Armenian Church Participates in Week of Prayer for Christian Unity in the Vatican
ROME: The Roman Catholic Church has organized and hosted the "Week of Prayer for Christian Unity" for the past number of years. This year, on January 25, His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI presided during an ecumenical service at St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City, which was the closing event of the Week of Prayer.
The Armenian Church was a participant in the service alongside many clergy and laymen from the Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Ancient Orthodox and Anglican Churches. Representing the Armenian Church this year was Very Rev. Fr. Aren Shahinian, pastor of the Italian-Armenian community and member of the Brotherhood of Holy Etchmiadzin. He was accompanied by Rev. Fr. Geghard Vahuni, Rev. Fr. Moushegh Babayan and Rev. Fr. Ruben Zargarian, all currently continuing their theological educations in institutions of higher learning in Rome.
At the conclusion of the service, Fr. Shahinian extended the warm fraternal greetings and best wishes of His Holiness Karekin II, Catholicos of All Armenians, to His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI.
Also on January 25, an ecumenical service took place in Milan with the participation of members of the Armenian community of Milan and the "Norahrash" choir and deacons of the Armenian Church of the Forty Martyrs. During the ecumenical service, all present observed a moment of silence in memory of Hrant Dink, the recently assassinated human rights activist and editor of the "Agos" Weekly newspaper of Istanbul.
