Talking with Other Religious Communities Strengthens the Armenian Church's Standing in World

If you want your friends to be there for you in times of crisis, you need to spend time and effort building solid relationships.  Through a number of efforts, such as its Legate's Office, the Diocese is constantly educating other religious communities about the history and uniqueness of the Armenian Church.

Thanks in part to that ongoing ecumenical work, many friends have supported the Eastern Diocese at critical moments, as it acts on behalf of Armenian holy sites around the globe.

Building Bridges

All of the work done by Bishop Vicken Aykazian, the legate and ecumenical officer of the Eastern Diocese, is geared directly towards building a better understanding of the Armenian Church within other religious communities.

Acting as a kind of ambassador for the church, Bishop Aykazian led a group of U.S. church leaders on a trip to Armenia in August 2002.  The group of 14 included Protestant, Catholic, and Orthodox leaders as well as officials from the National Council of Churches.

"Only by seeing and feeling can you have an understanding of the Armenian people and the Armenian Church," said Bishop Aykazian.  "It is important people understand about our church, because no man or group is an island.  We cannot be alone, live on our own.  We need the help and support of other churches."

Bishop Aykazian also helped organize a trip to the Middle East in April 2002.  During that trip 13 American religious leaders visited Palestinian-controlled areas, Israel, Turkey, Lebanon, Syria, and Jordan.  Their efforts were to promote peace in the Holy Land, also in the process, the delegation members also received an education about the Armenian presence there.

"We all belong to the same church: the universal church of God," Bishop Aykazian said.  "But because we lack strong relationships, we have not come closer.  So we take opportunities like these to come closer to other churches."

Archbishop Barsamian also plays a key role in ecumenical efforts.  In January 2002, the Primate represented His Holiness Karekin II, Catholicos of All Armenians, in Italy during a papal pilgrimage for peace, joining His Holiness Pope John Paul II and 100 other religious representatives for a daylong meeting and prayer for peace in Assisi.

The Primate is also an active leader in the Appeal of Conscience Foundation, an interfaith coalition of business and religious leaders working around the globe to promote peace, tolerance, and resolution of ethnic conflicts.  The Primate is a vice president on the board of the Foundation.

Friends When You Need Them

During the summer of 2002, the Diocese's ecumenical work paid off, as religious leaders from across the nation joined the Eastern Diocese in lobbying American government officials to respond to pressure Israeli officials to throw out a plan that would have destroyed property owned and used as a spiritual retreat by the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem.

The Israeli military had planned on building a security wall and utility road through the heart of a 36-acre property known as Baron Der. 

Joining the Diocese in successfully lobbying to stop the wall's construction were groups including the American Jewish Committee, the Episcopal Church, the interfaith Appeal of Conscience Foundation, and the National Council of Churches of Christ.

"During this period when leaders of the Armenian Church here are working with us to strengthen understanding and mutual respect between our two communities, we respectfully urge the (Israeli) Ministry of Defense to be mindful of their concerns within the context of the compelling needs of safety for all Israelis," the American Jewish Committee leaders wrote in a letter to Israeli officials.