On Sunday, Jan. 6, Armenian Orthodox churches all over the world celebrated Christmas on Jan. 6. Catholicos Aram I of the Great House of Cilicia celebrated the Holy Liturgy at the St. Gregory the Illuminator Cathedral in Antelias, Lebanon.
In his Pontifical message, His Holiness addressed the situation in the Middle East, saying, “We welcome the current movements aimed at the common good of the people. We welcome movements that support equality among citizens, respect the rights of communities and defend the inalienable human rights of individuals.”
The Catholicos then continued, “We are part of the history and culture of this region. Irrespective of the difficulties, Christians will stay here. Christians and Muslims have built the region together and will continue to live and build it together. Being a minority does not mean being marginalized, and we refuse any attempt in the region to marginalize us. We want to build the new Middle East with everyone and with equal rights”.
The Catholicos then spoke of Armenian Christian-Muslim relations and said, “Since the 7th Century, Armenia and Cilicia have co-existed with Islam. Reciprocity has been the basis of our relations and the same principle should continue to guide our journey together today”.
His Holiness Aram I concluded his Pontifical message by addressing the President and co-citizens of Lebanon, saying, “We are grateful for the determination to continue the dialogue in order to preserve the internal unity of the country” (Author not mentioned, al-Hayāt, Jan.7, p. 7). Read original text in Arabic.
