On the 5th of November 2006, His Beatitude Nerses Bedros XIX Catholicos Patriarch of Cilicia of the Armenian Catholics, received the president of the United Armenian Fund, publisher and editor of the “California Courier” and the vice president of the Lincy Foundation Mr. Harout Sasounian, who in his turn had come to Lebanon with the mission of donating financial help to the Lebanese Armenian schools.

During the visit that lasted for an hour, His Beatitude the Catholicos, who stated out about the indispensable role that the Armenian schools play in the preservation of Armenians in the wide diaspora, also informed his guest about the many difficulties that these schools are facing, emphasizing on the conditions of the Armenian Catholic schools conveying the various details about the students, the standards of education, the teachers’ and the administrative committees, the schools’ educational and cultural activities as well as their economic conditions.

On his behalf, Mr.Sasouninan informed His Beatitude the aim of his visit to Lebabon, which was aiding the Lebanese Armenian schools financially to free them from the many burdens, which came to a critical point as an outcome of last july’s offensive against Lebanon. Mr.Sasounian also mentioned that the emphasis put on helping the schools comes from the historical and essential role that the Armenian schools have played.

Furthermore, His Beatitude and his guest revived matters concerning all Armenians, in particular the ones living in the diaspora, the Armeninan Cause and the importance of the recognition of the Armenian Genocide by the world.

At the end of the visit,the Catholicos Patriarch revealed His appreciation of Mr.Sasounian and the organizations that he represents, which have only shown their concerns and generosity towards the Lebanese Armenians during difficult times.

As a declaration of his gratitude, His Beatitude granted Mr.Sasounian a valuable evidence published in 1918 in New York about the Armeninan Genocide.