On the morning of 8 February, His Holiness Karekin II gave a press conference at the Diocesan Centre with Armenian and non-Armenian media. In attendance were His Eminence Archbishop Haigazoun Najarian, Primate of the Diocese of Australia and New Zealand and His Eminence Archbishop Nathan Hovhanissyan, Director of the Department of External Relations and Protocol at the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin.
His Holiness explained the ministry programs of the Mother See as well as his fruitful visit to Australia to the reporters. He was gracious with his comprehensive accounts to the journalists’ questions and thanked them for their respect and interest afforded to him.
Following the media conference, His Holiness received representatives of the Australian Middle Eastern Apostolic Churches Conference in the Diocesan Centre which included the Coptic Orthodox, Coptic Catholic, Melkite Catholic, Maronite and Syrian Orthodox Churches, The church leaders paid their respects and well wishes to the Catholicos of All Armenians for his return also expressing their gratitude to him for the hospitality they were shown in June 2018 when they stayed at the Mother See for a week.
In the afternoon, His Holiness left for Melbourne where he continued on the mission of the Pontifical Visit.
