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ANTELIAS: HH Aram I lectures at the American University of Sharjah

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  • ANTELIAS: HH Aram I lectures at the American University of Sharjah

    PRESS RELEASE
    Catholicosate of Cilicia
    Communication and Information Department
    Contact: V.Rev.Fr.Krikor Chiftjian, Communications Officer
    Tel: (04) 410001, 410003
    Fax: (04) 419724
    E- mail: [email protected]
    Web: http://www.armenianorthodoxchurch.org/

    PO Box 70 317
    Antelias-Lebanon

    Armenian version: http://www.armenianorthodoxchurch.org/v04/doc/Arme nian.htm

    HIS HOLINESS ARAM I LECTURES
    AT THE AMERICAN UNIVERSITY OF SHARJAH

    On Monday 2 February 2009 His Holiness Aram I delivered a lecture in
    American university of Sharjah. The topic of the lecture was "From
    Inter-religious dialogue to living together".

    Introducing His Holiness, the President of the University Dr. Peter Heat
    presented him as an internationally recognized personality in the area of
    inter-religious dialogue.

    Aram I first referred to the "come-back" of religion as a fact of life. He
    then spoke about different perceptions of religion.

    Speaking about the importance of dialogue, he said that a credible dialogue
    must take into consideration the following.- 1) It must make room for
    different perceptions, values and expressions. 2) It must be realistic. 3)
    It must be contextual. 4) It must explore ways of transcending differences.
    5) It must challenge biased attitudes, face-value judgments and provide
    greater knowledge, accurate information. 6) It must avoid syncretistic
    approaches, false compromises and exclusivist claims. 7) It must consider
    diversity as a complementing rather than a conflicting factor.

    Catholicos Aram set the following priorities as an agenda for a serious
    dialogue. These are.- 1) promoting spiritual and moral values. 2)
    Elaborating a global ethics. 3) Overcoming violence by developing a culture
    of non-violence. 4) Combating intolerance. 5) Working for peace with
    justice. 6) Acting as agents of reconciliation.

    The focus of the lecture was living together as community. His Holiness
    outlined the following actions as prerequisite conditions for community
    building.- 1) Accepting and respecting our differences. 2) Enhancing common
    values that transform co-existence into a meaningful way of living together.
    3) Challenging inclusive approaches and fundamentalist tendencies and claims
    that jeopardize living together, and enhancing coherence between
    self-understanding and interactive understanding. 4) Promoting a quality of
    life that rejects alienation and calls for mutual trust. 5) Encouraging
    participation in all aspects of community life. 6) Aiming for a form of
    integration that preserves specificities fosters commonalities.

    In his concluding remarks, referring to the vocation of religion Catholicos
    Aram I underscored the following points.- 1) The religions have a moral
    responsibility to restore humanity-creation-God relationship based on
    responsibility accountability. 2) Religions must emphasize the crucial
    importance of the Transcendence in the life of societies. 3) Religions must
    defend the sacredness of life by promoting values that protect the integrity
    of life. 4) Religions must bring active participation in peace-building.
    Real peace is based on justice and respect of human rights. 5) Religions are
    called to play a major role in preventive approaches to conflicts, and also
    in proactive defense of human rights through education and awareness
    building. 6) And finally religions must remind that all mighties are
    powerless before the Almighty.

    ##
    View the photos here:
    http://www.armenianorthodoxchurch.org/v04/doc/Pho tos/Photos356.htm
    *****
    The Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia is one of the two Catholicosates of
    the Armenian Orthodox Church. For detailed information about the history and
    the mission of the Cilician Catholicosate, you may refer to the web page of
    the Catholicosate, http://www.armenianorthodoxchurch.org The Cilician
    Catholicosate, the administrative center of the church is located in
    Antelias, Lebanon.
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