PRESS RELEASE
Catholicosate of Cilicia
Communication and Information Department
Contact: V.Rev.Fr.Krikor Chiftjian, Communications Officer
Tel: (04) 410001, 410003
Fax: (04) 419724
E- mail: [email protected]
Web:
PO Box 70 317
Antelias-Lebanon
Armenian version: nian.htm
A RELIC OF ARMENIAN MARTYRS FROM ANTELIAS IN ROME
The official visit of His Holiness to the Holy See of Rome was marked by the
commemoration of the martyrs of the Armenian Genocide. A special
commemoration service was held in St. Bartholomew Church in Rome. It was
attended by many people.
In his sermon His Holiness spoke about the meaning and importance of martyrs
and martyrdom for the life and witness of the church. He described the
martyr as the promoter of Christian values and defender of Christian faith
to the extend of shading his or her blood. His Holiness then spoke about the
Armenian Genocide of 1915 by the Ottoman Turkish Empire which caused the
death of one and half million Armenians.
At the end of his sermon, His Holiness said that he has brought with him
from Antelias, the Headquarters of the Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia, a
small piece of relic to be put on the altar of St. Bartholomew Church.
After the Armenian Genocide the relics of Armenian martyrs were collected by
the clergy of the Armenian Church and brought to Antelias, where martyrs
chapel was built, which was the first memorial monument in Armenian Diaspora
dedicated to the martyrs.
This moving ceremony was concluded by the song of "Cilicia", the anthem of
the Catholicosate.
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View the photos here:
tos/Photos337.htm
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The Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia is one of the two Catholicosates of
the Armenian Orthodox Church. For detailed information about the Ecumenical
activities of the Cilician Catholicosate, you may refer to the web page of
the Catholicosate, The Cilician
Catholicosate, the administrative center of the church is located in
Antelias, Lebanon.