IRAQI CHURCH LEADERS MEET IN BEIRUT (LEBANON)

The World Council of Churches and the Middle East Council of Churches had jointly organized a meeting in Beirut from 9-11 February 2009. The meeting was held at Fetaa conference center and a representative of the Armenian Catholicostae of Cilicia also attended the meeting.

The purpose of the meeting was to discuss Christian presence in Iraq and the need to strengthen the churches and their institutions. Christians in Iraq suffered both during the war and the events after the end of the war. At the end of the meeting, the Church Leaders visited His Holines Aram I at his headquarters at the Catholicosate and shared with him their recommendations. After welcoming his guests, the Catholicos said: “Our Catholicosate is home for all Christians because we believe that through prayers, cooperation and continuous dialogue will serve best our people and the people of Iraq. He then made a retrospective review with the Church Leaders of the efforts of the World Council of Churches while he was the Moderator, and those of the Middle East Council of Churches most recently, as one of its Presidents. He encouraged the Churches in Iraq to respond with one voice and one position to the situation in their country, and enter into dialogue with their Muslim co-citizens with renewed understanding of post war Iraqi society.

At the end of the meeting, His Holiness Aram I briefed the Church Leaders of his conversation with His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI^th on this matter, during his visit to Vatican in November 2008, and assured them of the continued support of the Middle East Council of Churches.

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