Most recent news | Released Wednesday, May 7, 2008
PRIMATE AND LEGATE PARTICIPATE IN VISIT OF HIS HOLINESS KAREKIN II, SUPREME PATRIARCH AND CATHOLICOS OF ALL ARMENIANS, TO ROME
On May 6, 2008, His Eminence Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, Primate of the Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern), and His Eminence Archbishop Vicken Aykazian, Legate of the Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern), traveled to Rome, Italy to join His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, on an official three-day visit to the Vatican and to Pope Benedict XVI.
This first official visit of the Armenian Pontiff to meet with Pope Benedict XVI, elected in 2005, was organized by Archbishop Barsamian at the request of His Holiness Karekin II.
His Holiness Karekin II arrived in Rome with an entourage of priests and bishops from the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin on May 6 and was welcomed by Cardinal Sergio Sebastiani, president of Prefecture for the Economic Affairs of the Holy See; Bishop Brian Farrell, secretary of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity; Archbishop Barsamian; Archbishop Datev Karibian, Primate of the Diocese of the Armenian Church of Brazil; Archbishop Avak Asadourian, Primate of the Diocese of the Armenian Church of Iraq; Very Rev. Fr. Aren Shahinian, pastor of the Armenian Church of the Forty Martyrs in Milan, Italy; Dr. Saro Khodaverdian, president of the Italian Diocesan Council of the Armenian Apostolic Church; and Ms. Zara Martirosyan, consultant to the Embassy of the Republic of Armenia in Italy.
In the afternoon, Cardinal Walter Kasper, German prelate of the Roman Catholic Church and president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity in the Roman Curia, visited His Holiness. Later in the day, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, an Italian prelate of the Roman Catholic Church and Cardinal Secretary of State and Camerlengo, warmly welcomed His Holiness Karekin II at his office in the Apostolic Palace. Also present at this meeting were His Eminence Archbishop Barsamian and Archbishop Yeznik Petrosyan, general secretary of the Inter-Church Relations Department at the Catholicosate of All Armenians.
His Holiness is accompanied by 18 bishops of the Catholicosate of All Armenians and a group of approximately 100 Armenian Apostolic faithful, from Armenia and the Diaspora. This entourage of Armenians will accompany His Holiness on his visit to Rome. The last time His Holiness visited Rome was in November 2000, just one year after his election, when he met with Pope John Paul II.
On May 7, His Holiness Karekin II will pray at the tomb of St. Peter and visit the newly-installed statue of St. Gregory the Illuminator, patron saint of Armenia. Afterwards, Pope Benedict XVI will welcome His Holiness Karekin II at the beginning of the general audience in St. Peter’s Square. In the afternoon, His Holiness Karekin II will receive an honorary doctorate in the “Theology of Youth Pastoral Care” from the Pontifical Salesian University.
His Holiness Karekin II will visit the Pontifical Armenian College, established in Rome in 1887, on Thursday, May 8, and in the afternoon will participate in an academic conference being held in his honor at the Pontifical Oriental Institute on the theme of “Holy Sacrifice in the Armenian Tradition.”
On Friday morning, His Holiness Karekin II and his entourage will visit the offices of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity after which Pope Benedict XVI will receive His Holiness Karekin II in the Vatican Apostolic Palace. After their private meeting, the Pope will greet all the bishops traveling with His Holiness Karekin II. That same evening, His Holiness Karekin II, accompanied by his entourage, will participate in the celebration of the Vespers at the papal basilica of St. Paul’s Outside-the-Walls.
His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, meets with His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI at the Vatican.
