President of Armenia Armen Sarkissian sent a message to Catholicos of All Armenians, His Holiness Karekin II on birthday.
”Your Holiness,
On the eve of your birthday, I convey to you my warmest wishes of health and prosperity.
The Armenian Apostolic Church has been and remains one of the most important pillars of our national identity, the axis that unites us, the one that ensures the continuous presence of our faith, history and traditions in our values and inner world.
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During the 22 years of your patriarchy, our church life has been living a more active life, with the appreciation of the past, the present activity, the vision of the future. The past 22 years have been years of strengthening, reform and church building for the Armenian Church. During that time, measures were taken to make the mission of the Armenian Church more effective and to regulate the church life.
As the Catholicos of All Armenians, especially these last years of your enthronement coincide with a period when our country and people are going through many difficulties and challenges.
There is only one way to overcome any difficult situation – unity. In today’s rapidly changing world, humanity is experiencing, among other crises, an identity crisis. Existing challenges and problems make it more than important to unite around the spiritual and moral values that are enduring due to our church.
Our people need hope, faith and trust, they need moral purity, solidarity and unity, mutual respect and tolerance, they need rebirth and redemption. It is appreciated that, along with words of consolation, encouragement and support, as a unique lesson of patriotism, this is also voiced by His Holiness.
Let your patriarchal care continue being a support for our country and people for the benefit of our Homeland and world-spread Armenians, the strengthening of the people-state-church relations between
I wish you spiritual strength and all the best. ”