VATICAN CITY, MAY 28, 2001 (Zenit.org).- For the 1,700th anniversary of Armenia´s baptism, John Paul II sent Aram I, Catholicos of Cilicia, a relic of St. Gregory the Illuminator, along with a letter (see Documents).
St. Gregory baptized King Tiridates in 301, making Armenia the first country to embrace Christianity. When the Seleucids invaded Armenia in the 11th century, the Christians fled the country and founded Little Armenia in Cilicia, now Aram I´s see.
Divided for more than 1,500 years, Catholics and Apostolic Armenians in 1996 put an end to their differences on the theological question of the nature of Christ, an issue that originally caused their separation.
Today, the Orthodox Armenian Church has about 7 million faithful, including 2 million in Armenia. The rest are in the diaspora caused by the Ottoman Empire´s repression.
John Paul II plans to travel to Armenia on Sept. 25 to participate in the anniversary celebrations, according to the Ria Novosti agency. The agency on May 10 quoted sources of the commission in charge of the celebrations. The Vatican, however, has not confirmed the news.
