Print This Post


From September 26 to 28, 2015, the concluding events of the official church-state centenary commemoration of the Armenian genocide took place in Armenia.

With the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, the events were attended by a delegation of the Russian Orthodox Church including Metropolitan Feodosy of Tambov and Rasskazovka and Hieromonk Stephan (Igumnov), DECR secretary for inter-Christian relations.

Delegations of other Local Orthodox Churches included high-ranking hierarchs of the Patriarchates of Alexandria, Antioch, Serbia, Georgia, Romania, the Orthodox Church of Cyprus, the Albanian Orthodox Church and the Orthodox Church of the Czech Lands and Slovakia.

There were also representatives of the Catholicosate of Cilicia of the Armenian Apostolic Church, the Syrian Jacobite Church, Coptic Church, Malankara Church, Maronite and Melkite Churches, a number of Protestant denominations and the World Council of Churches, as well as a delegation of the Holy See.

On September 26, a grand reception took place at Etchmiadzin, during which the heads of the delegations who came to Armenia greeted the Supreme Catholicos and Patriarch Karekin II.

Metropolitan Feodosy conveyed to the head of the Armenian Apostolic Church a message of cordial greetings from Patriarch Kirill and noted that the Russian Orthodox Church believes it very important to commemorate the tragic events one hundred year ago in which the Christian population of the Ottoman Empire suffered en masse. It is especially relevant to reflect on those events in our days when Christians in the Middle East and a number of other regions in the world are again subjected to persecution for their faith. He said that the Armenian Church’s canonization of the million and a half of her faithful became a significant event for the whole civilized world.

There was an official ceremony at the Tsitsernakaberd Armenian genocide memorial complex in Yerevan. The Moscow Patriarchate delegation, together with other guests, laid flowers at the eternal flame. The solemn rite of the Blessing of Holy Myrrh, held every seven years, took place in Etchmiadzin.

On September 27, the Moscow Patriarchate delegation was received by Karekin II in Etchmiadzin. The head of the Armenian Apostolic Church warmly welcomed them, stressing the close bonds of friendship existing between the two Churches and the historical nature of relations between the peoples of Russia and Armenia. In his response, Metropolitan Feodosy thanked His Holiness for the warm welcome and presented him with an icon of St. Pitirim of Tambov.

DECR Communication Service