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UNPRECEDENTED REACTION
HAKOB BADALYAN
Story from Lragir.am News:
http://www.lragir.am/engsrc/comments25792.html
Published: 12:18:36 - 12/04/2012
Yesterday the public was amazed by the Catholicos of All Armenian who
responded to the calls of the environmentalists and expressed his
standpoint on the encroachment of different economic and political
ruling clans to the environment of Armenia.
However, while the Catholicos of All Armenians amazed the public
because he never reacts to urgent public and civil issues, the content
of his response did not give a surprise.
"Nature is called to sustain the welfare of man who is the wreath of
creation, and man is empowered to manage natural resources reasonably.
We comment the attention and enthusiasm of environmental organizations
to environmental issues. Environmental issues must be addressed by
the relevant government bodies in accordance with the legislation,
guided by the interests of the country and the society," runs the
message of the Catholicos.
This message produces an ambiguous impression. On the one hand, the
issues are there - Mashtots Park, other forests and parks which need
protection from businesses. On the other hand, the message is there
which can be interpreted differently.
However, this is enough for the beginning, considering that the
Catholicos did not utter a word at all.
However, other questions occur as well, namely relating to another
construction site in Yerevan where the Yerevan residence of the
Catholicos will be located and Saint Anna Church.
The civil society is fighting for different issues, including the
construction at the crossroad of Abovyan and Sayat-Nova Streets. The
Language Institute of the Academy of Science used to be there which
blocked the view of the cozy chapel and was demolished. They did not
demolish the building to free at least a tiny space in overcrowded
Yerevan with the calming sight of the church but in order to build
a bigger church and the residence of the Catholicos in Yerevan.
The society protested, demanded a little park in the place of the
Language Institute to boost the attraction of the magnificent church
with its historical biography.
However, the Holy See insisted, and now construction of the residence,
as well as the church is underway which will be an expression of the
will of the benefactor.
Knowing this fact, questions occur relating to the message or response
of Garegin II.
The Catholicos commends the battle of the citizens for nature but
at the same time he is among those who launched construction in a
small area which was the natural resource of Yerevan, and not having
a residence of the Catholicos in Yerevan would not be a loss for
Armenia and the Armenian Apostolic Church would be prejudiced. At
least the residence could be built somewhere else, and Yerevan would
have a very small green area.
This example makes the reaction of the Catholicos to environmental
issues look quite relative, and one feels that he wanted to say
"the environmentalist can protest, and the builder can build".
This won't do. Other principles should be there, and if the Armenian
Apostolic Church reacts to a public issue, the response must contain
guidelines rather than relativity. These guidelines would constitute
the value of the reaction of the Catholicos because relativity was
discovered by Einstein a long time ago.
From: A. Papazian
HAKOB BADALYAN
Story from Lragir.am News:
http://www.lragir.am/engsrc/comments25792.html
Published: 12:18:36 - 12/04/2012
Yesterday the public was amazed by the Catholicos of All Armenian who
responded to the calls of the environmentalists and expressed his
standpoint on the encroachment of different economic and political
ruling clans to the environment of Armenia.
However, while the Catholicos of All Armenians amazed the public
because he never reacts to urgent public and civil issues, the content
of his response did not give a surprise.
"Nature is called to sustain the welfare of man who is the wreath of
creation, and man is empowered to manage natural resources reasonably.
We comment the attention and enthusiasm of environmental organizations
to environmental issues. Environmental issues must be addressed by
the relevant government bodies in accordance with the legislation,
guided by the interests of the country and the society," runs the
message of the Catholicos.
This message produces an ambiguous impression. On the one hand, the
issues are there - Mashtots Park, other forests and parks which need
protection from businesses. On the other hand, the message is there
which can be interpreted differently.
However, this is enough for the beginning, considering that the
Catholicos did not utter a word at all.
However, other questions occur as well, namely relating to another
construction site in Yerevan where the Yerevan residence of the
Catholicos will be located and Saint Anna Church.
The civil society is fighting for different issues, including the
construction at the crossroad of Abovyan and Sayat-Nova Streets. The
Language Institute of the Academy of Science used to be there which
blocked the view of the cozy chapel and was demolished. They did not
demolish the building to free at least a tiny space in overcrowded
Yerevan with the calming sight of the church but in order to build
a bigger church and the residence of the Catholicos in Yerevan.
The society protested, demanded a little park in the place of the
Language Institute to boost the attraction of the magnificent church
with its historical biography.
However, the Holy See insisted, and now construction of the residence,
as well as the church is underway which will be an expression of the
will of the benefactor.
Knowing this fact, questions occur relating to the message or response
of Garegin II.
The Catholicos commends the battle of the citizens for nature but
at the same time he is among those who launched construction in a
small area which was the natural resource of Yerevan, and not having
a residence of the Catholicos in Yerevan would not be a loss for
Armenia and the Armenian Apostolic Church would be prejudiced. At
least the residence could be built somewhere else, and Yerevan would
have a very small green area.
This example makes the reaction of the Catholicos to environmental
issues look quite relative, and one feels that he wanted to say
"the environmentalist can protest, and the builder can build".
This won't do. Other principles should be there, and if the Armenian
Apostolic Church reacts to a public issue, the response must contain
guidelines rather than relativity. These guidelines would constitute
the value of the reaction of the Catholicos because relativity was
discovered by Einstein a long time ago.
From: A. Papazian