In his New Year message, His Holiness Karekin II, the Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, welcomed 2014 as a “redemptive year,” and offered prayers that it would usher in a period of divine blessings, peace, and hope.
“By God’s will, 2013 was a year of benevolent results,” said His Holiness; “but there were also difficult times in the homeland as well as in the Diaspora. We are facing deep-rooted problems such as making our country prosperous, defending our rights, reinforcing our statehood, and improving our national and religious life.”
In the face of such concerns, Catholicos Karekin expressed his profound confidence in the Armenian people, who have “bravely endured hardship, shown tolerance when in distress, and lived with the determination to forge a bright future.”
In a separate message directed to the Armenians of Syria, His Holiness conveyed his fatherly concern for that beleaguered community. “On this day, when together with the Christian world all Armenians are celebrating the New Year, you are present in our thoughts and prayers,” he said.
