PRESS RELEASE
Catholicosate of Cilicia
Communication and Information Department
Contact: V.Rev.Fr.Krikor Chiftjian, Communications Director
Tel: (04) 410001, 410003
Fax: (04) 419724
E- mail: [email protected]
Web:
PO Box 70 317
Antelias-Lebanon
HIS HOLINESS ARAM I CELEBRATES ARMENIAN
CHRISTMAS LITURGY IN ANTELIAS
On Wednesday 6 January 2010, Armenians all around the world celebrated
Christmas. In Antelias, His Holiness Aram I celebrated the liturgy with the
participation of a large number of believers.
His Holiness emphasized in his sermon the relationship between Incarnation
and love. He said, "On this day of Christmas, we should renew ourselves with
the commandment of love given to us by God through the birth of His Son.
Jesus of Bethlehem loved humanity and taught us to love even our enemies. In
fact, love should fuel and guide all our actions. Yet, today, we observe the
absence of love towards God, humanity and the environment. Instead,
everything in the world evolves around individual self-satisfaction. Both
violence and lack of respect of the created world are the inevitable
outcomes of this selfish love."
In the second part of his sermon he greeted the people of Lebanon and said
that Lebanon as a big family is unique in that it symbolizes unity in
diversity. Lebanon will thrive only through love and mutual respect
exercised by its people. The Armenian community will continue to strive for
this goal. His Holiness Aram I then expressed his good wishes on this
occasion to His Holiness Karekin II, Catholicos of All Armenians, the
Patriarch of Jerusalem His Beatitude Torkom Manoukian, the Patriarch of
Constantinople, His Beatitude Mesrob Moutafian, and the Armenian clergy and
laity all over the world.
On Christmas day, and the following day, Catholicos Aram I received the
visits of Lebanese dignitaries, members of the diplomatic corps, and
representatives of civil society organizations, both Lebanese and Armenian,
who expressed their good wishes on the occasion of Armenian Christmas.
##
View the photos here:
c/Photos/Photos425.htm
http://www.ArmenianOrthodox Church.org/v04/doc/Photos/Photos426.htm
http://www .ArmenianOrthodoxChurch.org/v04/doc/Photos/Photos4 27.htm
*****
The Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia is one of the two Catholicosates of
the Armenian Orthodox Church. For detailed information about the history and
the mission 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.