HIS HOLINESS KAREKIN II PAYS PERSONAL VISIT IN MIAMI TO ARCHBISHOP CHRISTODOULOS OF ATHENS & ALL GREECE
Hellenic News of America, PA
Oct 17 2007
Miami – His Beatitude Archbishop Christodoulos, the Greek Orthodox
Church of Athens and All Greece, was visited by His Holiness Karekin
II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, at a private
home in Miami this morning.
His Beatitude Archbishop Christodoulos traveled to the United States
earlier this year for medical treatment. His Holiness Karekin II,
aware of His Beatitude?s failing health, expressed his desire to
visit him. Taking time out from his pastoral visits to his parishes
as part of his 18 city, 14-state Pontifical Visit to the Diocese
of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern), the Catholicos of All
Armenians paid a personal visit to his friend and collaborator,
Archbishop Christodoulos earlier this morning in Miami.
His Beatitude Archbishop Christodoulos expressed his sincere pleasure
in receiving His Holiness Karekin II, who was accompanied in the
personal visit by His Eminence Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, Primate
of the Eastern Diocese.
His Holiness Karekin II and His Eminence Archbishop Khajag Barsamian
were joined this morning by the Greek Consul General to Tampa, His
Excellency Andreas Psycharis, two Bishops from the Greek Orthodox
Church, His Eminence Metropolitan Theologos of Serres and Bishop
Theoklitos of Vresthena, and the Chancellor to His Beautitude, the
Reverend Thomas Synodinos and several assistants.
His Eminence Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, His Holiness Karekin II
and His Beatitude Christodoulos Praying In Armenian and Greek
The Catholicos shared with His Beatitude Archbishop Christodoulos that
the mutual respect and history between Greece and Armenia mean a great
deal to him. Together, the two faith leaders and friends reminisced
about their last meeting in Istanbul in 2006, which took place at the
invitation of His All Holiness Bartholomew I, Ecumenical Patriarch
of the Greek Orthodox Church which was joined with the invitation of
His Beatitude Mesrob II, Armenian Patriarch of Istanbul and All Turkey.
As a pledge of his fraternal affection, His Holiness Karekin II
presented Archbishop Christodoulos with an Armenian Cross.
Afterwards, the two spiritual leaders prayed together in Greek and
Armenian. The Archbishop presented a silver plate to His Holiness
Karekin II and an icon to His Eminence Khajag Barsamian. The silver
plate given to the Catholicos bares the personal seal and signature
of His Beatitude Archbishop Christodoulos, marking it as an intimate,
personal gift. His Beatitude conveyed to the Catholicos that the
kindness he showed in taking time out from his Pontifical Visit to
pay his respects and pray with him provided considerable spiritual
consolation.
Before departing, His Holiness told His Beatitude Christodoulos that
he would continue to pray for his good health again that morning
during a service at St. Mary Armenian Church in Hollywood, Florida.
His Beatitude expressed his happiness to the Catholicos about
the Armenian Genocide Resolution out of the House Foreign Affairs
Committee being passed on October 10. Both noted the losses to human
life inflicted upon their respective peoples at the close of the
Ottoman Empire.
Relations between Greece and Armenia are very strong both emotionally
and historically, due to their long, shared history and their mutual
commitment to the Christian faith. Greeks and Armenians lived side
by side during both the Byzantine and Ottoman Empires.
Historically, relations between Greece and Armenia have been very
warm. The President of the Hellenic Republic, President Karolos
Papoulias, accompanied by First Lady Mei Papoulias, was invited to
Armenia on a three-day state visit in June 2007 by the invitation
of Armenia?s President, Robert Kocharian. President Kocharian had
previously been invited to, and visited Greece in 2000.
While making his State visit to Armenia in 2007, President Papoulias
made a pilgrimage to Holy Etchmiadzin where he was received by His
Holiness Karekin II at the Catholicosate. The President also visited
the cathedral of Holy Etchmiadzin along with the Catholicos.
Following the visit to the Archbishop of the Greek Orthodox Church
of Athens and All Greece, His Holiness Karekin II asked the Armenian
faithful to pray for the Archbishop’s good health at St. Mary’s
Armenian Church in Hollywood, Florida. As part of the service at St.
Mary Armenian Church, His Holiness Karekin II blessed the khatchkar?s
(Armenian stone crosses) on the altar of the Church.
The Catholicos, His Holiness Karekin II, began his Pontifical Visit
to his flock in the United States with a two-day visit to the
Western Diocese of the Armenian Church of America in California
at the beginning of October. The Catholicos will be visiting
the faithful in the Eastern Diocese for an unprecedented 30 days
which will be concluded on November 3rd. During the course of the
Pontifical Visit, His Holiness Karekin II will visit 18 cities in 14
different states (a complete list of visits can be found online at:
).
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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