ECUMENICAL DELEGATION FROM U.S. VISITS ARMENIA, MEETS WITH CATHOLICOS

From the National Council of Churches of Christ in the U.S.A. News Service

An interchurch delegation from the United States was in Armenia August 22-25. Highlights included a meeting with His Holiness Karekin II, the Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, and visits with a number of congregations and institutions of the Armenian Apostolic Church.

Organized by the Legate of the Eastern Diocese of the Armenian Church in America, the pilgrimage represented a broad range of Christian communions, including leaders in the Episcopal, Lutheran, and Roman Catholic churches and the General Secretary of the National Council of Churches, Dr. Bob Edgar.

Members of the delegation expressed their appreciation for the signs of renewal of the church, which suffered for many decades under an atheistic and totalitarian government. Even though it is clear that the needs are still great and the full recovery of the church will take many years, already there are signs that the process is well under way, the visiting church leaders said. Similar positive signs were observed in the life of other churches in Armenia that the delegation encountered.

The delegation was particularly moved by its visit to Tzitzernagapert, the memorial to the Armenian Genocide. Stark in its simplicity, the memorial represents a powerful reminder of this great wound on the Armenian people, and of the need to work together to avoid such horrific events in the future.

In its discussions the delegation also outlined the efforts of Christian churches in America to help resolve the property issues [revolving around the Baron Der site] faced by the Armenian Patriarchate in Jerusalem. They were very pleased that the Israeli government appeared ready to avoid dividing Armenian property by the construction of a wall separating Israelis from Palestinians, and looks forward to a definitive solution of the problem.

Bishop Vicken Aykazian, director of the Ecumenical Office of the Armenian Church in America, reported the visiting Americans noted with delight that the Armenian Apostolic Church is now resuming its place within the worldwide communion of Christian churches. The ancient Armenian tradition, tempered and formed by the many decades of persecution it had to endure, possesses a richness and distinctiveness that is a great gift to the worldwide communion of Christian churches, the bishop said, adding, "It is the lively hope of the members of the delegation that with the continued training of competent theologians, the Armenian Church's contribution will be increasingly appreciated and valued throughout the Christian world."

The members of the delegation expressed their warmest fraternal greetings to their fellow Christians in Armenia, noting that their pilgrimage had strengthened their conviction "that the Spirit is alive and well in Armenia. Even though the country may be landlocked by geography, there is no doubt that the Spirit breaks down the barriers that divide us, and creates a bond of communion that can never be forgotten," they said in a final statement.

The members of the delegation included:

The Rev. Dr. Lowell Almen, secretary of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and member of the Conference of Bishops, Chicago;

Bishop Vicken Aykazian, director of the Ecumenical Office and Diocesan Legate of the Eastern Diocese of the Armenian Church of America, Washington, DC;

Bishop Manuel Batakian, Apostolic Exarch for Armenian Catholics in the United States, New York;

Dr. Bob Edgar, General Secretary of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the U.S.A., New York;

Bishop Christopher Epting, ecumenical officer of the Episcopal Church in the United States, New York;

Rev. Dr. Ronald G. Roberson, associate director of the Secretariat for Ecumenical and Inter-religious Affairs at the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Washington, DC; and

Mr. Kevork Toroyan, chairman of the Legate's Committee of the Eastern Diocese of the Armenian Church in America, New Canaan, Connecticut.

His Eminence William Cardinal Keeler, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Baltimore, had planned to join the delegation, but was forced to cancel because of illness.

 

On Tour of Armenia, U.S. Church Leaders Get a Glimpse of Promises & Challenges Ahead for Armenan Church  

By Kevork Toroyan

Diocesan Legate Scores Again With a Successful Ecumenical Junket to Armenia. 

Reviewing the recent activities of the Legate's Office of the Eastern Diocese of the Armenian Church of America leaves no doubt about the wisdom of allocating the church's scarce resources to support the activities of a Legate's office in Washington, DC. Over the past months, under the direction of Bishop Vicken Aykazian, the Legate's office has compiled a substantial record of successes.

This past summer, responding to the Baron Der crisis facing the Patriarchate of Jerusalem, the Legate's office mobilized support among Armenian organizations, prominent ecumenical leaders, and prominent rabbis--demonstrating the value of its relationships cultivated among Armenian, ecumenical and interfaith organizations.

Prior to the Baron Der crisis, a successful June trip with an ecumenical delegation to the Middle East and Holy Land prepared the ground to sensitize the delegates about the plight of the Armenian Church in the Holy Land.

I witnessed a similar transformation in attitude among the members of yet another ecumenical delegation, brought to the Republic of Armenia a few weeks ago. The trip had been planned a year in advance under the auspices of the Primate of the Eastern Diocese, Archbishop Khajag Barsamian.

The delegation to Armenia--representing various U.S. churches numbering as many as 120 million believers--included Dr. Bob Edgar, General Secretary of the National Council of Churches, and other distinguished clergymen (the complete roster appears on page 12). They toured Armenia, led by Bishop Aykazian, visiting Armenian Church monuments and various tourist sights, and meeting with the dignitaries and the common folk of our homeland.

The highlight of the trip was witnessing the dynamism of His Holiness Karekin II, the Catholicos of All Armenians, in his effort to meet the tremendous challenge of bringing the church back into the life of the nation. His Holiness allowed the delegates to participate in the Sunday badarak at Holy Etchmiadzin, accompanied them to a children's art performance, and at dusk listened to a magnificent choir in Geghart monastery, followed by a congenial tasting of the local lavash-bread, yogurt and honey.

The hospitality of His Holiness was overwhelming. There is no doubt in my mind that every member of this important ecumenical delegation returned with a better understanding of the important role of the Armenian Church--today as well as throughout its 1,700 years of history. And the Armenian Church in turn has been enriched with some influential and reliable friends.

Kevork Toroyan is chairman of the Committee of the Eastern Diocesan Legate.