MIDDLE EAST: ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY VISITS ARMENIA, SYRIA AND LEBANON

Episcopal News Service, NY
Oct 5 2007

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. Rowan Williams, has returned from
a visit to Armenia, Syria and Lebanon.

In a grueling schedule of visits, meetings and services, Williams
spent time with senior politicians, Church leaders, senior Muslim
clerics, refugees and communities and community projects ranging from
prison inmates and chaplains in Armenia, to people with learning
disabilities living in a L’Arche community in Damascus, and first,
second and third generation refugees living in one of the Palestinian
camps outside Beirut.

In an 80-minute meeting, the Archbishop heard first hand from the
President of Syria, His Excellency Dr Bashar al Asad, how the country
was dealing with major instability in the region. Their discussions
covered the prospects for moves towards peace in the region, the
importance of the freedom of expression of religion in society and
models of religious pluralism, and the growing problem of refugees
fleeing from the violence in Iraq.

In what he described as a "harrowing" meeting with around 300 Iraqi
Christian refugees at the Syrian Orthodox monastery at Ma’aret Sednaya,
Williams heard first hand of the plight of some of the one and a half
million refugees who have fled Iraq for Syria since 2003.

More details of this encounter have appeared in a separate press
release, available here.

In Lebanon, Williams met Palestinian refugees at the Dibayeh camp
outside Beirut. Most had lived there, or in other camps, all their
adult lives, some since 1948. Others had been born and raised their own
children in the camp. Despite the best efforts of some of aid agencies,
support for the camps was drying up. The Archbishop will raise the
question of better coordination of aid to the camps with aid agencies.

Williams had discussions with a number of Muslim religious leaders
in Syria and Lebanon. Discussions with the Grand Mufti of Syria
Sheikh Ahmad Hassun concerned issues internal to Syria and focused
on the secular character of the Syrian constitution within which the
ancient Christian communities and churches of Syria enjoy freedom
of religious expression. In Lebanon, separate meetings were held
with the Grand Mufti Sheikh Qabani and the Head of the Shia Council
Sheikh Qabalan. The Archbishop spoke on Muslim-Christian dialogue at
an interfaith seminar arranged by the Near East School of Theology
in Beirut.

The visit was an opportunity to build on existing ecumenical contacts
with a wide range of Heads of Church. In Armenia, the Archbishop signed
a joint communique with Catholicos of All Armenians, HH Karekin II,
committing their churches to an early resumption of the theological
dialogue between the Anglican Communion and the family of Orthodox
Oriental Churches. During his visit, Williams was able to discuss
practical steps towards this goal with other members of the Oriental
Orthodox family, whose agreement is needed for the dialogue to resume.

In Syria and Lebanon, the Archbishop spent time with other Church
leaders, including the Patriarchs of Antioch and All the East for
the Greek Orthodox, HB Ignatius IV, the Syrian Orthodox, HH Zakka I,
the Maronites, HB Cardinbal Sfeir, and the Melkite Greek Catholics,
HB Gregorios III, as well as the Armenian Catholicos of Cilicia, HH
Aram I. These encounters enabled the Archbishop and those accompanying
him, to develop a deeper understanding of the challenges facing
these communities.

Williams, together with Catholicos Karekin II and members of the
executive committee of the World Council of Churches laid a wreath at
the Genocide Memorial in Yerevan, where the Archbishop also planted
a tree. He had the honor of talks with the Armenian President, His
Excellency Robert S Kocharian, and Prime Minister, His Excellency Serz
Sargsyan. More details of this occasion are available in a separate
press release here.

The Archbishop was accompanied on this visit by Bishop Geoffrey Rowell
of Gibraltar in Europe and Bishop David Stancliffe of Salisbury. In
addition, Bishop John Stroyan of Warwick joined the Archbishop in Syria
and Bishop Christopher Chessun of Woolwich joined him in Lebanon,
each having spent about a week in those countries as part of the
wider preparations for the visit.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress