His Holiness Zakka I Visits St. Gregory the Illuminator Cathedral of Yerevan
22.10.2002
On Monday October 21, His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, and His Holiness Moran Mor Ignatius Zakka I Iwas, Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, Supreme Head of the Universal Syrian Orthodox Church, accompanied by bishops from both churches, visited the St. Gregory the Illuminator Cathedral in Yerevan. Led by their entourages and under the singing of church hymns, the two Pontiffs entered the Cathedral, pausing in the narthex to pray before the holy relics of the patron saint of the Armenian Church, St. Gregory.
The procession then moved to inside the church, and from the chancel, His Holiness Karekin II introduced the Syrian Patriarch to the gathered faithful, noting in particular: ?Together with the Universal Syrian Orthodox Church, we have maintained the same, unified faith for 2,000 years, and have often been martyred for the sake of our love towards Our Lord Jesus Christ. With a special feeling of joy, today we state that after two millennia, our Churches continue to be bound with warm brotherly love and respect, which is displayed not only on the level of our Churches, but also among our two peoples.?
Seeing the new magnificent cathedral, His Holiness Zakka I extended thanks and glory to God. ?We give glory to God Almighty for supporting our beloved Brother in Christ. We are proud of the Holy Armenian Apostolic Church and her Head - His Holiness Karekin II, for leading the Church of the Armenians in the one and true faith of our common forefathers,? said the Patriarch.
As the procession departed the church, hundreds of faithful approached the Catholicos and the Patriarch to receive a blessing and kiss their anointed right hands.
