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Interview With HIS HOLINESS ARAM I, CATHOLICOS OF THE GREAT HOUSE OF CILICIA
USA Armenian Life Magazine
- October 7, 2011
USA Armenian Life Magazine: Your Holiness, you have often underlined
that the Diaspora is an equal partner with Armenia. Could you please
elaborate on what basis you make such a statement?
HIS HOLINESS ARAM I: We have often outlined that the Armenian people
are one with Armenia, Artsakh (Karabagh) and Diaspora. Therefore, the
Diaspora and Artsakh are the extension of Armenia. In ordinary sense,
the Diaspora is not a partner with Armenia. It is true that the
Diaspora Armenian doesn't live in Armenia, but considers Armenia - and
must do so - his Homeland toward which he has both duties and rights.
It is from this vintage point that we must look at Armenia-Diaspora
co-operation. Initiatives that are based on ordinary and conditional
settings can not, but well-studied and long-term plans can inject new
quality into our co-operation and can solidify our nation's internal
unity and potential.
USA Armenian Life Magazine: How can one rate the quality of relations
between the Catholicosate of All Armenians in Etchmiadzin and the
Catholicosate of the Great House of Cilicia in Antelias, Lebanon? And
how can one define the nature of the ties between the Dioceses of both
Sees?
HIS HOLINESS ARAM I: The co-operation between both Holy Sees - the
Catholicosate of All Armenians and Catholicosate of the Great House of
Cilicia is positive. Two committees are formed representing both Sees
in regards to our church's reform. It is necessary to continue this
process. Issues that have jurisdictional nature that have been
inherited from the past do exist. It is essential to address these
issues with a spirit of realism; by taking into consideration our
people's and our communities' internal conditions; by always upholding
the indispensability of co-operation. We would also like to emphasize
that today the spirit of brotherhood on all levels is prevalent in the
relations and co-operation between both Sees. This spirit must be
further developed for the benefit of our church, homeland and people.
USA Armenian Life Magazine: In present and coming times, what is the
mission of the Catholicosate of the Great House of Cilicia in the life
of the Armenian people?
HIS HOLINESS ARAM I: We have often focused on the Great House of
Cilicia's mission through our messages and publications. The
Catholicosate of the Great House of Cilicia considers itself a mission
of faith and of service to our people. These two areas that are
strongly tied with our Holy See's life and work, compliment, enrich
and complete each other. The mission of our See has its permanent
priorities such as Christian and Armenian education; social services;
youth; spreading of spiritual and moral values; pursuit of our
national demands for justice, among others. Our See also takes into
consideration evolutionary changes occurring in our people's internal
conditions and the resulting needs and expectations. Let's not forget
that we live in a constantly changing world. As a mission in service
of people, the church must keep in touch with developments and related
concerns in the life of its flock.
USA Armenian Life Magazine: Recently, you have addressed a pontifical
letter to Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's government in
which you have qualified its initiative to return certain confiscated
religious properties to their rightful owners as being incomplete and
unjust. In your opinion, what kind of steps Turkey needs to take in
order to achieve comprehensive justice?
HIS HOLINESS ARAM I: Our demands from Turkey are clear. Turkey must
recognize and make amends for the Genocide against the Armenian people
perpetrated by Ottoman Turkey - the grandparents of Turkey's leaders.
According to international laws, if the genocide is a crime against
humanity, then no matter how Turkey attempts to cover up the truth
through diplomatic and other means, the genocide, as a historic fact,
can not be condemned to oblivion. The Bible says that it is not
possible to hide the light under a basket - the same applies to truth.
For 97 years, our people not only remembered its martyrs but also
demanded its rights. This is an eloquent testimony that the more years
pass, the stronger our people's demands for justice will grow. We have
clarified to Turkish Prime Minister that justice has not been served
for the Armenians. Our people will continue to demand justice from
Turkey.
USA Armenian Life Magazine: Do the Armenian youth continue to rally
around the Armenian Apostolic Church with swelled ranks? Has the
Catholicosate developed new bridges for communication and
strengthening of ties with the youth?
HIS HOLINESS ARAM I: We have always given special importance to our
youth underlining the fact that our youth are not only our future but
also our present. The doors of our church, organizations and
communities are wide open for our youth. Our youth have a message to
deliver and accomplishments to perform in our collective life. We must
trust our youth. They are aware of today's conditions, challenges and
ills of our world. Therefore, they can perform an important role in
our life. Our structures have an urgent need for rejuvenation. The
same people with unchanged ideas and practices can not contribute to
our life's further development and reorganization. Our life has a dire
need for internal vitality; for new organizational approaches; and for
new quality. In this regard, We consider our youth's role
fundamentally important. On the other hand, We expect our youth to
treat our spiritual, moral and national values with a spirit of
awareness. We have amply addressed these issues in Our book - `We Must
Take the Church to the People.'
USA Armenian Life Magazine: In contrast to Dioceses around the world
belonging to the Holy See of Etchmiadzin, the Dioceses functioning
under the umbrella of the Great House of Cilicia have always made
relentless efforts and carried out large-scale work and created a
sizeable network of Armenian schools in all corners of the Diaspora.
Why has the Great House of Cilicia preferred to allocate large
portions of its human and material resources to building our schools
next to the churches, instead focusing only on the construction of
churches?
HIS HOLINESS ARAM I: A little while ago, we have observed that the
faith-based mission and service to the nation constitute a singular
unit in our mission. This is not a theoretical idea. That's the way
our church has been throughout history and that's the way it should be
today. Religious education and Armenian education are not distant
realities, but one entity with differing aspects. Armenian education
is religious education and it is not possible to carry out religious
education without Armenian education; in other words, our religious
and moral values can not be removed from national values and
vice-versa. This is the identity of our church. This is the Armenian
identity. Therefore, the coexistence of both the church and the school
is not coincidental. The school is the continuation of the church.
That's the way it has to be in its internal environment and in terms
of our mission in our flock's development both as human beings and as
Armenians. I hope this makes it amply clear as to why the
Catholicosate of the Great House of Cilicia has given a special
importance to Armenian schools, highlighting the fact that the church
and school constitute one and integral entity.
USA Armenian Life Magazine: In your opinion, how can Diaspora's
current state of organization be optimized? Do you think the current
quasi-organizational situation and the absence of internal harmony;
and the inexistence of elective leadership can be free from
exploitation by Turkey and other anti-Armenian forces? What kind of
solution do you propose?
HIS HOLINESS ARAM I: It is not easy to have the Diaspora undergo
reorganizational process because today obviously exist three Diasporas
- the classic Diaspora, Diaspora in the former Soviet space and the
Diaspora that is created as a result of emigration from Armenia.
Therefore, today, the Diaspora represents a colorful picture. The
creation of intimacy, co-operation and harmony among these three
Diasporas is a priority. The church and the community-based
organizations have an important role to perform in this process. They
must play the role of a bridge, and become meeting places where all
the children of our people - in tangible terms, shall feel as
belonging to the same nation, same culture and Homeland. Even if the
creation of harmony within the Diaspora is a long process, we consider
as urgent and primary the co-operation regarding issues affecting our
people, our homeland or a given community. Just like we have
emphasized in our message in Armenia - we must develop a pan-Armenian
thinking. Co-operation can contribute greatly to the development of
pan-Armenian thinking.
USA Armenian Life Magazine: The Catholicosate of the Great House of
Cilicia has always been an advocate of the Armenian Church and
people's well-being. Is it possible to elaborate in practical terms
some of the efforts made in this regard?
HIS HOLINESS ARAM I: A while ago, when we were talking about the
mission of the Catholicosate of the Great House of Cilicia, we
described its religious and national aspects. That's what should be
the mission of our church. It should become not only the advocate but
also the initiator, the leader in all of the efforts that further the
unity of our people; the strengthening of our Homeland; the
flourishing of our culture; and the pursuit of national aspirations
and rights. In other words, our church as a national institution, must
be the tracer (chaser) of our nation's and Homeland's collective
interests - naturally, as spiritual structure that is guided by its
unique and independent approach to these issues. Let's not forget that
similar to other organizations that function in our life the church is
not solely of religious nature. Such characterization of the church is
unacceptable. The Church is a home of faith; It is the presence of God
in our lives; It is the voice of God, and the clergy are the
ambassadors of Christ. It is with such self-awareness that the church
must function and become the advocate of truth in our lives, and
certainly not remain silent in the face of falsehood. It must be the
defender of the poor, and not the supporter the rich and the
exploiter. It must be the evangelist of justice, and not an
indifferent bystander of injustice. Didn't Jesus Christ side with the
underprivileged?
USA Armenian Life Magazine: Recently, a very important conference
dedicated to Western Armenian language took place in the Bikfaya
Seminary in Lebanon under your High Auspices and organized by the
Catholicosate of the Great House of Cilicia. According to several
media reports, ample ideas were expressed during the three-day
conference and among them was the unified decision by the conference
to create a body that would preserve the Western Armenian language.
The idea is wonderful, but what practical steps and with what kind of
mandate will the body be able to take the necessary steps?
HIS HOLINESS ARAM I: We have discussed comprehensively the outcome of,
and the media have given extensive coverage to the conference on
Western Armenian language which took place in the Catholicosate,
through our initiative and sponsorship. We would not like to repeat
the discussions. But we would like to underline a few important
points.
A) The Western Armenian language is in crisis. If we do not take
appropriate measures to prevent the escalation of the crisis, we can
lose our language in a short time. It was based on this fact that we
have organized the conference. The conference emphasized the
imperative of taking urgent and effective measures;
B) As a practical step, the conference proposed the formation of a
Western Armenian Language Preservation Council through the initiative
of the Catholicosate of the Great House of Cilicia, with the
participation of individuals knowledgeable in Armenian studies who can
further the cause. We will conduct consultations on the makeup of the
Council after the completion of our Pontifical Visit to the Prelacy of
Western United States;
C) Organizing conferences and proposing ideas are not enough. It is
essential that we implement the ideas and execute the developed plans
within our communities. It is in this area that we fail. The
preservation of Western Armenian language must be carried out on local
levels - within the churches, schools, homes, and clubs. Therefore our
work has to be collective and an awareness of responsibility
shouldered by all.
USA Armenian Life Magazine: Has the conference on Western Armenian
language identified the role of the Diaspora Armenian media, and did
it underline the importance of employing clear, accurate and
crystallized Western Armenian in the media that features enhanced
quality for the benefit of perpetuation of Western Armenian language?
Has there been a discussion on finding the means to assist the
Diaspora Armenian press both morally and financially so that the media
does not fail in its duties?
HIS HOLINESS ARAM I: The press occupied an important place in the
conference. Many reports were presented and all participants greatly
emphasized the role of the media in the preservation of Western
Armenian language and in the dissemination of cultural values, and of
the maintenance of the Armenian identity as a whole. We consider the
media as a mission. It is with such awareness that media managers
should carry out their mission and it is with equal devotion that the
children of our nation should support the Armenian media.
USA Armenian Life Magazine
- October 7, 2011
USA Armenian Life Magazine: Your Holiness, you have often underlined
that the Diaspora is an equal partner with Armenia. Could you please
elaborate on what basis you make such a statement?
HIS HOLINESS ARAM I: We have often outlined that the Armenian people
are one with Armenia, Artsakh (Karabagh) and Diaspora. Therefore, the
Diaspora and Artsakh are the extension of Armenia. In ordinary sense,
the Diaspora is not a partner with Armenia. It is true that the
Diaspora Armenian doesn't live in Armenia, but considers Armenia - and
must do so - his Homeland toward which he has both duties and rights.
It is from this vintage point that we must look at Armenia-Diaspora
co-operation. Initiatives that are based on ordinary and conditional
settings can not, but well-studied and long-term plans can inject new
quality into our co-operation and can solidify our nation's internal
unity and potential.
USA Armenian Life Magazine: How can one rate the quality of relations
between the Catholicosate of All Armenians in Etchmiadzin and the
Catholicosate of the Great House of Cilicia in Antelias, Lebanon? And
how can one define the nature of the ties between the Dioceses of both
Sees?
HIS HOLINESS ARAM I: The co-operation between both Holy Sees - the
Catholicosate of All Armenians and Catholicosate of the Great House of
Cilicia is positive. Two committees are formed representing both Sees
in regards to our church's reform. It is necessary to continue this
process. Issues that have jurisdictional nature that have been
inherited from the past do exist. It is essential to address these
issues with a spirit of realism; by taking into consideration our
people's and our communities' internal conditions; by always upholding
the indispensability of co-operation. We would also like to emphasize
that today the spirit of brotherhood on all levels is prevalent in the
relations and co-operation between both Sees. This spirit must be
further developed for the benefit of our church, homeland and people.
USA Armenian Life Magazine: In present and coming times, what is the
mission of the Catholicosate of the Great House of Cilicia in the life
of the Armenian people?
HIS HOLINESS ARAM I: We have often focused on the Great House of
Cilicia's mission through our messages and publications. The
Catholicosate of the Great House of Cilicia considers itself a mission
of faith and of service to our people. These two areas that are
strongly tied with our Holy See's life and work, compliment, enrich
and complete each other. The mission of our See has its permanent
priorities such as Christian and Armenian education; social services;
youth; spreading of spiritual and moral values; pursuit of our
national demands for justice, among others. Our See also takes into
consideration evolutionary changes occurring in our people's internal
conditions and the resulting needs and expectations. Let's not forget
that we live in a constantly changing world. As a mission in service
of people, the church must keep in touch with developments and related
concerns in the life of its flock.
USA Armenian Life Magazine: Recently, you have addressed a pontifical
letter to Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's government in
which you have qualified its initiative to return certain confiscated
religious properties to their rightful owners as being incomplete and
unjust. In your opinion, what kind of steps Turkey needs to take in
order to achieve comprehensive justice?
HIS HOLINESS ARAM I: Our demands from Turkey are clear. Turkey must
recognize and make amends for the Genocide against the Armenian people
perpetrated by Ottoman Turkey - the grandparents of Turkey's leaders.
According to international laws, if the genocide is a crime against
humanity, then no matter how Turkey attempts to cover up the truth
through diplomatic and other means, the genocide, as a historic fact,
can not be condemned to oblivion. The Bible says that it is not
possible to hide the light under a basket - the same applies to truth.
For 97 years, our people not only remembered its martyrs but also
demanded its rights. This is an eloquent testimony that the more years
pass, the stronger our people's demands for justice will grow. We have
clarified to Turkish Prime Minister that justice has not been served
for the Armenians. Our people will continue to demand justice from
Turkey.
USA Armenian Life Magazine: Do the Armenian youth continue to rally
around the Armenian Apostolic Church with swelled ranks? Has the
Catholicosate developed new bridges for communication and
strengthening of ties with the youth?
HIS HOLINESS ARAM I: We have always given special importance to our
youth underlining the fact that our youth are not only our future but
also our present. The doors of our church, organizations and
communities are wide open for our youth. Our youth have a message to
deliver and accomplishments to perform in our collective life. We must
trust our youth. They are aware of today's conditions, challenges and
ills of our world. Therefore, they can perform an important role in
our life. Our structures have an urgent need for rejuvenation. The
same people with unchanged ideas and practices can not contribute to
our life's further development and reorganization. Our life has a dire
need for internal vitality; for new organizational approaches; and for
new quality. In this regard, We consider our youth's role
fundamentally important. On the other hand, We expect our youth to
treat our spiritual, moral and national values with a spirit of
awareness. We have amply addressed these issues in Our book - `We Must
Take the Church to the People.'
USA Armenian Life Magazine: In contrast to Dioceses around the world
belonging to the Holy See of Etchmiadzin, the Dioceses functioning
under the umbrella of the Great House of Cilicia have always made
relentless efforts and carried out large-scale work and created a
sizeable network of Armenian schools in all corners of the Diaspora.
Why has the Great House of Cilicia preferred to allocate large
portions of its human and material resources to building our schools
next to the churches, instead focusing only on the construction of
churches?
HIS HOLINESS ARAM I: A little while ago, we have observed that the
faith-based mission and service to the nation constitute a singular
unit in our mission. This is not a theoretical idea. That's the way
our church has been throughout history and that's the way it should be
today. Religious education and Armenian education are not distant
realities, but one entity with differing aspects. Armenian education
is religious education and it is not possible to carry out religious
education without Armenian education; in other words, our religious
and moral values can not be removed from national values and
vice-versa. This is the identity of our church. This is the Armenian
identity. Therefore, the coexistence of both the church and the school
is not coincidental. The school is the continuation of the church.
That's the way it has to be in its internal environment and in terms
of our mission in our flock's development both as human beings and as
Armenians. I hope this makes it amply clear as to why the
Catholicosate of the Great House of Cilicia has given a special
importance to Armenian schools, highlighting the fact that the church
and school constitute one and integral entity.
USA Armenian Life Magazine: In your opinion, how can Diaspora's
current state of organization be optimized? Do you think the current
quasi-organizational situation and the absence of internal harmony;
and the inexistence of elective leadership can be free from
exploitation by Turkey and other anti-Armenian forces? What kind of
solution do you propose?
HIS HOLINESS ARAM I: It is not easy to have the Diaspora undergo
reorganizational process because today obviously exist three Diasporas
- the classic Diaspora, Diaspora in the former Soviet space and the
Diaspora that is created as a result of emigration from Armenia.
Therefore, today, the Diaspora represents a colorful picture. The
creation of intimacy, co-operation and harmony among these three
Diasporas is a priority. The church and the community-based
organizations have an important role to perform in this process. They
must play the role of a bridge, and become meeting places where all
the children of our people - in tangible terms, shall feel as
belonging to the same nation, same culture and Homeland. Even if the
creation of harmony within the Diaspora is a long process, we consider
as urgent and primary the co-operation regarding issues affecting our
people, our homeland or a given community. Just like we have
emphasized in our message in Armenia - we must develop a pan-Armenian
thinking. Co-operation can contribute greatly to the development of
pan-Armenian thinking.
USA Armenian Life Magazine: The Catholicosate of the Great House of
Cilicia has always been an advocate of the Armenian Church and
people's well-being. Is it possible to elaborate in practical terms
some of the efforts made in this regard?
HIS HOLINESS ARAM I: A while ago, when we were talking about the
mission of the Catholicosate of the Great House of Cilicia, we
described its religious and national aspects. That's what should be
the mission of our church. It should become not only the advocate but
also the initiator, the leader in all of the efforts that further the
unity of our people; the strengthening of our Homeland; the
flourishing of our culture; and the pursuit of national aspirations
and rights. In other words, our church as a national institution, must
be the tracer (chaser) of our nation's and Homeland's collective
interests - naturally, as spiritual structure that is guided by its
unique and independent approach to these issues. Let's not forget that
similar to other organizations that function in our life the church is
not solely of religious nature. Such characterization of the church is
unacceptable. The Church is a home of faith; It is the presence of God
in our lives; It is the voice of God, and the clergy are the
ambassadors of Christ. It is with such self-awareness that the church
must function and become the advocate of truth in our lives, and
certainly not remain silent in the face of falsehood. It must be the
defender of the poor, and not the supporter the rich and the
exploiter. It must be the evangelist of justice, and not an
indifferent bystander of injustice. Didn't Jesus Christ side with the
underprivileged?
USA Armenian Life Magazine: Recently, a very important conference
dedicated to Western Armenian language took place in the Bikfaya
Seminary in Lebanon under your High Auspices and organized by the
Catholicosate of the Great House of Cilicia. According to several
media reports, ample ideas were expressed during the three-day
conference and among them was the unified decision by the conference
to create a body that would preserve the Western Armenian language.
The idea is wonderful, but what practical steps and with what kind of
mandate will the body be able to take the necessary steps?
HIS HOLINESS ARAM I: We have discussed comprehensively the outcome of,
and the media have given extensive coverage to the conference on
Western Armenian language which took place in the Catholicosate,
through our initiative and sponsorship. We would not like to repeat
the discussions. But we would like to underline a few important
points.
A) The Western Armenian language is in crisis. If we do not take
appropriate measures to prevent the escalation of the crisis, we can
lose our language in a short time. It was based on this fact that we
have organized the conference. The conference emphasized the
imperative of taking urgent and effective measures;
B) As a practical step, the conference proposed the formation of a
Western Armenian Language Preservation Council through the initiative
of the Catholicosate of the Great House of Cilicia, with the
participation of individuals knowledgeable in Armenian studies who can
further the cause. We will conduct consultations on the makeup of the
Council after the completion of our Pontifical Visit to the Prelacy of
Western United States;
C) Organizing conferences and proposing ideas are not enough. It is
essential that we implement the ideas and execute the developed plans
within our communities. It is in this area that we fail. The
preservation of Western Armenian language must be carried out on local
levels - within the churches, schools, homes, and clubs. Therefore our
work has to be collective and an awareness of responsibility
shouldered by all.
USA Armenian Life Magazine: Has the conference on Western Armenian
language identified the role of the Diaspora Armenian media, and did
it underline the importance of employing clear, accurate and
crystallized Western Armenian in the media that features enhanced
quality for the benefit of perpetuation of Western Armenian language?
Has there been a discussion on finding the means to assist the
Diaspora Armenian press both morally and financially so that the media
does not fail in its duties?
HIS HOLINESS ARAM I: The press occupied an important place in the
conference. Many reports were presented and all participants greatly
emphasized the role of the media in the preservation of Western
Armenian language and in the dissemination of cultural values, and of
the maintenance of the Armenian identity as a whole. We consider the
media as a mission. It is with such awareness that media managers
should carry out their mission and it is with equal devotion that the
children of our nation should support the Armenian media.