Press Release
Catholicosate of Cilicia
Communication and Information Department
Contact: V.Rev.Father 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:

WORK SHOP IN ANTELIAS EXAMINES ADMINISTRATIVE BARRIERS TO DEVELOPMENT IN THE
CHURCH

The "Life and Service" Department of the Middle East Council of Churches
(MECC) organized a training workshop on "Administrative Barriers to
Development in the Church" on December 14-16. The workshop’s concluding
session was convened in Antelias.

The conference brought together about 40 representatives of various
Christian communities, clergy, social workers, teachers and other people
actively involved in the life and mission of churches. Mrs. Sossi Sagherian
represented the Catholicosate of Cilicia in this conference.

The Director of the MECC Social Service Department opened the concluding
session of the conference, calling on participants to draw the best
concluding statements of the conference based on the findings and
discussions of the previous two days. She highlighted the important role of
higher education in putting an end to the obstacles to the development and
progress of churches. She pointed out that while the world makes major leaps
forward in a time of new challenges and advanced technology, most churches
still function in ‘primitive’, outdated ways.

Greeting the participants was Ecumenical Officer of the Catholicosate of
Cilicia, Bishop Nareg Alemezian, who also conveyed the Pontiff’s warm wishes
of success for the conference. The Bishop spoke about the Catholicosate of
Cilicia’s support of and contribution to the Ecumenical Movement during the
last few decades.

The speakers of the concluding session underscored the barriers to
collective and "chained" action and fruitful results in the life of the
Church. The session provided a platform to the participants to share the
experiences of their churches in this respect. Among the speakers were MECC
General Secretary Gerges Saleh, Father Gaby Hashem, Father George Messouh,
Bishop George Saliba, Metropolitan of the Syrian Orthodox Community in
Beirut, Bishop Salim Ghazel, the Maronite Patriarchal Vicar and others.

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View the photos here:
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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.