ARMENIAN SPIRITUAL LEADER VISITS CITY
By Steve Linsenmayer

Fort Wayne Journal Gazette, IN
Dec 5 2006

His church is small minority in Lebanon

Aram I (Aram the First,) the spiritual leader of the Holy See of
Cilicia of the Armenian Apostolic Church, made a visit to Fort Wayne
on Monday.

For area developer Zohrab Tazian, who hosted the visit with his wife,
Naomi, it was a moving day.

"I have been away from the mainstream Armenian community. This brings
the Armenian community back to me."

Aram I, who oversees the dioceses of Lebanon, Syria and Cyprus,
performed a blessing in the entryway of the north-side Fort Wayne
home. Among the 100 luncheon guests were Bishop John M. D’Arcy and
Rep. Mark Souder, R-3rd District.

Aram I made his Fort Wayne visit en route to events at the University
of Notre Dame and St. John’s University in Minnesota, where he will
receive the 2006 Pax Christi Award.

Home is Antelias, Lebanon, only 15 miles from Beirut. Recent troubles
there have left the Armenian Church relatively unscathed, but, says
Aram, not without responsibilities in the conflict.

"Being Christian means to have the courage to face challenges," he
said. "According to the Bible, St. Paul says that we are given the
task of reconciliation.

"The role of the church should be reconciliation, the bridge-building
role. We’re trying to be responsive to realities, to challenges.

"Of course you know we are a small minority there," he said.

"It’s not an easy way of life, but we have to do that."

He also spoke of the importance of remembering the WWI genocide
committed against 1.5 million Armenians by the Ottoman Turkish
government.

"My church, my people, have undergone, you see, the bitter experience
of genocide," he said. "This is part of our Armenian Christian
experience."

Photos: 16168553.htm