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 VISITS THE CANADIAN CENTER FOR ECUMENISM
His Holiness Aram I visited the Canadian Center for Ecumenism on September
27. Prelate of Canada, Archbishop Khajag Hagopian, V Rev Fr Krikor
Chiftjian, Rev Fr Housig Mardirosian and Rev Karnig Koyuonian accompanied
His Holiness.
Dr. Stuart E. Brown, director of the Canadian Center for Ecumenism greeted
His Holiness Aram I. A meeting was held between His Holiness and the
Orthodox, Catholic, Anglican and Evangelical members of the council as well
as the employees of the Center.
Dr. Brown welcomed His Holiness Aram I as an international leader in the
ecumenical sphere. The director spoke about the Center’s activities on a
regional level.
His Holiness Aram I spoke about ecumenical life today and particularly the
future projects and the work carried out by the World Council of Churches
(WCC) and the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC).
The participants in the meeting talked about the importance of ecumenical
movements for churches, pointing out that ecumenism paved the way to a
mutual recognition of one another and tolerance, which in turn brought
various Christian Churches together.
Inter-faith dialogues and possibilities of cooperation between various
existing religions featured high on the agenda. His Holiness Aram I
emphasized the importance of improving the quality of Christian-Muslim
dialogue conferences taking place in various countries through the efforts
of WCC. He stressed that these conferences need to become more than
occasional meetings.
“Churches and religions can not isolate themselves in today’s borderless
society. Religions and particularly Christian churches should recognize one
another, tolerate their differences and look for means of cooperation,” said
His Holiness.
Upon the request of the center’s director, His Holiness also talked about
his theological views. The attendants seemed to be familiar with these views
through the Catholicos’ published works and articles, and they asked several
questions to His Holiness.
Discussions continued over the lunch organized by the Center in honor of
His Holiness Aram I. Future plans for cooperation with the Armenian Church
were also discussed.
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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 dioceses 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.