He also congratulated followers of all divine religions, especially Christian community of Iran, on the global registration of St. Thaddeus Church pilgrimage ritual as the 16th intangible cultural heritage by UNESCO.
Thaddeus was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus and revered by the Iranian Muslims and Christians, he said.
Global registration of St. Thaddeus Church ritual, which is held every year in Gara Kelisa (Black Church), was achieved with the aim of further protecting this sacred ritual and forging greater affinity among followers of the divine religions with the joint proposal of the Islamic Republic of Iran and Armenia.
Gara Kelisa is located about 20 kilometers from the town of Chaldoran, West Azarbaijan.
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