His Holiness Catholicos Aram I Presides Over the Opening of the Portals Ceremony at the at Catholicosate of the Holy See of Cilicia in Antelias, Lebanon
On the evening of Sunday, March 29, 2026, His Holiness Catholicos Aram I, Catholicos of the Armenian Church, Holy See of Cilicia, and Honorary President of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), presided over the Opening of the Portals Ceremony, a Solemn and deeply revered Service held on the eve of Palm Sunday at St. Gregory the Illuminator Cathedral, the Armenian Catholicosate Holy See of Cilicia, Antelias - Lebanon. The Service was conducted by His Eminence Archbishop Shahan Sarkissian, who also delivered the Sermon.
The Opening of the Portals is one of the most spiritually significant ceremonies of the Armenian Church’s Liturgical calendar. During the Service, the faithful kneel and beseech God in prayer: “Open to us, O Lord, open to us, O Lord, open to us the door of mercy, that with repentance we may turn to You.”
In his Sermon, His Eminence Archbishop Sarkissian reflected on the profound symbolism of the “portal” in Christian Theology, noting that throughout Scripture, the portal serves as a recurring symbol of passage, entry, and spiritual transition. He emphasized that the act of kneeling and knocking upon the portal during the ceremony is an expression of humility before God — a moment in which the faithful simultaneously seek forgiveness for their sins, affirm their readiness to heed His commandments, and appeal to His boundless mercy…
This news was originally published on the Website of the Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia, Antelias - Lebanon. Please click here to read the full text.