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ANTELIAS: Ordination of celibate priests

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  • ANTELIAS: Ordination of celibate priests

    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.cathcil.org/

    PO Box 70 317
    Antelias-Lebanon

    Armenian version: http://www.cathcil.org/v04/doc/Armenian.htm



    ORDINATION OF CELIBATE PRIESTS IN ANTELIAS


    The Brotherhood of the Catholicosate of Cilicia grew once again with the
    ordination of Deacon Varoujan Pentezian from the graduating class of the
    Seminary made his pledge as a celibate priest in front of God and the
    faithful public. Several other Seminary Deacons graduated and will in the
    following months be ordained in various dioceses by the local Primates.

    Primate of the Diocese of Aleppo, Bishop Shahan Sarkissian performed the
    Holy Mass and the ordination in the Saint Gregory the Illuminator Cathedral
    in Antelias on June10. Rev. Tatoul Anoushian, a member of the Brotherhood of
    the Patriarchate of Constantinople, participated in the service. Rev.
    Anoushian attended the Seminary courses in the last three years.

    The calling service and confession were held in the Cathedral on January
    9. Pledging loyalty to the rituals, rights, traditions and canons of the
    Armenian Church, the candidate publicly denounced all old and new heretics
    and preachers who seek to misguide the faithful. He then publicly read his
    pledge for enlisting himself in the service of the Cilician Holy See while
    kneeling down.

    His Holiness Aram I presided over the Holy Mass performed in the Cathedral
    on Sunday.

    When ordaining him with the Holy Chrism, Bishop Sarkissian blessed his
    forehead, left and right hands and granted him a new name as a renewed man,
    called for the service of God. Deacon Varoujan was thus renamed Father
    Ghevont and gave his very first blessing to the faithful public gathered in
    the Cathedral.

    In his Sermon, Bishop Sarkissian highlighted the important mission of the
    Catholicosate of Cilicia, stressing loyalty towards our Church and its
    teachings. Addressing the newly ordained celibate priest he talked about the
    attributes of the Cilician Brotherhood, chosen to serve the Armenian Church
    through the Catholicosate of Cilicia. Stressing the uniqueness of the
    Brotherhood, the Bishop advised the new celibate priest to remain loyal to
    his pledge to God and the principals of the Catholicosate of Cilicia.

    During the Greeting period the members of the Brotherhood congratulated
    the new celibate priest's entry into the service of God and the Brotherhood.

    On this occasion the Pontiff called on the attendants and particularly
    Father Ghevont to uphold their calling as members of the Cilician
    Brotherhood and value the new path ahead through service.

    In the next 40 days, Father Ghevont will dedicate himself to prayers and
    contemplation in the Saint Marry's Monastery of Bikfaya to prepare himself
    for the service of God following the footsteps of Jesus Christ.

    ##
    View the photos here: http://www.cathcil.org/v04/doc/Photos/Photos110.ht m
    *****
    The Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia is one of the two Catholicosates of
    the Armenian Orthodox Church. For detailed information about the Theological
    Seminary of the Cilician Catholicosate, you may refer to the web page of the
    Catholicosate, http://www.cathcil.org/ The Cilician Catholicosate, the
    administrative center of the church is located in Antelias, Lebanon.
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