His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia, issued a message on Monday that circulated widely on social media. He called on the government of Armenia to refrain from interfering in the internal affairs of the Holy See of Etchmiadzin and from sowing division within the Church.
Catholicos Aram I has expressed concern for months about developments surrounding Holy Etchmiadzin. He has warned that government actions, pressure on clergy, and deepening internal rifts could have serious consequences for Armenia and the Armenian Nation.
Earlier, in a sermon at the Holy Mother of God Church in Nicosia, Cyprus, Aram I delivered strong remarks condemning what he described as growing injustice and disregard for national and spiritual values in Armenia.
He declared: “When injustice occurs in Armenia, Antelias says no. When values are disregarded and symbols ignored, Antelias says no, and has always said no. When the Church and clergy in Armenia are subjected to various forms of persecution and arrest, Antelias has had and continues to have the courage to say no. When supreme national ideals are ignored to the detriment of our people’s interests, Antelias has said no and will continue to say no.”
His comments come amid a wave of detentions targeting members of the clergy in Armenia. Currently under arrest are Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan, leader of the Sacred Struggle movement, Archbishop Mikael Ajapahyan of Shirak, Bishop Mkrtich of the Aragatsotn Diocese, and Bishop Arshak, Chancellor of the Mother See.
The Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin recently announced that the Bishop Synod, originally scheduled for December 10–12, has been postponed because of “the current situation in Armenia, particularly the repressions against clergy, including arrests.”
Against this backdrop, Catholicos Aram I released a formal written statement titled “Stay Away From Nation-Destroying Attempts To Divide The Church”, which runs as follows:
Catholicos Aram I’s Full Statement
“In recent months, with deep concern, we have followed the troubling developments taking place around Holy Etchmiadzin. On various occasions and through various means, we have attempted to calm the turbulent situation and to encourage mutual understanding, particularly warning against steps that lead to the division of the Church.
Today, in fact, the situation has become more dangerous, laden with unpredictable consequences. The firm preservation of the integrity and internal unity of Holy Etchmiadzin and, in general, of our Church, and keeping it away from internal and external threats, is a pan-national priority. Guided by this deep awareness and commitment, we appeal:
To the authorities of Armenia: To stay away from unconstitutional and, therefore, unacceptable and condemnable steps that interfere in the internal life and issues of Holy Etchmiadzin and that sow seeds of division within the Church through various means, steps that can lead our Church, our nation, and our Homeland toward self-destruction.
To Holy Etchmiadzin: To confront, with due urgency, patience, and wisdom, the dangerous situations arising and being created within monastic life, and to unite around the Catholicos of All Armenians, as well as around the monastic vow and principles, and to examine the existing issues with a brotherly spirit, through canonical process and realistic approach, with the determination to reach appropriate decisions.
The Church is the house of God and, at the same time, the sacred house of the nation. Every Armenian has the obligation and the right to be concerned about and to express views regarding the issues affecting the Church, but with a constructive and edifying approach and guided by the aspiration to renew the Church and to make its servant mission more vital.”
