PRESS RELEASE
Catholicosate of Cilicia
Communication and Information Department
Contact: V. Rev. Fr. Krikor Chiftjian, Communications Officer
Tel: (04) 410001, 410003
Fax: (04) 419724
E- mail: [email protected]
Web:
PO Box 70 317
Antelias-Lebanon
HIS HOLINESS ARAM I
ENGAGES IN DIALOGUE WITH UNIVERSITY STUDENTS
ANTELIAS, LEBANON – From the very outset of his pontificate His Holiness
Aram I has given a priority attention to the youth in general and to the
college and university students in particular, considering them a vital
dimension of the life of the Armenian Church and Nation. Through his
lectures and messages His Holiness has always advocated the importance of
engaging in dialogue with the Youth and students. In fact, the annual
meetings, organized by Armenian Church University Student Association, gives
His Holiness an opportunity to share with the young people his concerns,
perspectives and expectations. He also carefully listens to them.
“Dialogue is talking and listening, giving and taking. It is mutually
enriching and challenging process. A life of monologue is a source of
stagnation. A life of dialogue is a source of creativity and progress”. With
this pertinent remark His Holiness started his talk with the university
students in his residence at the Catholicosate in Antelias. The main topic
of the reflection of His Holiness was the correct perception of “value”. He
said: “what we mean by value? How should we define it? What should be the
role of value in the life of a person or a religion or a community? What is
the connection between value and criterion? What kind of value system should
we have in our society?”
In answering to these questions, His Holiness provided a broader definition
of value; he identified different categories of values then he focused his
reflection on moral values, regarding them the basis of all kinds of values,
including religious. Catholicos Aram paid a special attention to the way the
moral values are perceived and implemented in the Armenian life. According
to him, there is a growing decay of moral values in all spheres of Armenian
life, in Armenia and in the worldwide Armenian Diaspora. He said that we
cannot have healthy society without moral values. In this context His
Holiness emphasized the role of the church which must become not only the
preacher and the reminder of the crucial importance of moral values, but it
must live out the imperatives and challenges of moral values in its own life
and witness.
The gathering with youth and students started with the greeting of V.Rev.
Keghart Kusbekian, the Youth director of the Catholicosate. He was followed
by Mr. Alexander Belopopsky the Communication Director of the WCC, who was
attending an ecumenical conference taking place at the Catholicosate.
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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 youth
activities 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.