H.H. Catholicos Aram I
H.H. Catholicos Aram I, Armenian Apostolic Church (Holy See of Cilicia).
H.H. Catholicos ARAM I, Armenian Apostolic Church (Holy See of Cilicia)
Born in Beirut, Lebanon, His Holiness Catholicos Aram studied at the Armenian Theological Seminary, Antelias, Lebanon and the Ecumenical Institute of Bossey, Geneva, Switzerland, received his M.Div. from the Near East School of Theology, his S.T.M. jointly from the American University of Beirut and Near East School of Theology, and his PhD from Fordham University in New York. He also holds several honorary degrees. His major areas of specialization are philosophy, systematic theology, and Near Eastern church history.
Catholicos Aram I was ordained as priest, obtained the title of Vartabed (Doctor of the Armenian Church) and, after serving for one year as Locum Tenens, was elected Primate of the Armenian Orthodox Community in Lebanon; the next year he received episcopal ordination. In June 1995, His Holiness was elected Catholicos (the Head of the Church) by the Electoral Assembly of the Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia.
His Holiness Aram has published numerous books, articles and reviews in Armenian, English and French (some of which have been translated into Arabic, German, Spanish and Swedish).
His Holiness was a founding member of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC). As delegate of his church, he attended the Nairobi (1975), Vancouver (1983), Canberra (1991), Harare (1998) and Porto Alegre (2006) Assemblies of the World Council of Churches (WCC). He was elected as a member of the Faith and Order Commission of the WCC, and a member of its Standing Committee. At the Vancouver Assembly (1983), His Holiness was elected as a member of the Central Committee of the WCC, and as Moderator of the Central and Executive Committees of the WCC, and again at the Harare Assembly (1998).
Catholicos Aram I is a founding member of the Oriental Orthodox-Eastern Orthodox Theological Dialogue, has participated in the Oriental Orthodox-Reformed Theological Dialogue, and the Orthodox-Evangelical Dialogue. He has played an important role in initiation of Oriental Orthodox-Roman Catholic and Oriental Orthodox-Lutheran Theological Dialogues. His Holiness has served as a president of the Middle East Council of Churches since November 2007.