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: cathcil@cathcil.org
Web:
PO Box 70 317
Antelias-Lebanon
Armenian version:
IN HIS REPORT TO THE CENTRAL COMMITTEE
OF THE WCC HIS HOLINESS CALLED FOR THE REDISCOVERY OF THE CHUCRH’S HEALING
MINISTRY
In his annual report to the Central Committee of the World Council of
Churches His Holiness Aram I, the Moderator of the WCC, focused his
reflections on the healing ministry of the church. He said: “The dawn of the
21st century is marked by growing uncertainty and anxiety. The world in
which we live is broken, a world dominated by evil forces that are
generating a culture of violence and hopelessness. The world is in desperate
need of healing in almost all spheres of human life”. The renewed concern
and awareness towards healing in a new world context raises for the
churches, His Holiness said, “fundamental theological, missiological,
ethical and pastoral questions that require critical scrutiny”.
Catholicos Aram I started his theological and missiological analysis by
healing as the “transforming, empowering and reconciling missionary action
of the church”. He referred to healing as a vital dimension of the Church’s
ministry and an ecumenical priority. Speaking about healing as a missionary
concern, His Holiness said that “healing is an ontological and not a
functional reality. It pertains to the essence of the Church”. He emphasized
the importance of “holistic approach” to healing and called for the
integration of “scientific healing” and “divine healing”.
Catholicos Aram I developed his reflections under three major healings:
healing as transforming, healing as empowering, healing as reconciling.
1) As transforming power of God “healing is the beginning of new life in
Christ. It is the restoration of the brokenness of life. It is the recovery
of life’s wholeness. The Christian understanding of healing is ultimately
salvation”.
2) Healing is God’s power acting through the Holy Spirit in Jesus
Christ (Lk. 4: 14)”. Human power is “ambiguous and ambivalent”. Catholicos
Aram I called for “a moral criterion in the exercise of power to avoid the
misuse and abuse of power”. Speaking about the importance of transforming
the ambiguity of power, Aram I stressed the need to move “From violent to
non-violent power; from sufficiency to vulnerability of power; from absolute
to accountable power; from centralized to shared power”. Speaking about the
Christian perception of power, he said: “God’s power is revealed through the
powerlessness, God’s powerlessness is life-generating; it is the church’s
source of empowering”.
3) Reconciliation is a significant feature of healing: “The Christ event
is a source and a message of reconciliation” said His Holiness, and focused
his analysis on confession and forgiveness as the way towards
reconciliation. In this context, Aram I considered forgiveness “a gift and a
task”. He said that “forgiving is not ignoring the past. The acceptance of
truth is precondition for forgiveness. And forgiveness must lead to
reconciling memories and it must generate justice”.
His Holiness called the churches to renew their mission of healing: “Today,
the brokenness of the world is being experienced existentially and acutely.
Humanity is caught in a state of deep fear and insecurity. The world is
increasingly becoming confusing and threatening. Lack of mutual trust and
tolerance between communities is polarizing them and making them more
violent. Is there any more credible and urgent mission for the church than
to become a true instrument of God’s healing, transforming, empowering and
reconciling power? Against human power Christ revealed His powerlessness;
against human pride He revealed His humility; against human hatred He
revealed His love; against human divisions He revealed His reconciliation;
against human sin He revealed His salvation; against human death He revealed
His life. This is the way of Christ. This must became the way of His church.
God’s mission calls for a healing church in the midst of a broken,
fragmented and alienated world”.
Read the full text of the WCC Moderator’s report to Central Committee here
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View printable pictures here:
res63.htm
ictures64.htm
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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 Ecumenical
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.