(24 Nov 08 - RV) Pope Benedict XVI today received the Catholicos of the Great House
of Cilicia, His Holiness, Aram I, who began a 5-day visit to Rome and the Vatican
on Sunday.
Born Pedros Keshishian in Beirut, Lebanon in 1947, the man who would
become Aram I was ordained priest in 1968, and was consecrated bishop in Antelias
on 22 August 1980.
From 1980 to 1995 he was Primate of Lebanon at the head
of the Armenian Prelacy of Lebanon.
The Catholicos of Cilicia is the spiritual
leader of all Armenian Christians living outside their native land, and Aram I is
a charismatic figure who has been deeply involved in ecumenical efforts for decades.
It
gives me a profound spiritual joy to greet your holiness in the spirit of Christian
love and the commitment to the visible unity of the Church which your predecessor,
His Holiness, Pope John Paul II, of blessed memory, and we greeted each other in 1997.
Following
hymn and prayer in the Redemptoris mater chapel of the Apostolic Palace, the Catholicos
of Cilicia spoke words of Salutation to Pope Benedict XVI, in which he expressed the
urgency of the need for Chrsitians to continue to move together along the path to
unity…
The world of today, Your Holiness, with its complexities, polarizations,
and uncertainties, challenges our Churches to deepen and broaden our ecumenical collaboration
and theological dialogue, aimed at the visible unity of the Church. We believe that
a divided Church cannot credibly and effectively take the Gospel to the world. The
united voce and the common witness of the Church in a polarized world, is the call
of Christ, which is more imperative and urgent today than ever before.
Speaking
before the Catholicos, Pope Benedict said he hopes existing agreements will find concrete
expression in new joint initiatives…
Surely the growth in understanding, respect
and cooperation which has emerged from ecumenical dialogue promises much for the proclamation
of the Gospel in our time. Throughout the world Armenians live side by side with
the faithful of the Catholic Church. An increased understanding and appreciation
of the apostolic tradition which we share will contribute to an ever more effective
common witness to the spiritual and moral values without which a truly just and humane
social order cannot exist. For this reason, I trust that new and practical means
will be found to give expression to the common declarations we have already signed.
Pope
Benedict also assured his guest, the Catholicos, who is a native of Beirut, that he
prays daily for the people of Lebanon and for all peoples in the Middle East, saying
recent persecutions of Christians living in various places throughout the region have
been cause for great grief…
Most recently we have all been saddened by the
escalation of persecution and violence against Christians in parts of the Middle East
and elsewhere. Only when the countries involved can determine their own destiny,
and the various ethnic groups and religious communities accept and respect each other
fully, will peace be built on the solid foundations of solidarity, justice and respect
for the legitimate rights of individuals and peoples.
Pope Benedict concluded
by saying he hopes the days of the Catholicos’ visit in Rome will be filled with many
graces.
The CAtholicos of Cilicia, His Holiness, Aram I began a 5-day visit
to Rome and the Vatican on Sunday, November 23rd.