CATHOLICOS OF GREAT HOUSE OF CILICIA EMPHASIZES NECESSITY TO TURN
INTERCHURCH DIALOGUE INTO COOPERATION

GENEVE, JUNE 10, NOYAN TAPAN. “Religions have been opposed to each
other for many years. Then opposing turned into a competition. During
the last ten-years, religions opened a new page of mutual
understanding through the dialogue. It is necessary that the dialogue
turns into a cooperation,” Aram I, Catholicos of the Great House of
Cilicia stated this, opening the International Interreligious Assembly
in Geneve. Aram I Catholicos presided the above-mentioned assembly and
was its main speaker. In his speech lasted for about an hour, Aram I
Catholicos first characterized the present world with its positive and
negative developments, then emphasized the religion’s role in the
present public life. His Holiness also touched upon those main
principals which must make advances in the interreligious dialogue,
spoke about those public values existing in religions which must be a
base for the interreligious dialogue, cooperation and coexistence.

Aram I Catholicos touched upon the moral authority of religions,
especially in the present world being in alarms. In the conclusion of
his speech, His Holiness called religions on together life, with
keeping thier independence and withstand the world’s alarms on the
basis of public values. He also stressed the imperative necessity of
leading the human society to justice and peace. As Noyan Tapan was
informed from the Patriarchate’s Press Service of the Great House of
Cilicia, more than 150 participants of the assembly welcome the speech
of His Holiness Aram I with great enthusiasm. During the
questions-answers held after Aram I Catholicos’ speech, a Turkish
University professor participating in the assembly asked if “religions
must not educate new generations with antipathy to other nations,”
which Aram I Catholicos answered: “It is true: love, mutual
understanding and respect must become a base for all religions’
education. But we must not forget about people’s collective memory. We
must not forget the done evil. We must not ignore the justice’s and
human rigths’ violation. A healthy education must never accept such an
approach.” His Holiness stressed that one may not speak about
phenomena and criticize them ignoring thier reasons: “Why is there an
antipathy, why is there a negative approach. Hence, the collective
memory has an important place and role in education.” Representatives
of the all world religions participated in the assembly held on the
Churches’ World Council’s initiative.