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 GENERAL SECRETARY OF MECC IN ANTELIAS
The General Secretary of MECC Dr. Gerges Saleh met with His Holiness
Aram I on Monday 13 March 2006 in his residence in the headquarters
of the Armenian Catholicosate. In this meeting, which precedes the
meeting of the Executive Committee of MECC, among several issues,
the restructuring of Council, Council-member churches relations,
and Christian-Muslim dialogue were given a particular attention.
His Holiness Aram I shared with the General Secretary the following
perspectives:
1- The restructuring of the MECC is a must. In this process, the new
realities of the region and the concerns and needs of the churches
must be taken seriously into account. The churches must become fully
part of this process.
2- Ecumenical partnership with the western churches, ecumenical
organizations and partners is vital for the Council in many
respects. We need to deepen and enlarge the scope of this
partnership. However the particularity and integrity of our ecumenical
work must be clearly spelled out by establishing our own priorities,
our own methodologies and our own way of organizing the ecumenical
life and work in the Middle East.
3- The Christian-Muslim dialogue must remain a major area of priority
concern. The Council must organize the dialogue in a way that member
churches are directly engaged in this important process.
His Holiness Aram I also met Mr. Gaby Habib, the former General
Secretary of MECC. Actually, Mr. Habib resides in Washington and he is
engaged in ecumenical activities, particularly with those communities
and churches who have their headquarters in the Middle East. His
Holiness emphasized the importance of deepening the collaboration
between the churches of the Middle East and the USA in general, and
the Orthodox churches in particular. His Holiness welcomed the new
ecumenical process namely, Acting Churches Together in the USA. He
said that all the churches of the USA must take part in this process
and in all ecumenical initiatives and actions. Ecumenism should be
an open space for all churches. Otherwise, ecumenism is used for
non-ecumenical purposes.
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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 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.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress