Catholicos of All Armenians Receives Participants of 7th Armenian International Women’s Association Conference
On October 12, in the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians; received the the participants of the 7th Armenian International Women’s Association (AIWA) Conference; accompanied by RA Minister of Diaspora Hranoush Hakobyan. The meeting was also attended by His Grace Bishop Arshak Khachatryan; Chancellor of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin.
Diaspora Minister, expressing gratitude for the welcome to the spiritual center of All Armenians, presented to His Holiness the works completed by the association, stressing the importance of strengthening Armenia-Diaspora Relation, through the efforts and contributions of the association members.
Karekin II, Catholicos of All Armenians offered his blessings to the conference participants. His Holiness welcomed the convening of the AIWA Conference in the Homeland and commended the events organized by the Ministry of Diaspora; aimed at the unity of Armenians.
The Armenian Patriarch extended his appreciation and blessings to the women, on behalf of the Armenian Church and Armenians around the world, for their dedicated service to the Homeland. His Holiness stressed that woman are the pillar of the family, the national life and state, whose hands shape the future of the Armenian people, through which Armenian life brightens, and the Homeland and Church are strengthened.
The Catholicos of All Armenians urged the Armenian International Women’s Association members to exert more efforts so that many Armenian women participate in the works of the AIWA, and become actively involved in working on the resolutions for the problems of national life.
During the meeting, His Holiness reflected on the challenges of childbearing; suggesting that the Association members, through promotion of different programs and should encourage young families to enrich their households with children in 2015, which will serve to honor the memory of the descendent survivors as well as victims of the Armenian Genocide, and also contribute to strengthening the Armenian state during these challenging times of statehood.
His Holiness also held a question and answer session with the participants, and spoke on several issues including the canonization of Genocide victims on April 23, 2015; memorial events being organized by the Armenian Church for 2015 on the occasion of the 100th Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide; and the roles of women in national and religious life.
Following the meeting, the conference participants also attended the Divine Liturgy service in the Mother Cathedral.
