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PARISHIONERS ACCUSE ARMENIAN CHURCH OF PLAYING POLITICS WITH POPULAR REVEREND
Glendale News Press
http://www.glendalenewspress.com/news/tn-818-0326-parishioners-accuse-armenian-church-of-playing-politics-with-popular-reverend,0,1002623.story
March 26 2012
CA
Dozens of parishioners demonstrated outside St. Mary's Armenian
Apostolic Church in the rain Sunday to express their anger over the
transfer of a popular reverend who was forced to leave the country
because his visa expired.
His supporters said church officials did not work to extend Fr. Rev.
Barthev Gulumian's visa because of internal politics, sparking a
campaign on social media against the Western Prelacy of the Armenian
Apostolic Church.
Gulumian was removed from his Glendale post, where he has worked for
the last six years, and transferred to Venezuela.
"We want to make sure that we do get Rev. Barthev back," said
27-year-old Liliya Chobanian of Pasadena.
In referring to the Western Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church,
she said, "We know that they don't want him here."
Chobanian helped launch the demonstration using social media alongside
others who believe that the Western Prelacy did not act fast enough to
acquire a green card for Gulumian, whose visa expired in October 2011.
"We asked them to give us a receipt that they did apply [for a green
card]. They refused to provide that," Chobanian said of the Western
Prelacy as she stood outside the church on Central Avenue.
In a statement issued on Sunday, the Western Prelacy said that while
it wanted Gulumian "to continue his valuable work in the Armenian
American community, the Western Prelacy is compelled to comply with
U.S. laws which in this case mandated that Father Barthev leave the
U.S. albeit for a temporary basis."
The statement added that his return "will be processed in compliance
with U.S. immigration laws and policies."
Gulumian was "the best of the best" and known for visiting prisoners
weekly, attracting youth to the church and guiding them away from
drugs, said Sossi Postajian, who was at the demonstration.
As she walked with others on Sunday, Postajian said the group did
not have anything against the Armenian Apostolic Church, adding that
church leaders had repeatedly rebuffed requests for a conference on
the matter.
"Our biggest, biggest problem is the Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian,"
she said. "The elections are coming up in May and he felt threatened."
-- Kelly Corrigan, Times Community News
Glendale News Press
http://www.glendalenewspress.com/news/tn-818-0326-parishioners-accuse-armenian-church-of-playing-politics-with-popular-reverend,0,1002623.story
March 26 2012
CA
Dozens of parishioners demonstrated outside St. Mary's Armenian
Apostolic Church in the rain Sunday to express their anger over the
transfer of a popular reverend who was forced to leave the country
because his visa expired.
His supporters said church officials did not work to extend Fr. Rev.
Barthev Gulumian's visa because of internal politics, sparking a
campaign on social media against the Western Prelacy of the Armenian
Apostolic Church.
Gulumian was removed from his Glendale post, where he has worked for
the last six years, and transferred to Venezuela.
"We want to make sure that we do get Rev. Barthev back," said
27-year-old Liliya Chobanian of Pasadena.
In referring to the Western Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church,
she said, "We know that they don't want him here."
Chobanian helped launch the demonstration using social media alongside
others who believe that the Western Prelacy did not act fast enough to
acquire a green card for Gulumian, whose visa expired in October 2011.
"We asked them to give us a receipt that they did apply [for a green
card]. They refused to provide that," Chobanian said of the Western
Prelacy as she stood outside the church on Central Avenue.
In a statement issued on Sunday, the Western Prelacy said that while
it wanted Gulumian "to continue his valuable work in the Armenian
American community, the Western Prelacy is compelled to comply with
U.S. laws which in this case mandated that Father Barthev leave the
U.S. albeit for a temporary basis."
The statement added that his return "will be processed in compliance
with U.S. immigration laws and policies."
Gulumian was "the best of the best" and known for visiting prisoners
weekly, attracting youth to the church and guiding them away from
drugs, said Sossi Postajian, who was at the demonstration.
As she walked with others on Sunday, Postajian said the group did
not have anything against the Armenian Apostolic Church, adding that
church leaders had repeatedly rebuffed requests for a conference on
the matter.
"Our biggest, biggest problem is the Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian,"
she said. "The elections are coming up in May and he felt threatened."
-- Kelly Corrigan, Times Community News