Ekklesia, UK

Williams in Middle East visits to promote peace and
church relations

By staff writers
22 Sep 2007

Following on from his visit to the United States, the Archbishop of
Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, has embarked on a series of short
visits to Armenia, Syria and Lebanon. The aim is to deepen church
relations and promote a peace agenda. The trip runs from 22 – 29
September 2007.

The Archbishop’s visit to Armenia is a result of an outstanding
invitation from the Catholicos, His Holiness Karekin II, who heads the
Armenian Apostolic Church. The Archbishop, who has a long-standing
interest in the spirituality and history of the Eastern Churches,
hosted the Catholicos at Lambeth Palace and Canterbury in 2004.

This visit is part of the Archbishop’s programme of ecumenical
encounter and dialogue with sister churches worldwide, learning more
about their life and witness. The visit will focus on shared worship
and liturgy, and visits to a range of of significant religious and
national sites, to a prison for women and children to meet inmates and
chaplains, as well as discussions with the Armenian government.

During the visit the Archbishop will lay a wreath and plant a tree at
the Genocide Memorial – giving a boots to its case for international
recognition.

Dr Williams will co-host, with British Ambassador Anthony Cantor, the
Queen’s Birthday Party at the Armenian Church’s Mother See of Holy
Etchmiadzin.

The Archbishop’s visit to Syria and Lebanon will be shorter and forms
part of his continuing personal engagement with Christian churches in
the Middle East, and with leaders of other faiths in the region. The
visit takes place at the invitation of the Anglican Bishop of
Jerusalem, Suhail Dawani, whose diocese covers these countries, and is
being arranged in collaboration with the Middle East Council of
Churches.

In Syria, as well as meetings with Christian leaders and the local
Anglican community, the Archbishop will meet with the Grand Mufti of
Syria and the country’s President, Dr Bashar Al Asad. The programme
for his visit to Lebanon will be released nearer the time.