President hosts Catholicos of All Armenians and Catholicos of Great House of Cilicia

President Serzh Sargsyan today held a meeting with His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians and His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia.

At the meeting, issues concerning close cooperation between the state and the church, further strengthening of motherland-diaspora ties, vital aspects of national-ecclesiastical life and the present challenges were discussed. These issues have been put on the agenda of the Bishop’s Synod of the Armenian Apostolic Holy Church being held in the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin from 11 to 13 November.

The Armenian President welcomed the Bishop’s Synod being held for the benefit of our pious people and the Armenian state. The President said that the convention of the Bishops’ Synod was an important event in Armenian ecclesiastical life and wished the synod kicked off today in the Holy See success and effective work.

At the meeting, the works of the State Commission on Coordination of the events for the commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide headed by the RA President in which all the hierarchical sees, dioceses, curacies and organizations of the Armenian Apostolic Holy Church are actively participating were touched upon. The interlocutors also touched upon the activities carried out by the Armenian churches in the diaspora and at international and inter-ecclesiastical levels which are aimed at dealing with issues of vital nationwide importance, as well as upon issues concerning the assistance of the Syrian-Armenian community suffering extreme hardship and privation together with the native population as a result of the ongoing devastating war in Syria.

The Armenian President, the Supreme Patriarch and the Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia attached great importance to the fact that it is imperative to serve the Armenian state, the Church and the Armenian people jointly and combine efforts to tackle nationwide problems.