On October 18, His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians received participants of the international conference “Church and State Relations: Imperatives and Challenges” held at the Mother See.

During the meeting, Head of the Inter-Church Relations Department of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, Prelate of the Artik Diocese, Bishop Hovakim Manukyan introduced the Catholicos of All Armenians to the participants, attached importance to the holding of such a conference at the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin and asked the Supreme Patriarch for his blessing.

The Catholicos of All Armenians expressed his satisfaction with the holding of the conference and welcomed the participation of representatives of Sister Churches, ecumenical organizations, international and non-governmental organizations in the conference and expressed his appreciation of the organizers.

The Supreme Patriarch attached importance to the topic discussed during the conference and mentioned with confidence that it will help the participants become stronger through the exchange of experiences, will contribute to the strengthening of cooperation and democratic institutions in the country. “We are content with the fact that there is freedom of religion in Armenia, which is guaranteed by law. It’s obvious that the Mother Church has a special status in this country as the National Church, which is enshrined in the Constitution of the Republic of Armenia and by which importance is attached to the role of the Armenian Church in our people’s lives. But the special status of the Armenian Holy Apostolic Church can never impede other active religious organizations and Churches in Armenia,” His Holiness underlined, touching particularly upon the membership of the Armenian Church to international ecumenical organizations and the close relations with Sister Churches.

Expressing joy for the holding of the conference, the Catholicos of All Armenians wished the conference success as it strengthens the partnership between churches for the welfare, justice and peace in the world in the future.

In the end, the Supreme Patriarch answered the questions concerning the participants of the conference.

After the meeting, the participants of the conference attended the opening of embroider-painter Marieta Martirosyan-Alexanyan’s exhibition Psalm of the Spirit at the hall of the Old Matenadaran of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, reports the press office of the Mother See to “Hayern Aysor”.