Catholicos Aram I Welcomes Reorganization Efforts, Urges Strengthening of Armenian Community in Greece

OCP News Service and armenianorthodoxchurch.org – 06/06/2025

Athens – Greece: His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia, praised and welcomed the ongoing process of reorganization within the Armenian community of Greece during his visit, emphasizing the need for its continued revitalization. On Sunday morning, June 1, 2025, Catholicos Aram I presided over the Holy and Immortal Liturgy at the Church of St. Jacob in the Kokinia region.

The Divine Liturgy, celebrated by His Eminence Bishop Tachat Ashekian, Chief of Staff of the Catholicosate, included a Pontifical Blessing marking the 30th anniversary of His Holiness’s pontifical enthronement. This ceremony was presided over by Archbishop Shahan Sarkissian. Following the liturgy, Catholicos Aram I delivered a poignant Pontifical Message to the faithful.

In his address, Catholicos Aram I extended a welcome to His Eminence Bishop Sahak Yemishian, the new Primate of the Armenian Diocese of Greece, along with the diocese’s national administration and affiliated organizations. He highlighted that the election of a new Primate and parliamentary assembly signaled the beginning of a new phase of reorganization. Emphasizing the necessity for this process to bring “new impetus” to the community, His Holiness drew upon Christ’s analogy of building a house on a rock, asserting that a strong, collective foundation is crucial to withstand challenges.

Addressing the Armenian community directly, the Catholicos outlined four key pillars for strengthening their “collective house built on the rock”: a) Gathering firmly around the house of faith, the church. b) Strengthening Armenian culture and especially Armenian schools. c) Actively pursuing the just rights of the Armenian people. d) Giving renewed momentum to community reorganization efforts.

During his brief pontifical visit, His Holiness also engaged with various Armenian communal leaders and organizations, including the ARF Central Committee and clergy. He further presided over a cultural evening organized by Hamazkayin, where he lauded their efforts and encouraged the preservation and enrichment of Armenian cultural values as vital for identity.

The visit underscored the Catholicos’s personal oversight and commitment to the robust future and spiritual well-being of the Armenian diaspora in Greece.

Source:
OCP News Service