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:

THE CATHOLICOS RECEIVES AN EXTRAORDINARY WELCOME DURING A VISIT TO THE
SAINT KEVORK CHURCH OF ALEPPO

The Armenian community of Aleppo had the beautiful opportunity to express
its love and respect for the Armenian Pontiff and receive his blessings when
the latter visited the Saint Kevork Church on May 22.

Similar to all his visits in Aleppo, an unprecedented public welcome was
displayed to the Catholicos as he walked through the streets with a grand
procession, passing through the packed masses and distributed his blessings.
With the blessing of salt and bread the Pontiff entered the church.

Primate Bishop Shahan Sarkissian welcomed His Holiness, who showed his
Pontifical love and care to all the faithful and churches of Aleppo
throughout his visit.

The Catholicos greeted the large number of faithful who had gathered in
the church and quoting the Book of Psalms, he said: "When the Lord is my
shelter, who would I be afraid of?" He stressed the concept of achieving
salvation through Christ, saying that Christ was not only the source of our
existence, but our shelter and path to salvation. Christ showed the true
path to salvation through his life and mission.

The Catholicos emphasized that our salvation in this life starts with
Christ, as it is following Him that we take the path towards salvation. He
added that no one has the right to say that he or she is saved, for God was
with us through Christ and we as Christians should be with God through
Christ. To be with Christ means to be on the path to salvation, he observed.

The Pontiff also underlined the role of the Armenian Church as the House
of God that shows the path to salvation in our nation’s life. He called on
the people to be part of the Church’s life, as participating means walking
through the path shown by Christ. He reminded that our ancestors had walked
down that path with full determination.

The faithful then approached His Holiness and received his blessings.

A touching event was organized by the Saint Kevork Church’s committees
around the statue of the late Catholicos Zareh I in the front-yard of the
church. Representatives from the Union of Armenians of Marash expressed
their respects to the memory of the late Catholicos and reaffirmed their
loyalty to the Catholicosate of Cilicia and its Head.

The welcome His Holiness received at the St. Kevork Church marked the
highlight of his Pontifical visit to Syria. The love and respect faithful
demonstrated during this visit witnessed to the faith of the Syrian-Armenian
community and its trust in the Armenian Church.

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View the photos here: m
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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 dioceses 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.