LOS ANGELES–Western Prelate Bishop Moushegh Mardirossian Wednesday led a group of Western Prelacy clerics and representatives of the Prelacy Executive Council to celebrations in Orange County marking the 30th jubilee of Coptic religious leader Pope Shenouda III.
The celebration–which took place at 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Crystal Cathedral–was attended by Bishop Mardirossian–Executive Council chairman Arsen Danielian and secretary Antranig Kasparian–as well as clerics from Western Prelacy churches. The Prelacy was among several religious institutions in attendance at the celebration.
In his remarks–leader of the Coptic community of California–Bishop Serapion welcomed the attendees and acknowledged the presence of Western Prelacy representatives–praising the Armenian Apostolic Church and the centuries-old relations between the Coptic Church and the Catholicosate of the Holy See of Cilicia.
Following the event–Bishop Mardirossian and the Prelacy representatives personally congratulated Pope Shenouda III. The Western Prelate also expressed congratulations on behalf of His Holiness Aram I–Catholicos of the Holy See of Cilicia and the entire Armenian nation.
Pope Shenouda III also thanked and welcomed the Armenian community and the Catholicosate of Cilicia–praising the ties between the two churches–set forth to advance the ecumenical movement.
The Armenian Apostolic and the Coptic churches have shared a long history of cooperation and promoting friendly ties among different Christian denominations.
Pope Shenouda III has–on numerous occasions–visited His Holiness Aram I at the Cilician Catholicosate in Antelias–where they have colaborated on ways to further the ecumenical movement.