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ARMENIAN CHURCH SLAMS GEORGIAN PATRIARCH
Karine Simonian
http://www.azatutyun.am/content/article/24242346.html
21.06.2011
Armenia - High-level representatives of the Armenian Apostolic Church
hold a news conference in Echmiadzin, 21 Jun 2011.
The Armenian Apostolic Church hit out at Georgia's Catholicos-Patriarch
Ilia II on Tuesday for making what it called "inappropriate" references
to its supreme head, Catholicos Garegin II, just days after his visit
to Georgia.
Speaking in Tbilisi's St. Trinity Cathedral on Sunday, Ilia attributed
the failure of the two pontiffs to settle disputes between their
churches to Garegin's perceived young age.
"Garegin is young and apparently lacks experience," the 78-year-old
head of the Georgian Orthodox Church was reported to say. "He is
intelligent but wants to do things quickly, which will not work. I
told him that I have a 30-year experience and that staying calm is
the best thing."
Senior clerics at the Armenian Church's Mother See in Echmiadzin,
a town 20 kilometers south of Yerevan, denounced these remarks.
"Considering the logic of the ethics of relations between church
heads, it is inappropriate to make such statements," said Bishop
Arshak Khachatrian, the Mother See chancellor. "I will refrain from
making further comments."
Georgia -- Catholicos of All Armenians Garegin II (R) and
Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia Ilia II meet in Tbilisi, 11Jun2011
The bitter exchange highlights lingering tensions between the two
churches that center on ownership of Christian worship sites located
in Georgia and Armenia. Garegin, who has headed the Armenian Church
1999 and will turn 60 in August, hoped to ease those tensions when he
began a weeklong visit to Georgia on June 10. But he and Ilia failed
to reach any concrete agreements.
Ilia insisted last week that the Armenian Church should gain official
recognition in Georgia only if the Georgian Church is granted the same
status in Armenia. He also effectively dismissed Armenian demands
for the unconditional return of six mostly derelict churches in and
outside Tbilisi that used to belong to Echmiadzin. He said they should
be repaired only "in case of the restoration of Georgian churches
in Armenia."
The Georgian patriarch referred to several medieval and mostly
abandoned churches located in Armenia's northern Lori province. The
Armenian Church disputes Georgian claims to these churches, saying
that they were built and always used by Armenian adherents of the
Greek Orthodox denomination.
Archbishop Yeznik Petrosian, another senior Echmiadzin cleric, claimed
that the Georgian side is exploiting the uncertain status of the
Lori churches as a bargaining chip in the long-running negotiations
on Armenian religious heritage in Georgia. "This is an artificially
created situation," he said at a joint news conference with Bishop
Khachatrian.
"My impression is that there is too much intolerance and manifestations
of extremism in the Georgian Church," Khachatrian charged for his
part. "I cannot explain the reasons for that."
Karine Simonian
http://www.azatutyun.am/content/article/24242346.html
21.06.2011
Armenia - High-level representatives of the Armenian Apostolic Church
hold a news conference in Echmiadzin, 21 Jun 2011.
The Armenian Apostolic Church hit out at Georgia's Catholicos-Patriarch
Ilia II on Tuesday for making what it called "inappropriate" references
to its supreme head, Catholicos Garegin II, just days after his visit
to Georgia.
Speaking in Tbilisi's St. Trinity Cathedral on Sunday, Ilia attributed
the failure of the two pontiffs to settle disputes between their
churches to Garegin's perceived young age.
"Garegin is young and apparently lacks experience," the 78-year-old
head of the Georgian Orthodox Church was reported to say. "He is
intelligent but wants to do things quickly, which will not work. I
told him that I have a 30-year experience and that staying calm is
the best thing."
Senior clerics at the Armenian Church's Mother See in Echmiadzin,
a town 20 kilometers south of Yerevan, denounced these remarks.
"Considering the logic of the ethics of relations between church
heads, it is inappropriate to make such statements," said Bishop
Arshak Khachatrian, the Mother See chancellor. "I will refrain from
making further comments."
Georgia -- Catholicos of All Armenians Garegin II (R) and
Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia Ilia II meet in Tbilisi, 11Jun2011
The bitter exchange highlights lingering tensions between the two
churches that center on ownership of Christian worship sites located
in Georgia and Armenia. Garegin, who has headed the Armenian Church
1999 and will turn 60 in August, hoped to ease those tensions when he
began a weeklong visit to Georgia on June 10. But he and Ilia failed
to reach any concrete agreements.
Ilia insisted last week that the Armenian Church should gain official
recognition in Georgia only if the Georgian Church is granted the same
status in Armenia. He also effectively dismissed Armenian demands
for the unconditional return of six mostly derelict churches in and
outside Tbilisi that used to belong to Echmiadzin. He said they should
be repaired only "in case of the restoration of Georgian churches
in Armenia."
The Georgian patriarch referred to several medieval and mostly
abandoned churches located in Armenia's northern Lori province. The
Armenian Church disputes Georgian claims to these churches, saying
that they were built and always used by Armenian adherents of the
Greek Orthodox denomination.
Archbishop Yeznik Petrosian, another senior Echmiadzin cleric, claimed
that the Georgian side is exploiting the uncertain status of the
Lori churches as a bargaining chip in the long-running negotiations
on Armenian religious heritage in Georgia. "This is an artificially
created situation," he said at a joint news conference with Bishop
Khachatrian.
"My impression is that there is too much intolerance and manifestations
of extremism in the Georgian Church," Khachatrian charged for his
part. "I cannot explain the reasons for that."