050324 - DELEGATIONS OF ECHMIADZINE & CILICIA MEET

DELEGATIONS OF ECHMIADZINE & CILICIA MEET

A meeting between delegations from the Catholicosate of All Armenians and the Catholicosate of Cilicia was held in St. Etchmiadzine on the 4th and the 5th of March. The meeting was held under the patronage of His Holiness Karekin II, Catholicos of All Armenians, and His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of Cilicia, with the aim of further developing the mission of the Armenian Church and further strengthening internal unity. The main purpose of the meeting was to prepare an outline for discussions around the theme “The Imperative of the Armenian Church’s Renewal.”
Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, Bishop Michael Atchabahian, Mr. Rafayel Babaian, Mr. James Kaloustian represented the Catholicosate of All Armenians. Archbishop Oshagan Tcholoian, Bishop Nareg Aliemezian, Mr. Yervant Pamboukian and Mr. Arsen Tanielian represented the Catholicosate of Cilicia.
On Friday the 4th of March, His Holiness Karekin II met with the two delegations and clarified his expectations as well as those of His Holiness Aram I.
The participants in the meeting prepared an outline containing nine main points, as follows:
• The canonical status of the Armenian Church, ecclesiological, administrative and canonical definition
• Christian and Armenian education, mission and protection of spiritual and cultural values
• Liturgical Life
• Formation of clergy and revitalization of monastic life
• Inter-church and ecumenical relations
• Attitudes towards moderns social and moral issues
• Church-state and church-society structure relations
• The church and the Armenian people’s rights
• Use of modern technology

Each of these main points was divided into subcategories and general discussions were held around each, as an initial for thorough analysis and accordingly adoption of relevant approaches in the future.
The two delegations decided to present the outline of their discussion to His Holiness Karekin II and to His Holiness Aram I.

V.V