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:

HIS HOLINESS INTERSPERSES CHRISM WITH THE WATERS OF THE EUPHRATES,
A SILENT WITNESS TO THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

Antelias, Lebanon – His Holiness Aram I held a water blessing ceremony and a
baptism service at the bank of the Euphrates River, where he stopped on his
way to a pilgrimage to Der-Zor on the 90th anniversary of the Armenian
Genocide. A large number of pilgrims attended the services at the river, a
silent witness of the Armenian Genocide.

His Holiness sprinkled chrism into the Euphrates and said: “90 years after
the Armenian Genocide, this river became holly today, when it embodied the
thousands of people of our nation that surrendered to its waves for their
religion, faith and honor.”

“This river became holly today, so that 90 years later it can bless with
chrism the thousands of new-born, non-baptized babies who were seized from
their mothers’ warm laps and thrown into its waters,” he continued.

His Holiness also baptized two children at the bank of the river. On the
90th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide this baptism came to symbolize the
immortality of the Armenian nation that was reborn from the massacres and
exile and that resurrected from the horrors and death.

“These two children whom we baptized in the Euphrates symbolize our people’s
resurrection. Many thousands of new children were born for those thousands
who were thrown into this river by the Turks. These new children became the
heirs of our deported nation. From now on, this river is no longer a symbol
of death for us; it’s a symbol for rebirth,” said His Holiness.

After baptizing the children in the Euphrates, His Holiness blessed them
with chrism. The pilgrims sang “Kilikia” and other songs for the memory of
their victims.

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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.