Prof. Maxwell Johnson states the case for canonizing the Armenian Genocide martyrs.
By Florence Avakian
In the spring of 2015, stated Dr. Maxwell E. Johnson, “the victims of the Armenian Genocide will become victors in Christ.” The Professor of Liturgy at Notre Dame University offered this conclusion during his fascinating lecture on Thursday evening, October 9, at the Krikor and Clara Zohrab Information Center of the Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern).
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October 24, 2014
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VICTORS, NOT VICTIMS
Prof. Maxwell Johnson states the case for canonizing the Armenian Genocide martyrs
By Florence Avakian
In the spring of 2015, stated Dr. Maxwell E. Johnson, “the victims of the Armenian Genocide will become victors in Christ.”
The Professor of Liturgy at Notre Dame University offered this conclusion during his fascinating lecture on Thursday evening, October 9, at the Krikor and Clara Zohrab Information Center of the Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern).
Earlier in the evening Prof. Johnson had been introduced by the Zohrab Center’s director, the Very Rev. Fr. Daniel Findikyan, as an “expert in the history and theology of early Christian worship,” who has written extensively on the topic of martyrdom.
Fr. Findikyan went on to inform listeners that in April of 2015—as part of the worldwide observance of the 100th “Year of Remembrance” of the Genocide—the Armenian Church will canonize those who died in that cataclysm as saints of the church.
“Many died for the Christian faith” during the Genocide, Fr. Findikyan observed. “The canonization will be unique and momentous, since the church has not declared any new saints for hundreds of years.”
The Path to Sainthood
The canonization will take place at the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, with the Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, His Holiness Karekin II, presiding along with the Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia, His Holiness Aram I, who will travel to Armenia for the occasion.
“They will officially recognize as saints of the church the countless souls who perished during the Genocide for the sake of the name of Jesus Christ,” related Fr. Findikyan.
Prof. Johnson began his thought-provoking discourse—titled, “The Blood of the Martyrs: ‘Seed of the Church’ Yesterday and Today”—by noting that the Armenian badarak abounds in references to saints, especially during the “intercessions” prayer.
“Who is a saint?” he asked. “They are citizens of the kingdom of God; certain faithful members of the church who stand out. Most are unknown; and in certain communities they are venerated locally. ‘Canonization’ implies that the saints are included into the broader canon” of the church.
In the Armenian Church, he said, canonization is not so much a formal, legal process, but is rather a recognition by the church of a person’s sanctity. The qualifications for being so recognized may include performance of miracles, living a holy life, being an exemplary icon, and (of course) martyrdom.
The most well-known saints in the Armenian Church have been martyrs, monks, or bishops, whose deaths, miracles, relics, or icons enter into the list of the church’s official commemorations.
Martyrs of the Past—and Present
Foremost among the martyrs is Jesus Christ, Dr. Johnson said; but others include such figures as St. Stephen Proto-martyr, St. Hripsime, the Forty Martyrs of Sepastia (who froze to death), St. Shushanik (the daughter of St. Vartan), St. Ignatius of Antioch, and St. Blaise.
The commemorations of their respective martyrdoms became something akin to birthday celebrations, he noted, since they had entered through death upon a new and eternal life with Christ.
“Saints’ days were the heart of Christian piety,” Prof. Johnson added, also noting the “very strong connection between the martyrs and the Eucharist.”
As for the 20th century, Dr. Johnson said it has been called the “Age of Martyrs,” because “more Christians died for their faith in that period than in any previous time—including such times as the Roman Empire.”
Martyrdom today “is of an ecumenical nature,” he said. “And only one who has died of his or her own will is a martyr.” Prof. Johnson cited Archbishop Oscar Romero of El Salvador—killed in 1980 at the altar—as an example. “The first thing he saw upon arising in the morning, and the last thing he saw before retiring at night, was a picture at his bedside of Christ’s passion the Lord’s last gasp before he died.”
A Seed of Unity
The question of canonizing the Genocide martyrs has been under discussion, officially and unofficially, for some time. And the canonization will have consequences for the way the Genocide is understood and acknowledged in the church.
Dr. Johnson quoted from a 1990 article titled, “Canonization of the Genocide Victims: Are We Ready?” by sociologist (and deacon) Hratch Tchilingirian. “Theologically, once the victims of the Genocide are canonized, the Armenian Church will be put under a dogmatic imperative,” Tchilingirian wrote nearly 25 years ago. “They are no longer victims, but victors in Christ.”
The article went on: “Once the victims of the Genocide are canonized, we can no longer holdhokehankists (requiem services) to mourn their death. Instead, we will celebrate the Divine Liturgy invoking their names, asking for their intercession, and we will celebrate their victory over death, in and through Christ.”
Tchilingirian also observed: “Once the victims of the Genocide are canonized, we can no longer hold candlelight vigils. The mournful, dark atmosphere of commemorations of the Genocide will have to be changed into a festive glorious atmosphere. The victims are no longer victims, but saints who live in the glory of God. Hence, the question is whether Armenians are willing to see themselves as witnesses to the Death and Resurrection of Christ—for whom hundreds of thousands of Armenians gave their lives—rather than perpetually identifying themselves as the victims.”
More recently, the Genocide martyrs were invoked during a May 2014 meeting at the Vatican between Roman Catholic Pope Francis and Catholicos Karekin II. Dr. Johnson quoted from the record of that meeting, as well.
Greeting the Catholicos, the Pope said: “The number of disciples who shed their blood for Christ in the tragic events of the last century is certainly greater than the number of martyrs in the first centuries. And in this martyrology, the children of the Armenian nation have a place of honor.”
Pope Francis: “The mystery of the Cross—so dear to the memory of your people, represented in the splendid stone crosses that adorn every corner of your land—has been lived by countless of your children as a direct participation in the chalice of the Passion of Christ.”
Dr. Johnson concluded by echoing the Pope’s words: “The recent suffering of Christians is the seed of unity. It is a powerful call to journey along the road of reconciliation among the churches.”
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Photo: Dr. Maxwell E. Johnson speaks at the Diocesan Center in New York.
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