(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) - He added religious minorities in Iran are respected and have full freedom.

Patriarch Gregor Joftchian, at the end of religious rites in Chaldoran Kara Kilise, told reporters that holding glorious spiritual rites in this church, cooperation and assistance given by provincial officials to present desirable services for pilgrims indicated special attention of officials to religious minorities.

He added that peaceful co-existence of ethnic and religious groups with each other, free participation of religious minorities in all social, economic, political and cultural arena, all under auspices of Islamic Republic system, are a divine gift.

The patriarch reminded that religious minorities in Islamic Iran have people and officials' respect and the minorities, along with their Muslim brothers, are defending revolution ideals.

In the religious rites, which started last Thursday, more than six thousand pilgrims from Iran and other countries participated.

Kara Kilise (Black Church) is located 20 kilometers north of Chaldoran city. Upon Christian beliefs, the church is grave site of Saint Thaddeus, one of Jesus Christ's apostles.

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