Bosco Information Service, India
May 8 2008
Salesian University Confers PhD on Patriarch Karekin II
By C.M. Paul
Kolkata, May. 8. ROME, 8 May, SAR News – The Salesian Pontifical
University (UPS) conferred honoris causa doctorate in Youth Pastoral
Theology on Patriarch Karekin II, Catholicos of All Armenians, at a
ceremony held at the university`s Paul VI Hall, 7 May. It marked the
patriarch`s official visit to the Vatican and Pope Benedict XVI along
with his entourage of 18 bishops of the Catholicosate of all Armenians
and a group of 75 Armenian Apostolic faithful.
Present at the 90 minute function were three cardinals, several
bishops, civil and military representatives, as well as staff and
students from the six faculties of the Salesian University.
In his welcome words the Vatican Secretary of State and former UPS
Rector Salesian Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone recalled how Pope Benedict
XV stood by the persecuted Christians of Armenia denouncing the
genocide by Ottoman Turks in 1915. About one-and-a-half million
Armenian Christians were massacred over a period of six years.
The president of the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of Christian
Unity Cardinal Walter Kasper praised the patriarch`s sincere and
sustained ecumenical efforts. The cardinal enumerated patriarch`s
outstanding contribution in rebuilding the Armenian Church over the
past 30 years and particularly in the post Communist era taking bold
initiatives to revive youth ministry as well as laity and clergy
formation.
The dean of the Theology Faculty Fr Giorgio Zevini read out the
doctoral decree in Latin. In his acceptance speech, the patriarch gave
a brief description of the 250 year persecution of the Armenian Church
evangelized by the Apostles Bartholomew and Thaddeus. Armenia was the
first Christian nation since the year 301 even before Christianity
became a state religion in the Roman Empire in 313.
The ceremony was interspersed with renditions by 40-member
Inter-university choir under the baton of director Salesian Fr Massimo
Palombella of the Rome Vicariate`s University Ministry Office. The
selections sung in Latin from 16th century composer Palestrina
included Exaltabo te, Credo (from the Mass of Pope Marcello) and Tu Es
Petrus.
This is the fifth honoris causa doctorate that the 70 year old
Theology Faculty has conferred to-date. Other degrees were conferred
on Nobel laureate Bishop Belo of Timor (Feb.1998); Governor of the
Italian Bank Dr Antonio Fazio (Dec 2003); Theology and Biblical
scholar Fr Sylvanus Sngi Lindogh of Shillong (August 2005) and
Theology and Biblical scholar Prof. Wolfgang Gruen of Belo Horizonte
Brazil (Feb 2006).
Born in Armenia in 1951, he was elected 132nd Supreme Patriarch and
Catholicos of All Armenians in 1999. In November 2000 he visited Pope
John Paul II. During his visit, Pope and Catholicos Karekin II
presided over a liturgy of the Word in St. Peter`s Basilica, during
which the Holy Father has returned to Catholicos the relic of
St.Gregory the Illuminator (Krikor Loosavorich) Father and Patron
Saint of the Armenian Church. St Gregory was the most significant of
the 104 Armenian saints because in 301 A.D. he converted King
Tiridates III to Christianity and Christianity was declared the
national religion.
Pope John Paul II made a visit to Armenia in 2001 and was hosted by
the Catholicos in his residence at Etchmiadzin.
More than 90% of Armenian Christians are under the Armenian Apostolic
Patriarchate, which separated from Rome after the Council of Chalcedon
in 451. A key step toward overcoming this division was taken in 1996
when Pope John Paul II and Patriarch Karekin I signed a joint
declaration on the nature of Jesus.
Photo: His Holiness Karekin II, Catholicos and Supreme Patriarch of
All Armenians.
bis/default_ms.php?newsid=1951&pno=1&newsi dlist=,1952,1951,1950,1949,1948,1795,1947,1946,194 5,1944,