His Holiness Shenouda III Begins Visit to the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin
05.05.2003
On May 2, His Holiness Shenouda III, Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of St. Mark, arrived in the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin for a three-day visit. Pope Shenouda has been invited to come to Armenia by His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians. Pope Shenouda is the head of the Coptic Orthodox Church, one of the Ancient Orthodox Churches which are in full communion with the Armenian Church.
Arriving at Armenia International Airport early in the morning, the delegation led by His Holiness Shenouda III was greeted by a delegation of high ranking Armenian Church clergy, led by His Holiness Karekin II. Present were His Eminence Archbishop Grigoris Buniatian, Primate of the Armenian Church Diocese of the Ukraine; His Grace Bishop Yeznik Petrosian, Director of Inter-church Relations; and His Grace Bishop Paren Avetikian, Director of Administrative and Organizational Matters for the Mother See. Accompanying Pope Shenouda for the trip are His Eminence Metropolitan Bishoy, General Secretary for the Holy Synod of the Coptic Orthodox Church; and Bishop Angaelos, Primate of the Coptic Church Diocese of England.
In the afternoon, a welcoming service was held in the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin. The Heads of the two Sister Churches, under the tolling of bells and the singing of the "Hrashapar" hymn, were led into the Cathedral of Holy Etchmiadzin by a combined Pontifical procession. Standing before the Holy Altar of Descent, the two Pontiffs raised their prayers up to God, and exchanged messages of greeting.
Welcoming Pope Shenouda to the biblical and blessed land of Armenia, the Pontiff of All Armenians stated in part, "Our forefathers have maintained their fidelity and loyalty to Christ for 2,000 continuous years. Under His care and guidance, together we have walked the same path for 1,500 years, as churches united in belief and faith; and our loyalty has been rewarded manifold by Almighty God. . . . We express our brotherly love towards Your Holiness, the Coptic Orthodox Church, and her pious faithful. We stand ready to walk the difficult pathways of our apostolic mission together and unified, so that victories will always cause joy in both of our peoples, and fortify them in our holy faith."
His Holiness Shenouda III, thanked the Catholicos for inviting him to Armenia, and mentioned in his response, "Our two peoples and our two churches have shared a similar history. We honor your saints, and remember your martyrs, for they are treasures in heaven . . . We pray that we may all be one, that we work and act together, testify to the Kingdom of Heaven and our luminous faith."
At the end of the service, the two Pontiffs were led by procession to the Residence of the Catholicos, where His Holiness the Catholicos introduced the delegation from the Coptic Orthodox Church to the bishops, diocesan primates, and members of the Supreme Spiritual Council of the Armenian Church.
