His Holiness Ilia II Concludes Visit to the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin
10.05.2003
In the evening of Friday, May 9, the three-day visit of the head of the Georgian Orthodox Church to the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin and Armenia came to an end.
During the day, His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, and His Holiness Ilia II, Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia, visited the Yerablur National Cemetery and Memorial in Yerevan to pay tribute to the soldiers who fell defending the Homeland, where they conducted a solemn Requiem Service. The delegations from both Churches next went to Victory Park, dedicated to the fallen heroes of World War II, and they placed floral wreaths before the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
The President of the National Assembly of Armenia, Armen Khatchatrian; the Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia, Andranik Margarian; the President of the Constitutional Court of Armenia, Gagik Haroutiunian; high-ranking state officials and military officers attended the ceremonies.
In the afternoon, a joint press conference was held in the Mother See, with the participation of both Pontiffs. The Catholicos of All Armenians and the Patriarch of the Georgian Orthodox Church answered questions from journalists on a wide range of issues, including the present-day relationship between the Armenian and Georgian Churches, their position regarding sects and proselytization, church / state relations, and the role of churches in creating and shaping a moral, ethical and peaceful society.
Following the press conference, the two Pontiffs were led into the Cathedral of Holy Etchmiadzin by a combined Pontifical procession. A farewell service was held before the Holy Altar of Descent, after which His Holiness Ilia II and his entourage departed from Armenia.
