Armenian Spiritual Leader Begins Visit

Aram I, the Catholicos, or spiritual leader, of a major wing of the Armenian Apostolic Church, began a 21-day visit to California on Thursday with a ceremony at St. Mary’s Armenian Apostolic Church.

In an hourlong address to nearly 1,000 followers in the church sanctuary, Aram I urged his followers to preserve Armenian traditions in their new homeland and predicted the eventual reunification of the divided Armenian church.

“We must pursue unity of our people and our church,” he said, speaking in Armenian. “It is a very sensitive issue, but I must stress: There cannot be two Armenian churches. Throughout history we have always been one church, and we will be again.”

St. Mary’s, which can seat more than 1,000 worshipers, is regarded as the largest Armenian congregation in Southern California, which is the home to more than 300,000 people of Armenian descent--the largest such concentration outside the Republic of Armenia.

This is the first pontifical visit here by Aram I since he was consecrated one year ago as the 45th Catholicos of the wing of Armenian Christianity based in Beirut.

The Lebanese-based church recognizes the primacy of the mother church, which is based in Armenia. The two branches have increasingly cooperated in recent years while talking of reunification.

The 49-year-old Aram has written several books in English. He holds a PhD from Fordham University in New York, founded by Roman Catholic Jesuits.

Since 1991, he has served as moderator of the Central Committee of the World Council of Churches--the first prelate from an Orthodox Christian church to hold that high a post in the ecumenical body.

He will speak today at a Glendale City Hall reception. On Saturday, he will address a youth assembly at Holy Martyrs’ Ferahia School in Encino.

Among other stops in the San Fernando Valley, the religious leader will visit the Ararat Home for seniors in Mission Hills on Wednesday, speak at a banquet next Friday in Universal City and preside over the Pontifical Divine Liturgy July 7 at Holy Martyrs Church in Encino.

Dart is a Times staff writer. Ryfle is a correspondent.