Primate of the Armenian Church of Great Britain and Pontifical Legate

St Margaret's Church, London

19th January 2003

Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ:

But we have this treasure in clay jars, so that it may be made clear that this extraordinary power belongs to God and does not come from us. (2 Corinthians 4:7)

We are assembled here today in order to pray for hope, compassion and unity. Yet, outside the doors of this Church, expectations and levels of violence and terrorism, as much as genocide, destruction, poverty, despair, hopelessness, threat and disunity are hovering over our own country as much as the world from the Palestinian City of Bethlehem, birthplace of our Lord, to the African shores of Zanzibar. Where is that Christian voice? How much stronger would we become if we managed to speak in a Christian voice that reflects our unity not only on lofty principles but equally on issues of justice and peace for the long-suffering peoples of the world. That is one of the practical benefits of unity - not only an idea to pursue for its own sake, but the hope of using our faith to make a change toward the better - for ourselves, our families and friends, our country and our whole world.