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Feast of Glorious Resurrection in the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin

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  • Feast of Glorious Resurrection in the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin

    PRESS RELEASE
    Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, Information Services
    Address: Vagharshapat, Republic of Armenia
    Contact: Rev. Fr. Ktrij Devejian
    Tel: (374 1) 517 163
    Fax: (374 1) 517 301
    E-Mail: [email protected]
    April 14, 2004

    Feast of the Glorious Resurrection of Jesus Christ in the Mother See of Holy
    Etchmiadzin

    On Sunday, April 11, the Feast of the Glorious Resurrection of Our Lord and
    Savior Jesus Christ was celebrated by the worldwide Armenian Church. His
    Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians,
    celebrated the Pontifical Divine Liturgy.

    As the service was about to begin, the Pontifical Procession moved from the
    Residence of the Catholicos toward the Mother Cathedral to celebrate the
    Easter Divine Liturgy, surrounded by thousands of faithful Armenians from
    Armenia and the Diaspora.

    The Mother Cathedral of All Armenians was filled to capacity, and the
    overflowing crowd in the courtyard of the Mother See heard the message of
    the Pontiff, as he declared: "Christ is Risen from the dead! Blessed is
    the Resurrection of Christ."

    The theme for His Holiness' sermon was from the Gospel of Saint Mark, "Take
    heart, it is I; have no fear." (Mark 6:50). In his sermon to the Armenian
    faithful in Armenia and the Dispersion, His Holiness stated in part, "With
    His blessed presence and with His saving power, the Lord has been at our
    side, wherever the ship of our life has been driven during the journeying
    courses of difficult, as well as trouble-free periods of our history. God
    has been at our side and has not abandoned us in deadly fateful times, when
    having lost our hope in men, we have been left alone. The light of the
    Resurrection soars above all of our Avarayrs and Sardarapats. The paths of
    Golgotha for the Armenians, which dispersed us throughout the world, are
    crowned with the radiance of the Resurrection. Today, our statehood is also
    reborn, and at every stage of life, the Lord awaits us, to spread His light
    and His peace over us, to bless our efforts and labor and to make them
    fruitful. However, we should not mix the good with the bad, nor confuse
    truth with falsehood. The truth is Armenia independent and Artsakh free,
    and our patriotism, our solidarity and unanimity. Indeed, there is no
    greater expression of faith than unity, and there is no greater
    encouragement than the belief that God with his saving power, is with us.

    "Wherever we live, we will live through the Homeland and Holy Etchmiadzin,
    with our national values and patriotic inheritance, so that our children
    will keep away from useless and false ideas, and from alien values, which
    are penetrating our lives and being imposed upon us from within and without
    ...

    "Dear Armenians dispersed throughout the world, you who can look to Ararat
    from near or far, can see under the gaze of the mount that hosts the Ark,
    the outstretched ark of Armenian salvation: Armenia and Artsakh. You, who
    see the radiating and inexhaustible light of the lantern of the Illuminator
    above the heights of Aragats, have faith, that the God of our fathers will
    continue His work upon our land through our faith. He will continue His
    work throughout our national life, upon which today the hope of Resurrection
    is taking flight."

    His Holiness addressed Easter greetings, blessings and congratulations as
    well to the Incumbents of the Hierarchal Sees of the Armenian Church, the
    entire order of clergy, state officials of the Republics of Armenia and
    Nagorno Karabagh, and all faithful throughout the world.

    Present during the Divine Liturgy were President of the Republic of Armenia
    Robert Kocharian, Prime Minister Andranik Margarian, President of the
    National Assembly (Parliament) Arthur Baghdasarian, National Assembly
    Members and Ministers of the Government of the Republic of Armenia,
    Ambassadors and the Diplomatic Corps of Foreign Governments, representatives
    of sister Christian Churches, members of the Supreme Spiritual Council, and
    thousands of faithful.

    At the conclusion of Divine Liturgy, an official reception was hosted in the
    Pontifical Residence for the dignitaries and guests in attendance. His
    Holiness welcomed and congratulated the guests on the occasion of the
    Glorious Resurrection of Christ and once more conveyed to them the great
    tiding of: "Christ is Risen from the dead! Blessed is the Resurrection of
    Christ."

    ##
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