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
HIS HOLINESS ARAM I MEETS WITH OFFICIALS
FROM THE ARMENIAN COMMUNITY OF CYPRUS
His Holiness Aram I received the members of the Diocesan and Executive
Councils of the Diocese of Cyprus in the country’s Armenian Prelacy on July
23. Vartkes Mahdessian, community’s representative in the Cypriot
Parliament, also participated in the meetings.
The Pontifical Vicar to Cyprus, Archbishop Varoujan Hergelian, expressed his
satisfaction that the Pontiff’s meetings with Cypriot government and church
officials were conducted in a highly successful manner. Archbishop Hergelian
then talked about the activities and future plans of the Diocese. The
chairman of the Diocesan Council, Sebouh Tavitian, then laid out the
concerns and challenges the Diocese faces and asked His Holiness for his
counsel.
The Pontiff once again expressed his delight for being in the Diocese of
Cyprus, stressing that it had a special important for the Catholicosate of
Cilicia. He spoke in detail about the positive resonance of his meetings
with officials from Cypriot government and the church. In particular, His
Holiness outlined the details of his meetings with the President of Cyprus
Demetris Christofias, the Speaker of Parliament Marios Karoyan and the
Spiritual Head of the Cypriot Greek Orthodox Church Archbishop Chrysostomos
II. His Holiness assured that all three had talked with great praise about
the Armenian community of Cyprus. He commended the efforts of the Pontifical
Vicar and Diocesan officials in the fields of Christian education, culture
and construction.
His Holiness particularly praised the increasingly visible unity
demonstrated by the Armenian community of Cyprus, emphasizing that while our
differences should be preserved, they should not weaken our unity. Speaking
about the mutual bond between the church and the people, His Holiness
observed that the Church should become a more assertive existence in the
lives of people, who in return should gather around the church and become
actively involved in its life.
Attendants in the meeting spoke about the difficulties the Diocese faces
particularly within the educational and construction fields. Community
officials then organized a luncheon in honor of His Holiness.
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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 dioceses 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.