Catholicos of All Armenians Received Participants of the 15th European Individual Chess Championship
On March 9, in the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians; welcomed players participating in the 15th European Individual Chess Championship. Present at the meeting were His Grace Bishop Hovnan Hakobyan, Grant Sacristan of the Mother See; and His Grace Bishop Bagrat Galstanyan, Director of the Office on Ecclesiastical Liturgical Issues of the Mother See.
Mr. Smbat Lputyan, President and Founder of the Chess Academy of Armenia and International Grandmaster; introduced the championship participants to His Holiness Karekin II and presented the final results of the tournament.
The Catholicos of All Armenians welcomed the visit of the chess players to the Spiritual Centre of All Armenians, the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, expressing joy that various international cultural, educational and also sports events are being held in Armenia. Noting that chess is very favored by the Armenian people, His Holiness remarked that reflecting a creative mind, chess is a noble game with an important mission in people’s lives, contributing to mutual understanding between nations and cultures with its spirit.
The Catholicos of All Armenians highlighted the benevolent influence that chess has in forging positive qualities and traits in an individual – in shaping their character.
At the conclusion of the meeting His Holiness Karekin II held a question and answer session with the championship participants, answering questions on: the outlook of the Church towards various types of sports; the history of the Armenian Church and its role in social life; as well as the involvement of the Church in peacefully resolving the conflict in Nagorno Karabakh.
