President attends consecration ceremony of Holy Martyrs Armenian Catholic church in Gyumri
YEREVAN, September 24. / ARKA /. Armenian president Serzh Sargsyan attended today the official consecration ceremony of Holy Martyrs Armenian Catholic Church, an episcopal residence, in Gyumr, the administrative center of the northwestern province of Shirak.
The ceremony was held as part of the commemoration of the Armenian Genocide Centennial. The church is named “Holy Martyrs” in memory of the Holy martyrs of the Armenian Genocide, the presidential press service said.
The sacred ceremony was attended by government officials, heads of diplomatic missions and international organizations accredited to Armenia, members of the Synod of Bishops of the Armenian Catholic Church, as well as by the sponsors of the church construction and worldly guests from different countries.
The ceremony was co-conducted by His Eminence Leonardo Sandri, Prefect of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches, and His Beatitude Gregory Petros XX Gabroyan, newly elected Catholicos-Patriarch of the Armenian Catholic Church.
On the occasion of the church opening, Papal Nuncio Bishop Marek Solczynski read the message of Pope Francis, Bishop of Rome, and the episcopal delegation of Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin presented the patriarchal blessings of His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians.
According to some estimates, there are 600,000 Armenian Catholics in the world. The Catholic Church in Armenia is part of the worldwide Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope in Rome. There are around 110,000 Catholics in Armenia, representing about 4% of the total population.
The Shirak province is the traditional home of Armenian Catholics. In the province Catholics live in 7 villages. In Lori province Catholics live in 6 localities. The head of the Church is the Armenian Catholic Patriarchate of Cilicia and the main cathedral of the Church is the Cathedral of St Elie and St Gregory the Illuminator in Beirut, Lebanon. -0-
The ceremony was held as part of the commemoration of the Armenian Genocide Centennial. The church is named “Holy Martyrs” in memory of the Holy martyrs of the Armenian Genocide, the presidential press service said.
The sacred ceremony was attended by government officials, heads of diplomatic missions and international organizations accredited to Armenia, members of the Synod of Bishops of the Armenian Catholic Church, as well as by the sponsors of the church construction and worldly guests from different countries.
The ceremony was co-conducted by His Eminence Leonardo Sandri, Prefect of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches, and His Beatitude Gregory Petros XX Gabroyan, newly elected Catholicos-Patriarch of the Armenian Catholic Church.
On the occasion of the church opening, Papal Nuncio Bishop Marek Solczynski read the message of Pope Francis, Bishop of Rome, and the episcopal delegation of Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin presented the patriarchal blessings of His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians.
According to some estimates, there are 600,000 Armenian Catholics in the world. The Catholic Church in Armenia is part of the worldwide Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope in Rome. There are around 110,000 Catholics in Armenia, representing about 4% of the total population.
The Shirak province is the traditional home of Armenian Catholics. In the province Catholics live in 7 villages. In Lori province Catholics live in 6 localities. The head of the Church is the Armenian Catholic Patriarchate of Cilicia and the main cathedral of the Church is the Cathedral of St Elie and St Gregory the Illuminator in Beirut, Lebanon. -0-