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:
HIS HOLINESS ARAM I AND THE PATRIARCH OF THE ETHIOPIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH
INAUGURATE THE NEW ETHIOPIAN CHURCH
The spiritual leader of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Abouna
Paoulos, arrived in Lebanon on July 23 with a large delegation. The
Patriarch was welcomed in the airport by His Holiness Aram I, Bishop Kegham
Khatcherian, the Primate of the Diocese of Lebanon, the Ambassador of
Ethiopia to Lebanon, and representatives from the Ethiopian community of
Lebanon.
The Catholicos and the Patriarch moved straight from the airport to the Ain
Aar region in Metn, where the new Ethiopian church is being constructed. The
two spiritual leaders inaugurated the construction of the church.
Bishop Saliba, the primate of the Syrian Orthodox Church in Beirut, the
representatives of Bishop Aoude, the primate of the Greek Orthodox Church in
Beirut, representatives from the Ethiopian community, architects Vahe
Kalindjian and Miss Kalindjian and philanthropists also attended the
inauguration.
The inaugural service was carried out in Armenian, Ethiopian, and Greek, and
the two spiritual leaders placed the first stone of the church. Patriarch
Paoulos expressed his gratitude to His Holiness Aram I, who, upon his
request, had accepted to be the caretaker of the more than 20 thousand
Ethiopians living in Lebanon.
“Due to certain circumstances, a large number of the children of our nation
today live in this country and enjoy the love and care of Armenians thanks
to our spiritual brother His Holiness Aram I,” said the Patriarch.
His Holiness emphasized the brotherhood between the two churches and
considered the construction of the Ethiopian Church a new phase in their
historical cooperation.
“This church is a new expression of the close cooperation between our two
churches. It will gather the sons of Ethiopia living in this country in the
House of God,” said His Holiness Aram I.
The two spiritual leaders then went to the St. Asdvadzadzine Monastery in
Bikfaya, where Patriarch Paoulos will stay during his visit to Lebanon.
The Catholicosate of Cilicia has conducted all the negotiations for buying
the church’s land and has handled the necessary legal work.
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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.