Catholicos Aram I officially inaugurated the annual exhibition of Armenian Books in the Antelias headquarters of the Catholicosate of Cilicia on 18 November 2007.
Immediately after the Holy Mass in the Cathedral, a procession of Brotherhood members and Seminary students followed Catholicos Aram I to the courtyard, where the exhibition is displayed under a huge tent, once again generously provided by the Khatchadourian brothers.
In addition to the clergy, intellectuals, students, a large crowd of interested individuals and reporters attended the opening ceremony. The Seminary students and young students from the Sunday School entertained the audience with a well-prepared cultural program that highlighted the richness of Armenian culture.
Several Lebanese-Armenian and foreign publishing houses, private individuals and publishing houses based in the Catholicosate are participating in the exhibition.
The opening remarks were delivered by Rev. Ghevont Pentezian, who talked about the long chain of Armenian book exhibitions initiated by the Catholicosate of Cilicia. He then invited the Catholicos to deliver his Pontifical message. On this occasion, His Holiness emphasized the need for commitment and care towards the Armenian Book.
?The book should be taken towards life. A book assumes its complete and true value when it becomes part of life. Otherwise, a book would remain just ink and paper. The circumstances of the current globalized world have drawn us away from books. Therefore, an extra effort should be exerted to make books a permanent presence in our lives,? said the Pontiff.
His Holiness also praised all the organizations and individuals support Armenian books. He particularly highlighted the role of the Armenian Affairs Department of the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, which, under the guidance of Dr. Zaven Yegavian, has greatly contributed to the spread of Armenian culture in the entire Diaspora.
After the opening ceremony, the attendants approached the exhibition tables, which featured a large number of spiritual, ecclesiastical, philosophical, literary, pedagogical, musical, cultural and other publications.
The exhibition will be open daily from 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM until December 9.
ADDITIONAL READING “Khatchig Babikian Publishing Fund” established
Addressing a large crowd during the opening of the 29th annual Armenian Book Exhibition in Antelias, Catholicos Aram I announced the establishment of the ?Khatchig Babikian Publishing Fund? under the auspices of the Catholicosate of Cilicia.
Like other publishing funds in the Catholicosate, this newly established fund also has its constitution and a board presided by His Holiness Aram I and chaired by Mr. Yervant Pamboukian. Out of respect of the late Mr. Babikian's wishes, the fund will be used to finance works in the fields of Armenian political thought and the Armenian Genocide.
The Fund will soon make a statement to the press on practical issues related to its functioning.
Video report on the exhibition's opening day (Shelves with books, opening speech by Catholicos Aram I, opinions of visitors and intellectuals) [WMV format, 7.7 MB, suitable for ADSL connections].
