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ARMENIAN EXPERT CONCERNED OVER CATHOLICOS' PLANS VISIT TO JAVAKHK
Tert.am
10.06.11
Catholicos of All Armenians Garegin II's visit to Javakhk can be seen
as a tool for ensuring religious security in the Armenian-populated
Georgian religion, an Armenian expert has said.
"We are hopeful that the visit of the Catholicos will lay the
foundation stone of an Armenian diocese in Javakhk, ensuring religious
security in the region through serious educational-cultural programs,"
Vahe Sargsyan, an expert from Mitk analytical center, told a news
conference on Friday.
He said the visit should not be considered an end-goal.
"Apart from being an epoch-forming event, it should also be viewed
as a tool," he said.
Sargsyan told reporters that the Armenian Catholicos, together with
the Georgian Patriarch Ilia II, is planning to visit the Calcedonian
churches.
"If Ilya II proposes holding a prayer service (and he certainly will
as they are the hosts), our participation in the ceremony will come
to reaffirm that we do not admit those churches, considering them
Georgian," he said.
The expert noted further that 20 out of the 130 Armenian populated
towns and villages in Georgia are catholic, and stressed the importance
of keeping the Calcedoinian churches in the remaining areas under
spotlight.
"The churches they are going to visit will be holding the services
in the Georgian language, so we will have a guest status there. It
is important for the Catholicos to hint in some way that we do not
admit that," he added.
The expert was concerned that a wrong approach might push the Georgians
to seize all the Armenian Calcedonian churches in the region.
"Our rough calculations suggest that the number of the Armenian
Chalcedonian churches exceeds 25. Armenian communities are entitled
to found and build new churches in the vicinity but they are not
allowed to touch the old ones," he said.
He added further that several Armenian Chalcedonian churches in the
country's northern regions are declared Georgian just because they
bear inscriptions in the Georgian language.
"If the Catholicos' visit marks our silent consent [to that], that will
be repaired and reorganizes into Georgian churches through a chain
reaction. That will expand little by little, changing the demography
in Javakhk," he said.
Tert.am
10.06.11
Catholicos of All Armenians Garegin II's visit to Javakhk can be seen
as a tool for ensuring religious security in the Armenian-populated
Georgian religion, an Armenian expert has said.
"We are hopeful that the visit of the Catholicos will lay the
foundation stone of an Armenian diocese in Javakhk, ensuring religious
security in the region through serious educational-cultural programs,"
Vahe Sargsyan, an expert from Mitk analytical center, told a news
conference on Friday.
He said the visit should not be considered an end-goal.
"Apart from being an epoch-forming event, it should also be viewed
as a tool," he said.
Sargsyan told reporters that the Armenian Catholicos, together with
the Georgian Patriarch Ilia II, is planning to visit the Calcedonian
churches.
"If Ilya II proposes holding a prayer service (and he certainly will
as they are the hosts), our participation in the ceremony will come
to reaffirm that we do not admit those churches, considering them
Georgian," he said.
The expert noted further that 20 out of the 130 Armenian populated
towns and villages in Georgia are catholic, and stressed the importance
of keeping the Calcedoinian churches in the remaining areas under
spotlight.
"The churches they are going to visit will be holding the services
in the Georgian language, so we will have a guest status there. It
is important for the Catholicos to hint in some way that we do not
admit that," he added.
The expert was concerned that a wrong approach might push the Georgians
to seize all the Armenian Calcedonian churches in the region.
"Our rough calculations suggest that the number of the Armenian
Chalcedonian churches exceeds 25. Armenian communities are entitled
to found and build new churches in the vicinity but they are not
allowed to touch the old ones," he said.
He added further that several Armenian Chalcedonian churches in the
country's northern regions are declared Georgian just because they
bear inscriptions in the Georgian language.
"If the Catholicos' visit marks our silent consent [to that], that will
be repaired and reorganizes into Georgian churches through a chain
reaction. That will expand little by little, changing the demography
in Javakhk," he said.