His Holiness Karekin II Departs for Pontifical Visit to South America
03.05.2004
On the morning of May 3, His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, departed from the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin for his first Pontifical Visit to the Armenian Dioceses of South America.
The first stop of His Holiness will be Sao Paolo, the headquarters of the Armenian Church Diocese of Brazil. During the visit to Brazil from May 4 to 9, His Holiness will also travel to Osasco, where there is a large Armenian community.
From May 10-12, His Holiness will visit the Armenian Church Diocese of Uruguay and will be with the Armenian faithful in the capital city of Montevideo.
The Pontifical Visit of His Holiness will conclude in the Armenian Church Diocese of Argentina. From May 13-25, His Holiness will visit the cities of Buenos Aires and Cordoba.
During the course of the visit, His Holiness will bring his message and Pontifical blessing to the faithful Armenians of South America. The Pontiff of All Armenians will celebrate Divine Liturgies in various Armenian communities, will meet with representatives of Sister Churches, and be received by high ranking state officials.
His Holiness Karekin II is accompanied by His Grace Bishop Navasard Kjoyan, Vicar General of the Araratian Pontifical Diocese; Rev. Fr. Kyuregh Vardanian, Staff-bearer to His Holiness; Mr. Vilen Hakobian, Rector of Yerevan Medical University; and Mr. Vrezh Markosian, President of the "Tigran Mets" Publishing Company.
