Pontifical Visit Media Advisory

His Holiness Karekin II
Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians

Pontifical Visit of the
Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern)

630 Second Avenue New York, New York 10016

Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, Primate

Pontifical Visit
Media Relations Office

Michael O’Hurley-Pitts, Ph.D.
Director
Telephone: 212.686.0710 ext. 154
michael@armeniandiocese.org
Facsimile: 212.689.1934
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Sylvie Keshishian
Public Relations Director
Telephone: 212.686.0710 ext. 160
publicrelations@armeniandiocese.org
Facsimile: 212.689.1934

PRESS RELEASE

11 October 2007

His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians

Leads Ecumenical & Interfaith Delegation Delivering Remarks on Steps of
Jefferson Memorial

Washington D.C. – On Thursday, October 11th, 2007, the day after delivering
the opening prayer in the United States House of Representatives, His
Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians,
delivered a message on the importance of religious freedom on the steps of
the Jefferson Memorial. The Catholicos was joined in his remarks by other
ecumenical and interfaith leaders, including (in order of the deliverance of
their remarks), His Eminence Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, Primate of the
Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern); Maureen Shea, Director
of Government Relations for the Episcopal Church; Dr. Weldon Geddy of the
Interfaith Alliance, Rabbi Arthur Schnier of the Appeal of Conscience
Foundation; Dr. Rajwant Singh of the Sikh Council on Religious Education,
Dr. Dayyid M. Syeed of the Islamic Society of North America, Bishop Martin
Holley of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington; Rabbi David
Saperstien of the Religious Action Center; and, Father Leonid Kishkovsky of
the Orthodox Church of America.

Prior to delivering their remarks, the group of religious leaders toured the
Jefferson Memorial, each reflecting on the writings of Jefferson eblazoned
on the walls of the Memorial and sharing their thoughts with His Holiness
the Catholicos of All Armenians. Descending the grand, marble stairs of the
Jefferson Memorial, the event was commenced with a prayer by His Eminence
Archbishop Khajag Barsamian who welcomed each member of the distinguished
delegation and petitioned for cooperation, tolerance, love and understanding
between all peoples and nations.

The following is the message delivered by His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme
Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians:

"It is our pleasure to be here today in Washington , standing before this
monument which honors Thomas Jefferson, third president of the United States
, founding father, author of the Declaration of Independence and architect
of the Virginia Statute of Religious Freedom.

We are happy to be joined today by our ecumenical and interfaith brothers,
representing different Christian Churches and various faiths, and extend to
you all our greetings and best wishes from the center of our faith – the
Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin.

During our pontifical visit to the Armenian Church Diocese of the United
States, we wished to visit the capital city of this blessed land, to meet
and pray with members of our community, and to express our appreciation to
the caring American people and authorities, because it was the "land of the
free and the home of the brave" that opened its hospitable doors and
embraced our sons and daughters fleeing the first genocide of the 20th
century, perpetrated by the Ottoman Empire on the Armenian population living
on the territory of their historical homeland.

America gave the children of our nation shelter, refuge, opportunity and
freedom to re-find its Christ-bestowed strength, stand upright once again,
create and contribute greatly to the building of the civic, social,
economic, cultural and political life in their adopted new world.

We thank the United States for also giving to my people all opportunity and
freedom to openly practice their ancient Christian faith, to build churches
and schools, to create and make abundant their national and spiritual life,
and to avail themselves of all rights and liberties afforded to all
religious and ethnic minorities in America.

As the head of the Armenian Church and representative of my Armenian sons
and daughters, we are proud that our people have lived peacefully and
fruitfully in the midst of societies and countries whose predominant faith
was not our own. Where we have had that freedom, as we do in the United
States , we have flourished. When that freedom has been curtailed, stifled
and oppressed, we have suffered.

In our daily lives, we are graced by the Almighty to witness the fruits of
religious freedom. In the past few years alone, we have been blessed to
receive in Armenia and Holy Etchmiadzin the Chief Rabbi of Israel , the
Chief Mufti of Syria and members of the Buddhist and Hindu faiths. Last
month we had the pleasure to host the Lord Archbishop of Canterbury , as
well as the Executive Committee of the World Council of Churches, and offer
our combined prayers to heaven, asking for peace and reconciliation for all
peoples. Perhaps the most memorable ecumenical events in the recent history
of our Church were the pilgrimages of Ecumenical Patriarch His All Holiness
Bartholomew I, Russian Orthodox Patriarch His Holiness Alexei II and Roman
Catholic Pope His Holiness John Paul II to Armenia in 2001, when our Church
and people were celebrating 1700 years of official Christianity in Armenia.

Today, in our small country of Armenia, where more than 95% of our citizens
are members of our Mother Church, more than 60 different religious
organizations are legally registered and operate free of any restriction to
practice their faith. We have sought to ensure the rights of all of these
religious organizations and respect their beliefs. In 1960, President John
Kennedy said, "Tolerance implies no lack of commitment to one’s own beliefs;
rather it condemns the oppression or persecution of others." This is the
model which we hope all countries in our region of the world will adopt.

Praise and glory to God, that we have insured religious freedom in our
country without sacrificing the ancient Christian heritage and dignity of
our Holy Armenian Apostolic Church, for we must be conscious that in
granting religious freedom to all and to the new, we do not reduce the
rights of the one or the established. Religious freedom must not become the
great leveler of religious relativity, but must be a resounding affirmation
of the free pursuit of faith.

Lasting regional stability, elimination of conflict, poverty, crime and
tragedy can only be established when we learn to respect each other enough
to allow for the diversity of ideas and beliefs, and when faith is allowed
to flourish for the good of mankind and in service to the peaceful
co-existence of all nations.

Thomas Jefferson said, "I like the dreams of the future better than the
history of the past". Let us pray for a world filled with both dreams and
history: Dreams to see mankind prosperous, free and secure; combined with
the history of Christian morality and national values leading humanity to
greater and greater heights.

May the grace, love and peace of our Lord be with us and with all. Amen."

The text of the remarks delivered by each religious leader will be published
shortly on the website: <;
www.pontif icalvisit.org

Daily coverage of the Pontifical Visit can be found online on the official
Pontifical Visit Web Site (). The site provides a
wealth of information about His Holiness Karekin II, the Armenian Church,
and the Diaspora and includes daily photographic and video updates to allow
the faithful throughout the United States and the world to stay abreast of
events, activities and worship services.

For more information on the Pontifical Visit of His Holiness Karekin II,
including supplemental media advisories and background papers, please visit:
and

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