Catholicos of All Armenians Receives Rector of the Spiritual Academy of Moscow

Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin

On October 19, in the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, received His Eminence Archbishop Vereyski Evgeni, Rector of the Spiritual Academy of Moscow of the Russian Orthodox Church and Vicar General of the Diocese of Moscow.

During the meeting His Holiness gave his blessings and best wishes to His Eminence, stressing that the visits of the representatives of Sister Churches serve as a good opportunity to learn more about the Holy Armenian Apostolic Church, our faithful and the national-spiritual values created by the nation through centuries.

There was also a reflection on the close and fraternal relations between the two Churches, particularly on the level of cooperation that has developed between the two spiritual educational institutions. The Armenian Pontiff reflected with satisfaction on the memorandum of cooperation signed between the Gevorkian Theological Seminary of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin and the Orthodox Academy of Saint Petersburg of the Russian Orthodox Church. His Holiness also discussed on one of the current challenges facing the Armenian Church – the preparation of the clergies. The Armenian Pontiff also informed that during his reign over three hundred clergymen have been ordained and called to serve in various departments and dioceses of the Armenian Church. He also noted that there was still much more work to be completed, expressing his hope that the three educational institutions in Armenia – the Gevorkian Theological Seminary, Vaskenian Academy at Lake Sevan and the Academy of Harijavank, as well as the candidates with higher education who take the Accelerated Academic Courses for the Priesthood, would complete the rows of clergies. Archbishop Evgeni expressed his appreciation to His Holiness for receiving him, stating their intent to cooperate with the Gevorkian Theological Seminary.

Present for the meeting were His Grace Bishop Hovakim Manukian, Director for the Ecumenical Relations Department of the Mother See, Rev. Fr. Gevorg Saroyan, Dean of the Gevorkian Theological Seminary of the Mother See and Rev. Fr. Mushegh Babayan, Graduate of the Spiritual Academy of Moscow and Director of the Operations Department of the Mother See.

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