His Holiness Karekin II and Ecumenical & Interfaith Relations
His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians and through him, the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin (the Catholicosate) enjoys broad Ecumenical and Interfaith relations with all of the world’s major religious confessions and traditions. His Holiness has been host to many religious leaders, Christian and non-Christian alike. When it comes to Ecumenism and Interfaith relations with the Catholicoi there is an old saying, “Everyone prays in Holy Etchmiadzin” reflecting the universal nature of the ministry of the leader of more than 7,000,000 Armenians, the Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians.
Among the representatives and heads of other religions to visit His Holiness Karekin II in the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin have been the Chief Rabbi of Israel Yona Metzger (2005) and the Grand Mufti of Syria Sheikh Ahmad Badr al-Din Hassoun (2006).
He has also had meetings with Sheikh Tantawi of Al Azhar, Mufti of the Arab Republic of Egypt; and Sheikh Ul-Islam Allah-Shukur Pashazade, the Spiritual Leader of Muslims of the Caucasus. During the three meetings of His Holiness Karekin II and Allah-Shukur Pashazade, held through the mediation of His Holiness Alexy II, Patriarch of Moscow, the spiritual leader of the Russian Orthodox Church, joint communiqués were signed in favor of the peaceful resolution of the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict over Nagorno Karabagh, reflecting His Holiness Karekin II’s continual call for peace, forgiveness and reconciliation – the authentic Gospel message.
In August 2000, His Holiness participated in the "Millennium World Peace Summit of Religious and Spiritual Leaders," held at United Nations headquarters in New York City and delivered an address to the assembly entitled “Towards Forgiveness and Reconciliation”.
In October 2002, upon the invitation of His Holiness Karekin II, the head of the Universal Syrian Orthodox Church, His Holiness Moran Mor Ignatius Zakka I Iwas, Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, visited Armenia and the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin. In May 2003, His Holiness Pope Shenouda III, Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of St. Mark visited the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin as a guest of the Catholicos of All Armenians. In the same month, His Holiness Ilia II, Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia also visited Armenia.
In April 2005, the worldwide Armenian nation solemnly commemorated the 90th Anniversary of the Genocide of the Armenians. His Holiness presided during an ecumenical service in Yerevan with the participation of the representatives of 20 sister churches. The Armenian Pontiff also delivered an address in Yerevan during the opening session of the International Symposium on the occasion of the 90th Anniversary.
Also in 2005, a delegation of Canadian bishops representing sister Churches visited His Holiness and Holy Etchmiadzin , led by His Grace Bishop Andrew Hutchison.
In 2006, His Holiness was elected as one of the Co-Presidents of the World Conference of Religions for Peace, at their Eighth Conference in Kyoto, Japan.