FIRST PATRIARCHAL VISIT TO THE
ARMENIAN COMMUNITIES IN ANTIOCH

("Lraper" Bulletin of the Armenian Patriarchate-
02 April 1999 - Istanbul)

His Beatitude Patriarch Mesrob II of Istanbul and all Turkey
commenced the Holy Week services in the Hatay province,
in Southern Anatolia, as he visited the Armenian churches
and communities in the region for the first time since his
enthronement as patriarch.

JOURNEY SOUTHWARD
On 25 March, Thursday, Patriarch Mesrob, joined by a
group of clergymen and the members of the Lay Council
of the Holy Mother-of-God Patriarchal Church, participated
in the traditional farewell prayers in the Patriarchal Church,
during which prayers were said for the Lord's blessing for a
safe trip, a successful visit and a spiritually uplifting
pilgrimage. The Patriarch then left Istanbul in his official 
automobile,

accompanied by the Very Reverend Fr Aram Dz. Vrt. Ateshian,
Chairman of the Spiritual Council, and a lay official of the
Patriarchate. The weather was very agreeable, and the journey
on the interstate autobahn very swift, as the Patriarch travelled
through the Biblical regions of Bithynia, Galatia and Cappadocia.
About 16.00 hours, the travelers passed through the
historic Cilician Gates and entered Biblical Cilicia, first 
arriving in
Tarsus where Saint Paul was born. They then drove through Adana,
passed by the majestic Yilankalesi Castle, then turned south 
along the
Amanos range (Syav Ler), through Dortyol and finally arrived in
Iskenderun (Alexandretta at 18.30 hours. His Beatitude was
welcomed to Iskenderun by the Parish Council members of the
Armenian Church of Karasun Mangunk (Forty Martyrs of Sebastea),
headed by Mr Garbis Kisadurian. His Beatitude then had dinner 
with
the Parish Council members in the Alexandretta Restaurant of the
Ontur Hotel where he spent the night.

KIRIKHAN
On 26 March, Friday, at 09.30 hours, Patriarch Mesrob received
the members of the Parish Council of the Armenian Church of
Saint Gregory the Illuminator in Kirikhan, headed by Mr Abud
Mardigian. The council members informed His Beatitude that the
Kirikhan Armenian community members had moved en masse to
Iskenderun, leaving behind two families only. The roof of the 
church
building had collapsed and it was no longer possible to hold 
worship
services in the church. The vakif (public trust) of the Kirikhan 
Church
owned some property and the Parish Council wished to transfer the
ownership of the property to the Armenian Church vakif of 
Iskenderun,
in the same Hatay province, since the Kirikhan residents now 
lived and
worshiped in Iskenderun. As to the run down church building 
itself,
the council members wished to sell it and transfer the sum to
Iskenderun for the use of the Armenian Church there.

ISKENDERUN CEMETERY
At 11.00 hours the same day, Patriarch Mesrob visited the
Armenian plot in the municipal cemetery of Iskenderun.
Some twenty community members and six clergymen accompanied
the Patriarch as he held a service (hokehankisd) for the repose
of souls. The Patriarch also examined the monumental tomb
erected in memory of the deceased members of Armenian
Literary Society of Iskenderun (Hay Krasirats Miutiun).

VISITS TO THE GOVERNOR AND MUFTI OF HATAY
Early in the afternoon, the same day, His Beatitude was
escorted via the Belen mountain pass (the ancient Syrio-
Phoenician
Gates) to Antakya (Antioch) -- capital city of the Hatay province
today and the ancient biblical settlement where the followers of 
the
Saviour were first called "Christians". Accompanied by the Very
Revd. Aram Ateshian, and the Revd. Fathers Abgar Hovagimian,
Myuron Ayvazian, Yeghia Kervanciyan and the chairmen of the
Parish councils of the Armenian churches of Iskenderun,
Kirikhan and Vakifli, His Beatitude paid a courtesy visit, at
14.30 hours, to the Governor of Hatay, the Honourable
Gokhan Aydiner. The Patriarch expressed his pleasure for the
opportunity to have a second meeting with the Governor, whom
he had met once before, and offered his greetings and best
wishes on the occasion of the Muslim feast of the Sacrifice,
Id Al-Adha (Kurban Bayram). Governor Aydiner said it was
a joy to welcome in the gubernatorial palace the new Armenian
Patriarch of Istanbul and all Turkey, whom his administration
knew as a bishop. He thanked His Beatitude for the festal visit
and said that the Armenians in Hatay had a very peaceful 
coexistence
along with the other Christians, Jews and Muslims of the region.
The Patriarch and the Governor also had a short talk about the 
future
of the Armenian Church of Kirikhan. At 16.00 hours, His Beatitude
also paid a courtesy visited the Mufti of Hatay, His Excellency
Hodja Hanif Burun, and congratulated him on the Muslim feast.
The dialogue between the Patriarch and the Mufti was aired
simultaneously by the local radio in Hatay.

THE FRANCISCAN CENTRE
At 19.30 hours, His Beatitude visited the Franciscan Church
of the Annunciation where he was welcomed by the resident
priests, headed by the Revd. Father Vincenzo Rino Succi,
Father Superior of the Franciscans in Turkey. The Patriarch
was also greeted by a group of believers to whom he gave a
brief pastoral message in preparation for Holy Week. During
the warm reception, His Beatitude presented the Franciscans a
large wooden hand-made clock on which historic Armenian
monastic centres were beautifully carved.

MEDIA COVERAGE
On different occasions during the day, His Beatitude met briefly
with the local media representatives, especially Hatay TV,
Cinar TV and the TRT Hatay, along with newspaper
correspondents. The Patriarch gave messages of greetings
on the occasion of the feasts of the Jewish (Pesah), Christian
(Easter) and Muslim (Sacrifice) communities peacefully
co-existing in Hatay. The Patriarch also expressed concern,
sadness and pain at the plight of refugees in Kosovo and prayed
that the armed conflict would end as soon as possible and
refugees return to their homes to rebuild their lives. He
condemned all sorts of racism and ethnocentrism, which
he termed "ancient diseases" that could prove self-destroying.

COMMEMORATION OF THE RESURRECTION OF LAZARUS
On 27 March, Saturday morning, His Beatitude Patriarch Mesrob
commenced the Holy Week in the Armenian Church of Karasun
Mangunk in Iskenderun. The Divine Liturgy was celebrated by
one of the pilgrims, the Very Revd. Abgar Hovhannisian,
Pastor of the Armenian Church of Batum in Adjaria, Georgia.
Patriarch Mesrob, in his homily, reminded the faithful that the 
great
miracle in Bethany is the anticipation of the final triumph that 
the
Lord Christ was going to win over sin and death one week later.
He said that the tears of the Lord before the grave of his friend
Lazaros was not a sign of weakness, but love. He shared in
the grief of the sisters of Lazaros, Martha and Mary, and their
friends and neighbours; He was compassionate. He was truly one
of us with one exception: He had no sin. This is our unique
chief priest who continues to intercede for us on the right hand
of the Father. Following the liturgy, the Parish Council of the
Iskenderun Church held a lenten luncheon in the Saray Restaurant
on the sea, honouring His Beatitude and the patriarchal 
entourage.

SAINT PETER'S CAVE
At 16.00 hours, the same day, the Patriarch presided over the
Lucernarium (Giragamudk) service in the grotto commonly
called Saint Peter's Cave. Some 200 pilgrims from Istanbul,
Ankara, Kayseri, Yozgat, Elazig, Malatya, Mersin, Adana,
Iskenderun and Samandag also attended the Liturgy of the
Word that followed. His Beatitude's homily was about the
spiritual life of the first Christian community in Antioch.
Representatives of the Roman Catholic and Antiochian Orthodox
communities in Antioch were also present in this most moving
prayer time. At 17.30 and 18.30 hours respectively, His Beatitude
the Patriarch and the pilgrims visited the Roman Catholic and
Antiochian Orthodox churches in Antioch which are both called
Saints Peter and Paul. At 20.00 hours, the Antiochian Orthodox
Community headed by Archpriest Paulos Samuel Sabagil held a
lenten dinner in the Aspava restaurant by the sea in Samandag
(Seleucia Pieria).

PALM SUNDAY
On 28 March, His Beatitude the Patriarch and the pilgrims
celebrated Palm Sunday in the Vakifli Village on Mousadagh
in the district of Samandagh.. It was indeed a joyful
celebration as the residents en masse welcomed His
Beatitude at the entrance of the village, with drums and 
doudouks,
salt and bread, folkloric dress and white pigeons, young men
and women dancing to local tunes. A natural procession was
formed from the village square to the northern high point in the
village where the Holy Mother-of-God Church stands in maternal
dignity. The bells of the church heralded the arrival of the
Patriarch, as the young acolytes began to sing the "Hrashapar" 
hymn,
saluting their hierarch from the apostolic line of Saint Gregory 
the
Illuminator, and successor of the holy patriarchs Hovagim 
Brusatsi and
Hovhannes Golod. His Beatitude celebrated the Palm Sunday
Divine Liturgy, and just before the Nicene Creed, he delivered
the homily in which he reminded the faithful of the tears of the
Lord overlooking Jerusalem. He said that much remains unchanged
after nearly 2000 years, not only in the Holy City, but in other 
parts
of the world such as in former Yugoslavia He said that things 
were
not much different in the First Century A.D., but with unwavering
faith they that invited Jesus of Nazareth into their hearts, as 
the one
who came in the name of the Lord, made a difference and a lasting
impact on the world. Following the Divine Liturgy, in the cosy
church yard, a Palm Sunday procession was formed with crosses
and olive branches; His Beatitude and the accompanying clergymen
turned East and West, North and South, proclaiming the entrance
of the Christ through the gates of the Holy City, as the Lamb of
God who comes in self-sacrifice for the expiation and 
propitiation
of the sins of the world. His Beatitude then visited the 
cemetery of
the village where Hokehankisd prayers were said. Following the
services, the Parish Council of the Holy Mother-of-God Church
and the Armenian Mayor of the Vakifli Village hosted a luncheon
in honour of His Beatitude.

Patriarch Mesrob spent the rest of the afternoon visiting with
lay leaders of the Iskenderun Armenian community and later
drove to Adana where he spent the night.

On 29 March, Holy Monday, His Beatitude and company
travelled back to Istanbul and arrived in the Patriarchate
around 20.00 hours.

Back to News Home     Back to OIA Home