Patriarch John X of Antioch and All the East welcomed Catholicos-Patriarch Aram I of the Great House of Cilicia to the Patriarchal See in Balamand.
Those present at the meeting included Archbishop Shahe Panossian, the Armenian Orthodox Archbishop of Lebanon; Archbishop Shahan Sarkissian, the director of the Cilicia Library at the Catholicosate; Archimandrite Hovakim Manjartjian, the head of the Catholicosate’s Department of Communications; Archimandrite Sarkis Abrahamian, who is responsible for ecumenical relations in the Middle East and Christian-Islamic dialogue at the Catholicosate; and Archimandrite George Yaacoub, abbot of the patriarchal monastery of Our Lady of Balamand.
The Catholicos offered his condolences to the Patriarch for the martyrs of the Church of Saint Elias in Douweila, Damascus, and prayed for the departed to rest in peace and for the wounded to recover. His Holiness emphasized the Armenian Orthodox Church’s unwavering support for the Church of Antioch. He underscored the importance of Christian unity and the ancient roots of the Church’s mission in the East. Today, this mission faces great challenges.
In turn, the Patriarch expressed his gratitude to the Catholicos for his solidarity and support. He highlighted the rich history of the Armenian Church, marked by a long tradition of Christian witness, and emphasized the deep bond that unites the two churches.
