His Holiness Catholicos Aram I Participates in RIIFS Conference
On May 7 and 8, 2025, the Royal Institute for Inter-Faith Studies (RIIFS) held a conference in Amman, Jordan, titled “Christians in the Arab Levant and the Aspirations of Unity and Enlightenment.” His Holiness Catholicos Aram I, Catholicos of the Armenian Church, Holy See of Cilicia, and Honorary President of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), emphasized the need for religious and cultural tolerance during the opening session in his speech.
Prince El Hassan Bin Talal, Chairperson of RIIFS, and various Christian and Islamic leaders attended the conference and delivered speeches.
In his speech, Aram I emphasized the importance of Christian-Muslim dialogue and cooperation, highlighting key areas needing attention: socio-moral issues, faith and reason, religion and politics, the exploitation of religion, and a collective moral value system. He noted that unity between Christianity and Islam help tackle global challenges like environmental crises, religious extremism, and human rights violations. In his conclusion, His Holiness highlighted that Christian communities have deep roots in the region, with their unique identities and traditions, and that they are key contributors to society, actively promoting peace and prosperity based on justice in the Middle East.
The two-day conference focused on Christian-Islamic cooperation and coexistence. At the end of the conference a general statement was issued outlining the proposals discussed.
Meetings in Amman
Parallel to the conference, Catholicos Aram I held several meetings:
His Holiness held a phone call with HE Archbishop Nourhan Manougian, the Armenian Patriarch of Jerusalem.
His Holiness received Sevag Avedissian, the Ambassador of Cyprus to Jordan.
His Holiness met with His Holiness Moran Mor Ignatius Aphrem II, Patriarch of Antioch and All the East and discussed the upcoming conference in Cairo.
During the conference, His Holiness met with Prince Hassan and thanked him for commemorating the Armenian Genocide.
Members of the Armenian Community of Amman visited His Holiness, led by the religious leader V. Rev. Fr. Avedis Ipradjian.
His Holiness received Hagop Djernazian and Setrag Balian, the co-founders of Save the Armenian Quarter movement (Save the ARQ), and discussed the case of the historic Cow’s Garden in Jerusalem. His Holiness emphasized the importance of addressing this issue with a national effort.
Dr. Apkar Kevorkian presented His Holiness with light from the tomb of Christ, which he took to the Antelias.
Click here to view the photos.
This news was originally published on the website of the Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia, Antelias, Lebanon.