NEW YORK — In response to Catholicos Karekin II’s appeal, prayers for Armenia and Artsakh rang out on Sunday, November 10, from Holy Echmiadzin to the every Armenian Church jurisdiction around the world. But His Holiness’ plea was also taken up by the global ecumenical community, and by numerous sister Christian communities.
In a solemn service in Geneva, Switzerland, the World Council of Churches (WCC) called for the unconditional release of 23 Armenian war hostages, as well as of human rights activists and journalists detained in Azeri jails. WCC General Secretary Rev. Dr. Jerry Pillay delivered that message in Geneva’s historic St. Pierre Cathedral.
Earlier, thanks to the efforts of Archbishop Vicken Aykazian (the Eastern Diocese’s Ecumenical Director, and an influential figure on the world ecumenical stage), the World Council of Churches had invited member churches around the globe to pray on November 10 in support of Armenia and its people: for peace, for support of refugees, and for the release of the war hostages.
In the United States, the National Council of Churches sent a bulletin to its 37 member communions, representing some 35 million people in 100,000 congregations in the U.S., urging church leaders, pastors and congregations to join their voices to the worldwide prayer. The NCC cited Bishop Mesrop Parsamyan’s message to Diocese leaders, adding: “Our Armenian Christian sisters and brothers worldwide will be fortified by the solidarity reflected in our prayers for them.”
In Armenia, during the Prayer for Captives at the Cathedral of Holy Etchmiadzin, the Catholicos of All Armenians acknowledged the international show of solidarity in his homily. “We note with gratitude,” His Holiness Karekin II said, “that today, through the efforts of the World Council of Churches and global interchurch institutions, our Christian sisters and brothers across the world are also raising prayers to release the captives, and to protect the rights of Artsakh’s exiled Armenians.”
He went on: “Thank you for answering our plea, and for lending your commitment to this cause, out of your heartfelt concern for the Armenian people.”
