Jerusalem. In fact, different manifestations of this
policy are forcing the Christians to migration. It is a fact that the
numerical size of Christian communities is very much reduced and the
activities of the churches are getting limited”.
Expressing his deep concern about this situation, His Holiness Aram
I stated. “We cannot remain silent and indifferent in view of these
attempts aimed at de-Christianization of Jerusalem. Jerusalem has
been the birthplace of Christianity. Its Christian identity must be
preserved it. The right and privileges of all religious communities
must be protected. Jerusalem must become a city of dialogue,
tolerance and peace. The Judiazation of Jerusalem will greatly harm
the peace process in the region. Therefore, we urgently appeal to
the international community to take this matter very seriously.
More than at any time, at this critical point of the history of
humanity, mutual respect and tolerance between religions, nations
and communities must constitute the firm bases of all societies”.
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The Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia is one of the two Catholicosates
of the Armenian Orthodox Church. For detailed information about
the history and the mission of the Cilician Catholicosate, you may
refer to the web page of the Catholicosate,
The Cilician Catholicosate, the administrative center of the church
is located in Antelias, Lebanon.