The Armenian Patriarchate of Constantinople (Turkey) has expressed its support for Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II and the several bishops of the Armenian Apostolic Church. In a statement released on Monday, the Patriarchate stated that the “negative stance” recently adopted towards the Armenian Apostolic Church has caused deep pain and offense among the faithful in Armenia and the Armenian diaspora.
“The Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin has been the dawn of our people’s faith and a strong pillar of national and spiritual unity for centuries. The Armenian Church, with all its hierarchy, headed by His Holiness Karekin II, the Most Holy and Most Holy Patriarch of All Armenians, continues its Christ-centered, patriotic, and nation-building mission.
In this regard, the initiation of legal proceedings against the All Armenians’ Holiness Patriarch and the holy bishops of the Church and their summoning to secular courts on charges of criminal offenses deeply offends the hierarchical dignity of the Armenian Church.
This pain deepens further when the guarantees given to the mission of the Church by the Constitution of the Republic of Armenia and the fundamental principles of human rights seem to be ignored,” the statement reads.
Also, the Armenian Patriarchate of Constantinople called on those in charge to “keep the Armenian Church invulnerable” and not to turn the decisions of official church bodies into secular judicial conflicts. “In the Diaspora as well, the Armenian Church continues to play a key role in the spiritual, national, and community life of our people. Therefore, any step aimed at weakening the standing of the Mother See [of Holy Etchmiadzin] or insulting its inviolability harms the ties between the Church and the faithful people that have been strengthened for centuries. History testifies that in times of statelessness, the Armenian Apostolic Church was one of the indestructible pillars of our people.
It, with its internal hierarchy, regulated and continues to regulate the preaching of the Holy Gospel, spiritual service, consolatory, charitable, and national missions. Therefore, we consider it inappropriate and offensive to find a crime in the voice raised by His Holiness the Patriarch of All Armenians and the church hierarchy on issues related to the Church.
As the Armenian Patriarchal See of Turkey, we express our support to His Holiness Karekin II, His Holiness the Patriarch of All Armenians and the holy bishops,” the statement adds. Earlier, the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem and the Catholicosate of the Great House of Cilicia Armenian Apostolic Church had also criticized the legal proceedings initiated against the Catholicos Karekin II and several bishops. Karekin II is charged with obstructing the execution of a judicial act, in a case in which six high-ranking clergymen of the Armenian Apostolic Church are also charged.