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KECHARIS MONASTERY: CONTRADICTORY STATEMENTS FROM CHURCH OFFICIALS
Kristine Aghalaryan
hetq
16:55, September 7, 2011
Hetq sent a list of questions to Father Vahram Melikyan, who runs
the Public Affairs Office at Etchmiadzin, regarding the church's
involvement in the construction of a restaurant at the Kecharis
Monastery.
For the past month, we haven't been able to get a straight answer
from the Holy See.
We wanted to know when Etchmiadzin had signed a commercial lease with
the Karigag, the company developing the site, and who, on behalf of
the church, actually signed such a document.
Father Melikyan avoided answering our questions, telling us that we
would have to contact the Kotayk Diocese.
When we asked why Etchmiadzin's chief architect had never been informed
about the construction, Father Melikyan said that the lease agreement
had been signed with the full knowledge of the church.
This would seem to contradict an earlier statement made by Chief
Architect Nazaretyan that Catholicos Garegin II only heard about the
restaurant construction through press reports.
Thus, the construction had already started before either the Catholicos
or Etchmiadzin's Chief Architect had a clue as to what was happening
and before the building plans had been approved by the church's
architectural council.
Harutyun Harutyunyan, who is temporarily running the Kotayk Diocese,
had told Hetq that the Holy Resurrection Church at Kecharis was only
being renovated.
Who, if anyone, is telling the truth regarding Kecharis?
Even top church officials can't seem to agree.
Kristine Aghalaryan
hetq
16:55, September 7, 2011
Hetq sent a list of questions to Father Vahram Melikyan, who runs
the Public Affairs Office at Etchmiadzin, regarding the church's
involvement in the construction of a restaurant at the Kecharis
Monastery.
For the past month, we haven't been able to get a straight answer
from the Holy See.
We wanted to know when Etchmiadzin had signed a commercial lease with
the Karigag, the company developing the site, and who, on behalf of
the church, actually signed such a document.
Father Melikyan avoided answering our questions, telling us that we
would have to contact the Kotayk Diocese.
When we asked why Etchmiadzin's chief architect had never been informed
about the construction, Father Melikyan said that the lease agreement
had been signed with the full knowledge of the church.
This would seem to contradict an earlier statement made by Chief
Architect Nazaretyan that Catholicos Garegin II only heard about the
restaurant construction through press reports.
Thus, the construction had already started before either the Catholicos
or Etchmiadzin's Chief Architect had a clue as to what was happening
and before the building plans had been approved by the church's
architectural council.
Harutyun Harutyunyan, who is temporarily running the Kotayk Diocese,
had told Hetq that the Holy Resurrection Church at Kecharis was only
being renovated.
Who, if anyone, is telling the truth regarding Kecharis?
Even top church officials can't seem to agree.