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 CATHOLICOSATE OF CILICIA PARTICIPATES IN THE PREPARATORY SESSIONS FOR
THE 9TH
ASSEMBLY OF WCC

In preparation for the 9th Assembly of the World Council of Churches (WCC)
to be held in the Brazilian city of Porto Alegre in February 2006, the WCC
Middle East Pre-Assembly held sessions in the St. Cross Church of the Greek
Orthodox Patriarchate in Damascus on September 27-October 1. The theme of
the meetings was “God, in Your Grace transform the world.”

Representatives from different religious communities, church youth
organizations, religious and secular individuals participated in the
sessions. Archbishop Sebouh Sarkisian (Primate of the Diocese of Tehran) and
Dr. Jan Salmanian from Lebanon participated in the meetings on behalf of the
Catholicosate of Cilicia.

The Head of the Greek Orthodox Church, Patriarch Iknadios Hazim, delivered
the opening remarks of the sessions, which started after his prayers.

The participants raised a number of issues to be discussed by the 9th
Assembly of WCC:

· The current situation of Christians in the churches of the Middle East in
general and in Palestine and Iraq in particular.
· The emigration of Christians from the churches of the Middle East.
·The importance of Christian-Muslim dialogue and the necessity of
strengthening it.

University students representing different churches also attended the
sessions. Hrair Djamboulian participated on behalf of the Armenian Church
University Students’ Association (ACUSA).

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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 Ecumenical
activities 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.