New York, NY - On October 30th, His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios met with the Catholicos and Supreme Patriarch of the Armenian Church, Karekin II, at the St. Vartan Armenian Cathedral in Manhattan. The Catholicos is the highest ranking prelate of the Armenian Church (bio,www.armenianchurch.net/church/catholicos/index.html).

The Catholicos has been on a month long tour of the United States, and was eager to see Archbishop Demetrios before departing for Armenia on November 2nd. This was their second meeting, and lasted for one and a half hours, during which a number of spiritual and ecumenical topics were covered. The Catholicos spoke of the “courage of His All Holiness the Ecumenical Patriarch” and spoke strongly for the acknowledgement of the title “Ecumenical” as being a basic human and religious right. He also expressed concern for the re-opening of the Theological School of Halki as a continuing source for training of the clergy. For his part, the Archbishop expressed solidarity with the suffering of the Armenian people throughout history and especially at the beginning of the 20th century. The Archbishop also thanked the Catholicos for his visit to Archbishop Christodoulos of Athens and All Greece while he was hospitalized in Miami, FL.

Their lengthy dialogue also consisted of sharing perspectives on youth ministry, the education and training of clergy, and the contemporary Ecumenical Movement. Of particular interest to the Catholicos was the condition of the Orthodox Church in the United States; its growth, progress and function. At the conclusion of the meeting, the Catholicos extended an invitation to the Archbishop to visit Armenia. The two Hierarchs then exchanged gifts and fraternal salutations.

The Catholicos was accompanied to the meeting by the Primate of Armenian Church in America (Eastern Diocese) Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, Archbishop Vicken Aykazian (Washington, DC), as well as the Catholicos’ own brother, Bishop Yezras Nersissian, Primate of the Armenian Church in Russia.

The Archbishop was accompanied by Archdeacon Panteleimon Papadopoulos, Father Mark Arey, Director of Ecumenical Relations, and Alice Keurian, the Director of the Office of the Archbishop.