HIS HOLINESS KAREKIN II ENDS VISIT TO VATICAN

ARMENPRESS
May 13, 2008

YEREVAN, MAY 13, ARMENPRESS: His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch
and Catholicos of All Armenians, concluded his one week fraternal
visit to the Bishop of Rome and Pope of the Catholic Church, His
Holiness Benedict XVI and is back home.

Accompanying His Holiness throughout the duration of the visit were
His Eminence Archbishop Nourhan Manoogian, Grand Sacristan of the
Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem; His Grace Bishop Aram Ateshian,
Grand Sacristan of the Armenian Patriarchate of Constantinople; and
approximately 20 additional archbishops and bishops of the Armenian
Church – primates of Armenian Dioceses in North and South America,
Europe, Asia and the Middle East.

On Tuesday, May 6, the Pontiff of All Armenians and his delegation
arrived in Rome. This was His Holiness’ third visit to the Vatican
since his election as Catholicos of All Armenians in 1999.

The visit to Italy was composed of three parts: a four-day visit to
the Vatican, a one-day visit to the Armenian community of Milan and
a two-day visit to the Mekhitarian Congregation on the Island of San
Lazzaro in Venice.

On Wednesday morning, His Holiness Karekin II and the Armenian bishops
visited the tomb of Pope John Paul II of blessed memory, in the crypt
below Saint Peter’s Basilica, and offered a solemn prayer for the
repose of his soul.

The Catholicos and the Armenian delegation also visited the newly
named St. Gregory the Illuminator plaza inside St. Peter’s courtyard
and viewed the statue of the patron saint of the Armenian Church,
placed there during the pontificate of John Paul II.

Immediately afterwards, the Armenian delegation of clergy and laity
participated in the general audience in St. Peter’s Square, jointly
held by Pope Benedict XVI and Catholicos Karekin II. The two church
heads exchanged messages of greeting, a fraternal embrace and kiss of
peace on the platform in front of the mother cathedral of the Roman
Catholic Church, before a crowd of more than 35,000 faithful.

That same afternoon, His Holiness Karekin II was presented with
an Honoris Causa doctorate degree from the Pontifical Salesian
University recognizing his fruitful work in Christian Education and
Youth Instruction.

On Thursday, May 8, His Holiness Karekin II and his delegation visited
the Pontifical Oriental Institute in Rome, and conveyed his blessings
and warm greetings to the participants of a symposium dedicated to
the study of the Armenian Divine Liturgy.

Friday morning, May 9, the delegation of 100 Armenian bishops and
faithful went to the Apostolic Palace of the Holy See, for a private
audience under the joint presidency of His Holiness Karekin II and His
Holiness Benedict XVI. The two pontiffs again exchanged warm messages
of greeting and brotherly love, embraced with a solemn kiss of peace
and spoke of the strong ties and increasing collaboration between
the Holy Armenian Apostolic Church and the Roman Catholic Church.

A short prayer service was held under the presidency of both church
heads, following which, the faithful approached the Catholicos and the
Pope to kiss their right hands and receive their blessings. At the
conclusion of the audience, Catholicos Karekin II and Pope Benedict
XVI met privately during lunch to discuss issues of importance to
both Churches.

In the afternoon, His Holiness Karekin II, met with His Grace
Archbishop Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury, in the Vatican
Guest House for a private meeting. The head of the Church of England
and the Anglican Communion was coincidentally also in the Holy See
this week, and the two fondly recalled the Archbishop’s fraternal
visit to Holy Etchmiadzin in September 2007, as well as discussed
the upcoming Lambeth Conference for the Anglican Communion and the
current state of relations with sister Churches.

The final event at the Vatican was an Ecumenical Prayer Service,
offered at the Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls, where the
grave of St. Paul the Apostle is located. His Holiness Karekin II
presided during the service, which included the participation of
Roman Catholic and Armenian Church bishops and clergy.

In addition to the official events throughout the course of the
week, His Holiness and the church hierarchs also visited a number
of Armenian and Catholic churches and shrines. His Holiness and the
high-ranking clergymen departed Rome for Milan on Saturday morning,
where he met chaired an event dedicated to the 50-th anniversary of
foundation of the local Armenian church.

On May 11-12 His Holiness was the guest of the Mkhetarist Armenian
Catholic Congregation on the island of san Lazzaro.