PRESS RELEASE
Catholicosate of Cilicia
Communication and Information Department
Tel: (04) 410001, 410003
Fax: (04) 419724
E- mail: [email protected]
Web:
PO Box 70 317
Antelias-Lebanon
Armenian version:
“THE REUNIFICATION OF KOREA SHOULD OCCUPY A PRIORITY PLACE ON THE AGENDA OF
INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY”
Stated His Holiness Aram I
(KOREA, ANTELIAS, LEBANON) – 22 August 2004 – In his message to the
congregation of the Presbyterian Church of Korea, His Holiness Aram I
Catholicos of Cilicia and Moderator of the Central Committee of the WCC,
emphasized the urgency of the reunification of the South and North Koreas.
He said that the international community should help these countries to
engage in a process of democratization and reconciliation on the basis of
mutual respect and trust. The focus of Aram I’ message was that the
Christian Church must take the Gospel to the world. He said that the church
is a missionary reality. “Being Christian means being a witness, and being a
witness means taking the whole Gospel to the world. We are sent by God in
Christ to become missionaries in a world, where the Gospel values are in
decline, in a world dominated by injustice, violence, in a world which is in
dire need of meaning. At the end of his sermon which was based on Acts 1:8,
His Holiness described the Christian understanding of power. He said “Our
power is our powerlessness that comes from the cross, the symbol of God’s
self-emptying and victory over the death”. He said that “As Christians we
are empowered by the Holy Spirit to become the witnesses of the Gospel
values”.
Present at the Church among the congregation were state officials and
Ecumenical guests.
His Holiness attended a luncheon given in his honor, by the former
representatives of the Korean Churches at the WCC. His Holiness also
attended a formal dinner given by the Churches of South Korea.
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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.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress