His Holiness Karekin II Receives Official Delegation from the National Council of Churches, USA
24.08.2002
On Saturday, August 24, His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, received the official delegation of the National Council of Churches from the United States of America. They were led by the General Secretary of the NCC, Dr. Robert W. Edgar. The delegation consisted of His Grace Bishop Manuel Batakian (Armenian Catholic Community), His Grace Bishop C. Christopher Epting (Episcopal Church), Rev. Lowell Almen (Evangelical Lutheran Church), Rev. Ronald Roberson (Roman Catholic Church), and Mr. Kevork Toroyan (Armenian Church Eastern Diocese USA). The delegation was escorted to the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin by His Grace Bishop Vicken Aykazian, the Legate of the Eastern Diocese to Washington D.C., and a member of the Council.
His Holiness welcomed the delegation to the Mother See and headquarters for the worldwide Armenian Church, and noted the important role of the NCC in the social and spiritual life of the United States. The Catholicos of All Armenians presented a detailed history of the Armenian Church, and the 1,700 year mission of the Mother See within the lives of the Armenian people.
The members of the delegation expressed their deep appreciation to His Holiness for the audience, and assured him that they would continue in their efforts towards the strengthening of inter-church cooperation and ecumenical relationships. The guests also expressed their concern surrounding the current status of the Baron Der Property of the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem, and offered their willingness to assist in the resolution of the issue.
During the meeting, the topic of freedom of religion and conscience in the Republic of Armenia were discussed, as well as the status of relationships between the Armenian Church and other Christian communities currently operating in Armenia.
Present in the meeting were His Grace Bishop Yeznik Petrossian, Secretary of Inter-Church Relations for the Mother See; His Grace Bishop Mikael Ajapahian, Primate of the Diocese of Shirak; and Dr. Karen Nazarian, Coordinator of the World Council of Churches ? ?Armenia Round Table? Office of the Mother See.
