Catholicos of All Armenians Congratulated Newly Appointed Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch and All the East
On 18 December 2012, from the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, sent a letter of congratulations to His Holiness Youhanna X, the newly appointed Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch and All the East.
The Pontifical letter states in part: “By God’s will, you were entrusted with this unique leadership role of Patriarch in the ancient See of Antioch at this critical time for Syria and the Middle East. Your election as the first servant of our sister Church at the threshold of the New Year and Christmas is a sign of hope as the Church in the Middle East overcomes the grief following the death of your predecessor. Now as good shepherd you are called to serve with all your strength the needs of the faithful in cooperation with the other churches and religions in Syria. May God inspire you to continue the tireless work of your predecessors in fulfilling the spiritual needs of His people, by encouraging reconciliation in the face of conflicts and by promoting on-going inter-religious dialogues.”
The Pontiff of All Armenians also stated that the relationship between the Armenian Apostolic Church and the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch would continue to “blossom and bear new fruits for the glory of God and for the sake of peace and stability in Syria and in the Middle East.”
