Catholicos of All Armenians Receives WCC Ecumenical Delegation Attending COP17
25.10.2026
On October 25, His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, received an ecumenical delegation of the World Council of Churches (WCC) at the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin. The delegation participated in the 17th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (COP17), held in Yerevan.
During the meeting, the Catholicos of All Armenians emphasized the Christian Churches' shared commitment to preserving the harmony of creation and its God-given diversity.
His Holiness stressed that God has entrusted humanity with responsibility for His creation, a responsibility that must be expressed through constant care and stewardship. In this regard, the Catholicos emphasized that efforts to address contemporary environmental challenges must go hand in hand with the strengthening of spiritual and moral values, so that human knowledge and capabilities may be used to protect and care for nature for the benefit of present and future generations.
In his remarks, His Holiness also noted that such international conferences offer participants an opportunity to learn more about the history and mission of the Armenian Church and the Armenian people, who have overcome centuries of trials through their Christian faith.
Turning to inter-Church relations, the Catholicos of All Armenians thanked the World Council of Churches and sister Churches for support of the Armenian people and the Armenian Church.
At the conclusion of the meeting, the guests thanked the Catholicos of All Armenians for the warm reception and spoke about their delegation’s mission.
They addressed the challenges of climate change, biodiversity loss, and environmental pollution, emphasizing that the environmental crisis also has spiritual and moral roots, making it imperative for the Churches to unite their efforts to preserve God's creation.
