PATRIARCH CONCLUDES ARMENIAN VISIT

ANA
09/30/2008
Greece

Shortly before his departure from the Armenian capital of Yerevan on
Monday, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I (Vartholomeos) was received
by Armenian President Serzh Sargsian, who stressed the importance
he attached to the Armenian Orthodox Church and preserving Armenia’s
national identity.

Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew on Saturday began an official visit
to Armenia, where he took part in ceremonies of the Armenian Orthodox
Church.

Caption: A file photo dated 24 September 2008 shows Ecumenical
Patriarch Bartholomew I, the spiritual leader of the world’s Orthodox
Christians, addressing a formal sitting of the European Parliament
in Brussels. ANA-MPA / EPA /OLIVIER HOSL