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
2009 HAD BEEN A TURBULENT YEAR FOR OUR NATION
DECLARED HIS HOLINESS ARAM I ON NEW YEAR’S DAY
A large number of Armenians attended the traditional New Year’s Day Liturgy,
at the Cathedral of St. Gregory the Illuminator in Antelias. Following the
liturgy, the clergy and the faithful, young and old, went to the Main Hall
of the Residence of His Holiness Aram I for his traditional Pontifical
blessing.
Very Rev. Krikor Chiftjian greeted the people and said that in line with the
Armenian tradition, people had come on this First Day of the Year to receive
blessings from His Holiness and hear his hopes for the nation as leader of
the Church and Nation.
His Holiness thanked God and expressed his Gratitude to Lord Almighty for
His gift of the New Year. He reiterated the hardships and upheavals the
Armenian people had been through during the past year and stressed the value
and importance of unity. He put the accent on a unified vision, regardless
of differences of opinion. He stressed that the Church, the Nation and the
Motherland are paramount and should be kept out of all personal and
factional interests. The New Year’s Day celebration came to an end with the
Seminary students singing the Cilicia anthem and members of the Brotherhood,
the clergy, representatives of national organizations and the people
receiving His Holiness’s blessings and the official Catholicosate diary.
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View the photos here:
tos/Photos423.htm#2
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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 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.