Archbishop Avak Asadourian, the Primate of the Diocese of the Armenian Church of Iraq, led representatives of the country's recently formed ecumenical organization on an official visit to the United States this month, where they met with members of Congress to discuss the situation of Christians in Iraq.
Archbishop Asadourian is the general secretary of the Council of Christian Church Leaders of Iraq, which was established last February to address the growing safety concerns of Iraqi Christians and to facilitate dialogue with the country's Muslim communities. The council represents the 14 Christian traditions officially recognized by the Iraqi government in 1982, including Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, Roman Catholic, and Protestant churches.
From July 12 to 15, the delegation visited Washington, D.C., meeting with members of Congress, as well as representative of the Heritage Foundation. They spoke about ways to safeguard the Christian communities of Iraq, which have come under threat amidst the sectarian violence of the country's Muslim population.
About half of the estimated 1.2 million Christians living in Iraq prior to the start of the Iraq War in 2003 have left the country in the past seven years. And Christian families continue to leave Iraq in the face of attacks on clergy and lay people.
At the conclusion of the meetings in the nation's capital, Archbishop Asadourian traveled to New York, where he met with Archbishop Barsamian and visited St. Nersess Armenian Seminary, his alma mater.
A native of Baghdad, Archbishop Asadourian has served as the Primate of Iraq's Armenian Church Diocese since 1980. Today, the Iraq Diocese has jurisdiction over parishes in Baghdad, Basra, Kirkuk, Mosul, Zedakho, Erbil, and Duhok, as well as the villages of Adzroog and Havresk. The Diocese runs Sunday Schools, a youth association, and other educational and cultural programs.
"The Armenian community of Iraq is a vibrant community dedicated to maintaining the message of our Lord, as well as the Armenian heritage," Archbishop Asadourian said. At the same time, he added, Armenians, just like other Christian communities of Iraq, face a major challenge in ensuring future growth.
Archbishop Asadourian studied philosophy at Benediction University in Illinois and at Tulane University in Louisiana. He also earned a Master of Divinity degree from St. Nersess Armenian Seminary in New Rochelle, N.Y., and a Ph.D. from the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross in Rome, Italy.
He was ordained as a celibate priest in 1977 at the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, and was elevated to the ranks of bishop and archbishop in 1982 and 1993, respectively. Prior to his work in Iraq, he served briefly as a pastor in the Eastern Diocese.
Archbishop Asadourian has been active in a number of ecumenical organizations worldwide, including the World Council of Churches. Last February he hosted the meeting that established the Council of Christian Church Leaders of Iraq at St. Garabed Armenian Church in Baghdad.
While on the East Coast, Archbishop Asadourian also had the opportunity to participate in the July 11 ordination of the Rev. Fr. Hovhan Khoja-Eynatyan, at St. Mary Church of Washington, D.C., and to visit the Eastern Diocese of the Armenian Church of America in New York City, where he met with Diocesan Primate Archbishop Khajag Barsamian.