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:
“BEI NG CHRISTIAN MEANS CARRYING EACH OTHER’S BURDENS”
SAID HIS HOLINESS ARAM I
His Holiness Aram I met on March 7 with Armenian women who attend the
sessions delivered every Tuesday by members of the Cilician Brotherhood on
spiritual issues and biblical contemplation.
Addressing about 150 women, His Holiness first of all stressed the
importance of giving life to biblical values and principles. “One should not
only study the Bible, one should live it. One should not only read the
Bible, but also follow it. Christianity is life, it is a quality of life; it
is a path and aim of life. This is what Jesus Christ preached,” His Holiness
said.
Citing a section of the Bible where humans are advised to carry each other’s
burdens, His Holiness said: “Jesus-Christ carried the burden of all humans
by being crucified. As followers of Christ, we are obliged to carry each
other’s burdens. Each of us has various burdens. It is essential to help one
another, understand each other and share one another’s pain. This is an
imperative of love, which forms the basis of our Christian life. Instead of
being indifferent to one another, gossiping about each other, we should show
affectionate behaviour towards each other in our families, organisations,
community and national life.”
His Holiness then encouraged participants to ask him questions about issues
related to their everyday lives. The attendants asked a number of questions
about schools, religious and Armenian education, marriage with foreigners,
the youth, sects and the church. His Holiness answered the questions sharing
the concerns of the attendants on the one hand and criticising some negative
aspects of the community’s life on the other hand. His Holiness expressed
his readiness to help Armenians in their problems through the Armenian
National Prelacy and with the help of members of the Cilician Brotherhood.
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View photos here: tm
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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 Christian Education 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.