CATHOLICOS OF ALL ARMENIANS TO LEAVE FOR ISTANBUL FOR WEEK
Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Jun 19 2006
YEREVAN, JUNE 19, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. Karekin II Catholicos
of All Armenians will leave for Istanbul for a week.
Ara Gochunian, the editor-in-chief of the Istanbul "Zhamanak" (Time)
newspaper informed Radio Liberty, that "as in the case of Karekin I,
it is a return visit for the visit paid by Supreme Patriarch of the
Greek Orthodox Church Bartholomew I, who participated in 2001 in the
closing ceremony of the event dedicated to the 1700th anniversary of
adopting Christianity as the state religion in Armenia." At the same
time, according to the same source, His Holiness Patriarch pays the
first patriarchal visit to Istanbul during his enthronement.
Unlike the visit paid by latter Karekin I Catholicos, the Istanbul
viceregent will receive His Holiness Karekin II. "Vazgen I Catholicos
once visited Ankara as well where he met with high-ranking officials
of the capital of Turkey. The present visit of the Catholicos of
All Armenians is not official, has a status of an interchuch visit,"
Ara Gochunian mentioned.