Post by Deleted on Aug 25, 2023 23:31:23 GMT
On Thursday, the 24th of August 2023, the President of the Syrian Arab Republic Bashar al-Assad met the head of the Armenian Catholic Church, His Beatitude Raphaël Bedros XXI Minassian, Catholicos-Patriarch of Cilicia.
Recall that His Beatitude was elected Catholicos-Patriarch of the Armenians in September 2021, and his election was subsequently confirmed and approved by His Holiness Pope Francis. He replaced the esteemed and holy Patriarch Gregory Peter XX Ghabroyan (1934-2021).
His Beatitude is the spiritual leader and Patriarch of the 600,000 Catholics of Armenian ethnicity, most of whom live in the Middle East, primarily in Lebanon, Syria, and other such countries.
His Beatitude the Catholicos-Patriarch asked President Assad to intercede for the Armenians of Artsakh. His Beatitude "wished the President and the people of Syria peace and joy after years of war, with the hope that the future will be for Syria one of joy and safety".
Accompanying the Patriarch were bishops of the Catholic dioceses of Syria of the Armenian rite. Archbishop Boutros Mariati of Aleppo, Bishop Joseph Arnaouti of Damascus, and Bishop Antranik Ayvazyan of Jazira and the Euphrates. The Armenian Catholic Church reported that President Assad listened with attention and concern to the reports of each bishop regarding the life of the parishes of their diocese.
In his address, the President of the Syrian Arab Republic stressed the importance of the Catholic Armenian community of Syria in the life of the nation and wished every joy and blessing upon it.
Recall that His Beatitude was elected Catholicos-Patriarch of the Armenians in September 2021, and his election was subsequently confirmed and approved by His Holiness Pope Francis. He replaced the esteemed and holy Patriarch Gregory Peter XX Ghabroyan (1934-2021).
His Beatitude is the spiritual leader and Patriarch of the 600,000 Catholics of Armenian ethnicity, most of whom live in the Middle East, primarily in Lebanon, Syria, and other such countries.
His Beatitude the Catholicos-Patriarch asked President Assad to intercede for the Armenians of Artsakh. His Beatitude "wished the President and the people of Syria peace and joy after years of war, with the hope that the future will be for Syria one of joy and safety".
Accompanying the Patriarch were bishops of the Catholic dioceses of Syria of the Armenian rite. Archbishop Boutros Mariati of Aleppo, Bishop Joseph Arnaouti of Damascus, and Bishop Antranik Ayvazyan of Jazira and the Euphrates. The Armenian Catholic Church reported that President Assad listened with attention and concern to the reports of each bishop regarding the life of the parishes of their diocese.
In his address, the President of the Syrian Arab Republic stressed the importance of the Catholic Armenian community of Syria in the life of the nation and wished every joy and blessing upon it.