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:

FIRST MEETING OF WORLD COUNCIL OF CHURCHES
NEW CENTRAL COMMITTEE

The first meeting of the World Council of Churches new Central Committee
started on Wednesday, August 30, 2006, in Geneva.

The Armenian Church is participating in this meeting with two delegations:
Bishop Vicken Aikazian and Mrs. Paula Devedjian on behalf of the
Catholicosate of All Armenians, and Bishop Nareg Alemezian and Dr. Nora
Bairakdarian-Kabakian representing the Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia.

The new Central Committee was elected last February by the 9th Assembly of
the WCC in Porto Alegre, Brazil. His Holiness Aram I has been the moderator
of the WCC Central and Executive committees for an unprecedented two terms
from 1991 through 2006.

30 August-September 6 meeting mainly concentrated on outlining the Council
‘s projects for the coming seven years.

Besides participating in the plenary and group deliberations, Bishop Nareg
and Dr. Nora held meetings and interviews regarding their views on
ecumenical issues and especially on the Israeli invasion of Lebanon and its
repercussions.

In the Public Issues Committee, Dr. Nora greatly assisted in the
composition of the statement on Lebanon and presented it to the plenary.

Bishop Nareg met with the representatives of the Christian world
communions and on behalf of His Holiness Aram I expressed thanks for their
solidarity during the latest crisis in Lebanon and their collaboration with
the Holy See of Cilicia.

The Armenian Church will have the following representatives in the WCC
Consultative Bodies for the next seven years:
a.. Faith and Order Standing Commission
Bishop Nathan Hovhannissian (Catholicosate of All Armenians, Armenia)
a.. Faith and Order Plenary Commission
Bishop Vicken Aikazian (Catholicosate of All Armenians, Armenia)
Bishop Anoushavan Tanielian (Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia, Lebanon)
a.. Commission on World Mission and Evangelism
Ms. Nayiri Baldjian (Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia, Lebanon)
a.. Commission of the Churches on International Affairs
Ms. Tsovinar Ghazaryan (Catholicosate of All Armenians, Armenia)
Ms. Vanna Kitsinian (Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia, Lebanon)
a.. Joint Working Group between the Roman Catholic Church and the World
Council of Churches
Bishop Vicken Aikazian (Catholicosate of All Armenians, Armenia)
a.. Joint Commission between Christian World Communions and the World
Council of Churches
Bishop Nareg Alemezian, Moderator (Armenian Catholicosate of
Cilicia, Lebanon)
a.. Youth Body
Ms. Nayiri Baldjian (Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia, Lebanon)

Before returning to Antelias, Bishop Nareg had meetings with the senior
staff of the WCC and underlined the commitment of the Armenian Catholicosate
of Cilicia to the ecumenical movement on global, regional and local levels.

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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.