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:
HIS HOLINESS ARAM I HAS BEEN ELECTED PRESIDENT OF "RELIGIONS FOR PEACE"
GLOBAL INTER-RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATION
Meeting in Kyoto, Japan (August 26-29, 2006) for its Eight Assembly,
the Religions for Peace, the global inter-religious organization has
elected His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of Cilicia, as one of its
honorary presidents.
Founded in 1970 as an international, nonsectarian organization,
Religions for Peace is now the largest coalition of the world’s
religious communities.
The Religions for Peace Eighth World Assembly returned to Kyoto, the
site of its historic first Assembly in 1970. Since then, Religions
for Peace World Assemblies in Louvain, Belgium (1974), Princeton,
New Jersey, USA (1979), Nairobi, Kenya (1984), Melbourne, Australia
(1989), Rome, Italy (1994) and Amman, Jordan (1999), have brought
the world’s religious communities together to address the critical
global challenges of our time from a faith perspective.
The Religions for Peace Eighth World Assembly was the world’s
largest and most diverse multi-religious assembly. More than 800
high level delegates came from the Religions for Peace network
of more than 70 national and regional affiliated inter-religious
councils and groups. It also included Buddhist, Christian, Hindu,
Jain, Jewish, Muslim, Sikh, Shinto, Zoroastrian and Indigenous
leaders. Representatives of governments, development agencies and
civil society also attended the Assembly.
The Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi welcomed the religious
leaders at the opening ceremony. In his message, the UN Secretary
General Kofi Annan wrote, "By standing together in multi-religious
alliances, you are well-placed to be effective agents for peace".
Due to the situation in Lebanon, His Holiness Aram I was not able to
attend the Assembly. Commenting on the Assembly, Catholicos Aram I
said: "Religions must become the avant-garde of global struggle for
peace with justice".
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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