Joint Press Release from the delegations of the Catholicosate of All Armenians and the Catholicosate of the Great House of Cilicia
Under the auspices of His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, and His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia, a meeting of delegations of the Catholicosate of All Armenians and the Catholicosate of the Great House of Cilicia took place on March 4-5 in the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin with the goal of the prosperity of the sacred mission of the Armenian Church and the further strengthening of internal solidarity. The purpose of the meeting was the preparation of a draft agenda with the theme of "The Imperative for the Renewal of the Armenian Church".
The delegation members representing the Catholicosate of All Armenians were:
His Eminence Archbishop Khajag Barsamian (Chairman)
His Grace Bishop Mikael Ajapahian (Secretary)
Mr. Rafael Papayan
Mr. James Kalustian
The delegation members representing the Catholicosate of the Great House of Cilicia were:
His Eminence Archbishop Oshagan Choloyan (Chairman)
His Grace Bishop Nareg Alemezian (Secretary)
Mr. Yervand Pamboukian
Mr. Arsen Danielian
Rev. Fr. Vahram Melikian recorded the minutes of the meetings.
On Friday, March 4, His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, received the two delegations in the Mother See. His Holiness gave his Pontifical blessing to the members of the delegations and spoke of his and Catholicos Aram I's expectations of the meeting. Archbishop Oshagan Choloyan conveyed the warm greetings of love of His Holiness Aram I and the filial respect of the participants to His Holiness Karekin II.
Following the Lord's Prayer and a reading from the Holy Bible (1 Corinthians 12:12-26), the meeting commenced, the result of which was the preparation of the draft agenda.
Consisting of nine agenda items, it includes the primary spheres of the identity, life and witness of the Armenian Church:
1. The canonical condition of the Armenian Church - ecclesiological, administrative and canonical definement.
2. Christian and Armenian education, evangelical mission and preservation of spiritual and cultural values.
3. Liturgical and ritual life.
4. Preparation of clergy and reactivation of monastic life.
5. Ecumenical and Inter-religious relations.
6. Positions on modern social and moral issues.
7. Relations between Church and State; relations between Church and Social Institutions.
8. Pursuit of the rights of the Armenian people.
9. Use of modern technologies.
Each aforementioned topic was discussed in detail as an initial step for the further overall analysis and adoption of appropriate measures. The meetings were conducted in a warm atmosphere of Christian love, for the vigorous accomplishment of the multifaceted mission of the Armenian Church in the Homeland and the Diaspora.
At the end of the meeting it was decided that the draft agenda will be presented to His Holiness Karekin II, Catholicos of All Armenians; and His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia, for their consideration and filially petitioning them for the commission's work to proceed.
