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:

THE CATHOLIC CHURCH OF VENEZUELA RECOGNIZES THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

The committee of the Catholic Churches of Venezuela unanimously recognized
and condemned the Armenian Genocide on August 3.

The committee adopted a resolution during its annual conference in response
to the efforts of the spiritual leader of the country’s Armenian community,
Archbishop Gomidas Ohanian and officials from the Diocese. The resolution
aims at preventing the recurrence of genocides in the future.

“We, the members of the Plenary Council of the Catholic Church of Venezuela,
having held our sessions, and considering that the year 2005 marks the 90th
Anniversary of the first Genocide planned and organized in the Twentieth
Century:

1.. Do hereby condemn such criminal act against humanity committed against
the Armenian People and pray that such actions may never be repeated between
human beings, all brothers to one another, and sons of God Almighty.

2.. Do hereby express our Christian solidarity to the memory of faithful
Armenian Christians, who preferred death rather than renouncing their faith.

3.. Do hereby express the Armenian People of Venezuela and the authorities
of the Apostolic Armenian Church, our support to their just humanitarian
claims as a people, which have been postponed for so long, and offer our
prayers for their cultural integrity and their right to religious freedom.”

Archbishop Gomidas has been attending the conferences of the committee for
six consecutive years and has been working towards securing this recognition
following instructions and advice from His Holiness Aram I.

The National Assembly of Venezuela recognized the Armenian Genocide in a
resolution adopted on July 14.

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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.