Catholicos Aram I of the Armenian Apostolic Church Expresses Solidarity with Syrian Christians in Meeting with IDC

posted on: May 12, 2015

Washington, D.C. — In Defense of Christians (IDC) Executive Director Kirsten Evans today issued the following statement:

On Friday, IDC’s President, Toufic Baaklini, and Senior Advisor, Andrew Doran, had an audience with His Holiness Catholicos Aram I of the Holy See of the Cilicia of the Armenian Apostolic Church. The meeting took place two weeks following the centenary of the Armenian Genocide under the Ottoman Empire in 1915.

“His Holiness expressed grave concern for the Christian community of Aleppo, which finds itself caught in the crossfire of violent conflict. “Aleppo has long been a symbol of coexistence, where Christians and Muslims have lived side by side in peace for centuries,” said Catholicos Aram. “We are deeply saddened to see the integrity of these Christian communities come apart and to see to many lives imperiled.”

“His Holiness called on all nations, particularly the United States, to work toward the maintenance of Aleppo’s multi-faith character, which is a model for peace in the region. He also called on the international community to deal more swiftly with ISIS and to root out its ideological and financial sources.

“His Holiness expressed his gratitude for IDC’s awareness, advocacy, and humanitarian work on behalf of the Christians of the Middle East. IDC exists to empower the Middle Eastern Christian Diaspora and energize the American people to stand in solidarity with the Christian communities in the region.
“Last September, Catholicos Aram represented the Armenian community at a historic ecumenical gathering hosted by IDC in which patriarchs and representatives from all major Eastern Churches gathered in Washington, D.C. for the first time in history. The event, titled “Protecting and Preserving Christianity — Where It All Began,” brought members of Congress, members of the Diaspora, and religious leaders together to champion the cause of Middle Eastern Christians through awareness, advocacy, and unity.”