PRESS RELEASE
Diocese of the Armenian Church of Australia & New Zealand
10 Macquarie Street
Chatswood NSW 2067
AUSTRALIA
Contact: Laura Artinian
Tel: (02) 9419-8056
Fax: (02) 9904-8446
Email: [email protected]
11 March 2009
PRIMATE RETURNS FROM INTERNATIONAL ENGAGEMENTS
Sydney, Australia – His Eminence Archbishop Aghan Baliozian, Primate of the
Diocese of the Armenian Church of Australia and New Zealand returned to
Sydney this weekend after a busy schedule of international engagements.
On 25 and 26 February, the Primate participated in the meetings of the
Supreme Spiritual Council at the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, taking on
the role of convenor at the second session on the 26th. The same evening,
the members of the Supreme Spiritual Council were received by the President
of the Republic of Armenia, Serzh Sargsyan who warmly welcomed the delegates
and engaged in constructive discussions on issues transpiring from the
Ecclesiastical meetings.
Archbishop Baliozian departed from Armenia on 27 February arriving in Dubai
later that morning. He attended St Gregory the Illuminator Armenian Church
and brought his participation to the Divine Liturgy service = sermon. After
a small window of rest time, in the very late evening he left for the next
round of engagements in India.
Arriving in Kochi, India on 28 February, the Primate was later escorted to
Kottayam to the Catholicate of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church. The
next morning he was present for the Divine Liturgy after which he was
received by His Holiness Baselios Marthoma Didymos I, the seventh Catholicos
of the East in Malankara. The Archbishop conveyed the fraternal warm
greetings of His Holiness Karekin II Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All
Armenians who had met with the Supreme Father of the Indian Church during a
Pontifical Visit to India in November 2008 on the occasion of the 300th
Anniversary celebrations of the Armenian Church of Holy Nazareth in Kolkata.
The same afternoon Archbishop Baliozian joined in the Platinum Celebration
of the Feast of St Geevarghese Mar Dionysius Vattasseril, the faith father
of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church who bravely fought for the
establishment of the Catholicate to be the symbol of self-identity and
independence of the Church. As keynote speaker, Archbishop Baliozian spoke
of the steadfastness and piety of St Dionysius and drew his example to that
of St Gregory the Illuminator, the father and founder of Christian faith of
the Armenian nation.
As sister churches the Primate also indulged on the historical relations
between our two churches not only as traditional churches sharing the same
doctrines and practices of faith but the close ties that have evolved with
the establishment of Armenian communities in India which date as far back as
the 17th century.
The audience of some four to five thousand faithful, seated in the
auditorium as well as outdoors viewing the celebrations on large screens
embraced the this celebration event that tributed the Great Luminary of the
Malankara Orthodox Church, St Dionysius Vattasseril. By the establishment
of the Catholicate in 1912, the Church finally entered into its self-rule
and realised the centuries-old desire for a supreme hierarchical head that
took the title "the successor of the Apostolic Throne of St. Thomas."
In appreciation for his highly-regarded contribution, Archbishop Baliozian
was presented an intricate hand cross as a keepsake of the auspicious
occasion.
The following day, with an entourage of clergy the Archbishop was escorted
to the Orthodox Theology Seminary where he had the opportunity to speak to
the young seminarians and join them for lunch. This would draw to a close
his engagements with the Malankara Church.
On 3 March, the Archbishop made his passage to Chennai (Madras) where he was
met at the airport by the Church Wardens of the Armenian Church of Kolkata,
Mrs Susan Reuben and Mr Sunil Sobti. In the evening, the Primate accompanied
by the Wardens arrived at the newly refurbished Armenian Church of the Holy
Virgin Mary where he conducted a short service followed by the blessing of
the grave of Father Haroutyun Shmavonian, the founder of Armenian
journalism and editor of the first Armenian journal ‘Azdarar’ whose grave is
located in the church grounds among other prominent Armenians.
The following day, the Archbishop and Wardens visited St Matthias Church in
Chennai which presently belongs to the Anglican Church of South India. The
significance of this church to Armenians is the burial place of Khoja Bedros
Woskan who was the benefactor of the chapel. In 1726, Khoja Bedros Woskan
(Petrus Uscan) built with his own money the long-arched Marmalong Bridge
which allows easy access to St Thomas Mount and the steps that lead up to
the church on the mount. There the Archbishop blessed the grave of Khoja
Bedros Woskan in respect to this prominent Armenian.
On Thursday, 5 March Archbishop Baliozian left Chennai and made his return
journey back to Australia.