His Holiness Catholicos Aram I’s pontifical visit has concluded. While he has left the country, the impact of his visit is just beginning. The visit of a Catholicos to the faithful of a region is an emotional and spiritually uplifting experience. The faithful yearn for the blessing of their spiritual father knowing that these opportunities are limited. Generally we are a respectful people whose values connect us to a deep love for our elders. To observe Armenian children with their parents and grandparents gives us significant insight into how our culture functions both in the homeland and the Diaspora. A few years ago we were in Armenia with our then one-year-old granddaughter. Strangers would stop us on the street to hold her. The multigenerational love is bi-directional. I remember saying that this could never happen in today’s America. This is what happens when fear is stronger than love. The Vehapar’s visit represents our spiritual father coming to our home. It is the fulfillment of God’s love for the faithful, and Catholicos Aram I brought an inspiring message. Pontifical visits are inflection points in our Armenian spiritual lives and are rarely forgotten. I am certain that each of you has vivid memories of your participation in pontifical visits in the past.
First, we must acknowledge that a pontifical visit is a great deal of work involving protocol, media relations and logistics. The itinerary consists of going to parish communities and a multitude of activities, and it is usually an “all hands on deck” event. Most communities either reschedule or work around regular community activity in order to give resource priority to organizing the Vehapar’s visit. This is particularly true in smaller parishes where resources are limited. During this visit to New England and the Midwest, literally hundreds of parishioners worked tirelessly to prepare for this memorable visit.
Volunteers worked tirelessly for the success of the visit. I refer to it as a “healthy fatigue” knowing that there is joy in the exhaustion. One of the most important aspects of our community life is the relationships that we form through working together in the church. How many bonds of friendship are formed working on a bazaar committee, serving on parish councils, teaching in the schools or organizing social events? A pontifical visit committee is no different. The importance of the work and the fulfillment from contributing build valuable relations. It is called community — the core of the church. It has often been said that we can pray alone, but we worship together. Congratulations to all the local community volunteers. A slight letdown after the visitation is natural — no more committee meetings as the short-term exhilaration of the visit passes. What remains deep in your soul is the long-term impact of the messages, the inspiration and the will to apply our newfound joy to community life.
A pontifical visit, such as the one the Prelacy just hosted in the eastern region, is also an opportunity to gauge the health of our communities and to understand the critically important generational transitions. Perhaps one of the most significant experiences in each community was the interaction with the youth. We say it often, but having an emotional and intellectual impact on the emerging generation in our increasingly complex Diaspora can be challenging. We all need to be motivated; inspiring our youth is not only comforting to the elder generation (and in that regard serves as an inspiration) but is critically important to the sustainability of our communities. In every pontifical visitation, there were young people serving during the religious services and well-organized interactive sessions with His Holiness. This process of youth meetings has matured over the years. I can recall in my youth that such interactions were a bit stale in content. We were thrilled to have an audience, but the content was too formal. Most communities highlighted the success of these forums, not simply through participation but in the quality of the exchanges. We should all be proud and pleased with this success. I watched videos from three communities, and the exchanges were rich in depth and focused on our core challenges.
These pontifical visits also give a community an opportunity to unite around the experience. We are proud of our communities and do our utmost to welcome such an important visitor. It is also motivated by the need for spiritual nourishment. Sometimes, this can be a welcome break from the weekly tensions of managing parish life. During a pontifical visit, everyone can participate, and the communities exude happiness. We should not underestimate the impact of this goodwill. When the visit is over and we return to local matters, the fresh air from the experience provides the parish with positive grounding. It is important to take advantage of that window of opportunity.
It is my hope that we appreciate how special a leader we have in Catholicos Aram I. We are blessed with an individual who has all of the attributes we pray for in a global religious leader. I first met Vehapar when he was a young vartabed attending graduate school in the New York area, when Karekin I of blessed memory was then prelate of this diocese. He was energetic and full of ideas, and even at that young age, had remarkable interpersonal skills. Aram visited our communities several times during those years, and we watched with pride as his impact grew in our church. He is a renowned intellectual and has served at the highest levels of the ecumenical community of Christianity. His communication skills are remarkable, and he follows that ability with vision and action. This unique portfolio of skills enables him to effectively communicate with virtually any demographic or audience. We should pause to reflect how rare this is. These skills were on full display during the pontifical visit to the joy and benefit of our communities.

Take a moment to think about the diverse audiences that he engaged with and how he was equally adept with each. There were American media outlets, Armenian interviews, young adult sessions, young Sunday School and Armenian School children, meetings with boards of trustees, ecumenical engagements, banquets and even a retired American judge in Rhode Island. Considering the multitude of videos available from his visit, one particular interview stands out in terms of his message — an interview hosted by Hairenik Media. In his comments, he articulated the changes since his last visit several years ago. The Catholicos said that during his previous visit the majority of his dialogue was held in Armenian, yet 90% of this visit was held in English. Rather than describe this as problematic, he spoke about it in the context of dealing with change in the Diaspora. He went on to say that it does not diminish the importance of our mother tongue and our schools but rather reflects a reality that should be a part of our strategy.
There is no other leader in the Armenian church who understands the Diaspora better than Catholicos Aram. This is a very important factor when considering our definition of leadership in the Diaspora. Aram articulated that there is a core of values and attributes that unites us, but the Diaspora is not a “one size fits all” (my term) reality. We don’t always hear that message. There are times when we hear the opposite from Holy Etchmiadzin, that they will help keep us Armenian. If the Diaspora is going to continue to thrive, it must be granted some flexibility while maintaining the “core.”
Finally, I was thrilled to see the participation of local diocesan clergymen in the visitations. This is a reflection of the warmth in clergy relations and the spiritual depth of these fine clergy. We should pray that this continues to remove all artificial barriers. I know that many diocesan faithful attended some of the local visitation events, and this can only help bring us together. Many of my diocesan brothers and sisters had not had the opportunity to meet or know much about Catholicos Aram prior to the Genocide centennial in Washington in April 2015.
Regardless of what parish you are affiliated with, all Armenian clergy are deserving of our respect. Catholicos Aram I spoke often of a “revitalization and rejuvenation” of the church in the lives of the faithful. With his brilliance during the visitations, our leader has been visible, articulating a vision and communicating what we need to do. I am confident that he will continue to provide that leadership from the Holy See. The other half of the equation is looking in a mirror. Do you feel inspired? Do you connect with his vision for the church? Have you been “revitalized and rejuvenated?” If so, then it is time to apply that spark to your parishes. Thank you, Vehapar Der. May God grant you continued good health and success in your ministry.
It is quite rare that we have an extraordinary multitalented cleric such as His Holiness Aram I. He has written numerous books in many languages on the Armenian Church, theology, philosophy and ecumenical relations. He was for many decades the leader of the World Council of Churches and the Middle Eastern Christian associations. He has the ability to meet with people at virtually every level and establish an engaging dialogue. We are blessed and fortunate to have his leadership these many years as a priest, cleric, teacher, writer, ecumenist and church leader. The Holy See of Cilicia is a fertile cradle in the creation of exemplary clergy, His Holiness Karekin Hovsepiantz (a participant at the Battle of Sardarabad) His Holiness Zareh Payaslian, who expanded the prelacies of the Holy See, and His Holiness Karekin Sarkissian, who along with His Holiness Mugerdich Khrimian served as the preeminent Catholicoi of the 20th Century.
History is running its course and sweeping away the one-time political rivalries that once pitted one segment of the Armenian Apostolic church to the other. I believe the Cilician See, the Greater House of the Catholicosate of Sis, is living the true measure of its longevity as the institution that embodies the spiritual Western Armenia in the Diaspora. The Pontiff from Antelias should be embraced «regardless of what parish you are affiliated with.»