President of Armenia Armen Sarkissian today sent a message to His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, as reported the Staff of the President of Armenia.

The message reads as follows: “Your Holiness, a day before your birthday, I sent you my warm and kind wishes for health and longevity.

The Armenian Holy Apostolic Church has been and remains one of the major pillars of our national identity. Throughout the nearly 22 years of your patriarchy, church life has been active. The past 22 years have been years of empowerment, reforms and church construction for the Armenian Church, and actions have been taken to make the mission of the Armenian Church more effective and regulate church life.

The past few years of your enthronement as Catholicos of All Armenians coincided with a period in which our country and people are undergoing numerous trials and tribulations. Unity is the only path to take to overcome any difficult situation. In a rapidly changing world, among other crises, mankind is also experiencing an identity crisis. The current challenges and problems make consolidation around spiritual and moral values more than important, and those values are also remnant due to the Armenian Church.

The Armenian people are in need of hope, faith and trust, mutual respect and tolerance, as well as rebirth and revaluation. What is appreciable is the fact that the Catholicos of All Armenians not only consoles, encourages and supports, but also speaks about this as a unique lesson of patriotism.

May you continue to support our country and people for the benefit of our homeland and all Armenians around the world and for the strengthening of the relations of the people with the State and Church. I wish you strength of the soul and all the best.”