ANTELIAS–In letter to the Chairman of the Evangelical Church in Germany–Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia Aram I asked Germany’s churches to support Armenian genocide recognition efforts–so as to "restore the rights of the Armenian people–which have been held captive."
"We are deeply satisfied that in German political and academic circles–there is renewed interest and vigor in advancing the issue of the Armenian genocide," His Holiness Aram I writes to Bishop Wolfgang Huber.
The Catholicos praises all parties in the German parliament–which recently agreed to a resolution telling Turkey to "take historic responsibility" for the 1915 Armenian genocide. He also praised German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder for reminding the leadership of Turkey–during a recent visit there–that it must come to terms with the issue of the Armenian genocide in order to join the European Union.
Bishop Huber and Catholicos Aram I enjoy a lengthy professional relationship and personal friendship–including their work together on the World Council of Churches.
Meanwhile the Conference of European Churches (CEC) on April 23 called on Turkey to recognize that it committed genocide against Armenia’s and urged reconciliation between Ankara and Yerevan.
The CEC Presidium urged the Turkish government to initiate a process of reconciliation between the Turkish and the Armenian peoples–including as integral elemen’s–"the recognition of guilt and the proclamation of the truth."