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
Armenian version:
AN INTER-DIOCESE YOUTH MEETING IN BIKFAYA
THE YOUTH SHOULD DISCUSS TOMORROW’S
AGENDA TODAY
Says His Holiness Aram I
The official opening of an inter-Diocese youth meeting of the Catholicosate
of Cilicia was held on August 25 in the St. Asdvadzadzine Monastery in
Bikfaya. The meeting, organized by the youth department of the Catholicosate
of Cilicia, brings together 30 young men and women from the worldwide
Dioceses of the Armenian Catholicosate.
The director of the Catholicosate’s youth department, Rev. Fr. Keghart
Kusbekian delivered the opening remarks emphasizing the Church’s dedication
to its people and the importance it gives to the youth.
His Holiness Aram I welcomed the participants and talked about the
challenges today’s youth face. His Holiness considered the church-youth
mutual relationship to be one of these challenges. He talked about the
difficulties this relationship faces and the new meaning it should be given
in today’s world.
His Holiness considered the youth’s involvement in the church as essential.
“The church should attract its youth and delegate important tasks and
responsibilities to them. The youth succeeds when it discusses tomorrow’s
agenda today,” said His Holiness.
“The youth should not assume the role of observers; they should play the
role of participants. They shouldn’t passive players; they should be
leaders. The youth should not be left for tomorrow; its potentials should be
used up today.”
The Pontiff then talked about the extreme approach of the youth to
completely change everything. He talked about the positive and negative
aspects of this approach.
“The youth should avoid the tendency to preserve what’s old, but also from
the recklessness of destroying what’s at hand. What we have today in our
lives might be old and worn out, but it has been built by the hard work,
seat and blood of many long years. What we have today includes our nations’
collective experience and memory and thus can’t be destroyed by one strike,”
said His Holiness.
“On the other hand, we should not keep them as they are. Rather, we should
renew them, make them fit today’s challenges. Destroying is easy, but
building is very difficult.”
His Holiness then outlined several points that would set the direction of
the meeting:
a.. To present the true identity of the Armenian Church.
b.. To stress the importance of spiritual values.
c.. To search for moral values.
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View pictures here:
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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
jurisdiction and the youth activities in both the Catholicosate and the
dioceses, you may refer to the web page of the Catholicosate,
The Cilician Catholicosate, the administrative
center of the church is located in Antelias, Lebanon.