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TURBULENT PERIOD FOR THE CHURCH IN ARMENIA
ARMENIA
Translated from French.
The Armenian Apostolic Church held its first General Synod for nearly
six centuries, but the event was rocked by a scandal.
The council, which was held from September 24 to 27 was the first
since 1441. It brought together religious leaders of the Holy See
of Etchmiadzin in Armenia, the seat of Cilicia in Lebanon, and the
patriarchs of Jerusalem and Constantinople, which together have ten
million followers.
The Synod adopted a measure paving the way for the collective
canonization of all those killed in Ottoman Turkey in 1915 in the
so-called Armenian genocide, and also discussed issues such as the
liturgy, education and social mission of the Church.
Observers suspected that behind closed doors, bishops and archbishops
together have spent more time on the scandal and controversy sowed
divisions in Armenia and the Diaspora. The Armenian Apostolic Church
is the oldest in the world, and survived the persecution and massacres
during its many centuries of existence, remains an essential element
of national identity. The current turmoil, however, are considered
unprecedented. At the end of May, the newspaper Hetq Yerevan published
an article accusing a senior cleric, the Archbishop Navasard Kchoyan,
to be associated with Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan and a businessman
Ashot Sukiasyan for create an offshore company that has received
several million dollars of misappropriated funds.
After the article came out, Sukiasyan wrote to the newspaper claiming
to be responsible for the full responsibility for this situation.
Bishop Ksoyan and Prime Minister Sarkisian both denied any wrongdoing.
Prosecutors have opened a criminal case, which means that a lawsuit
is a possibility.Sukiasyan left Armenia.
Bishop Ksoyan is a prominent figure of the Armenian Church, and some
have seen as a possible successor to the Catholicos of All Armenians
Karekin II Armen Badalyan, an analyst at the Centre for Policy
Studies in Yerevan, said that the case showed how the church had
become closely linked with political and business groups that support
Armenia. "In his attempts to find a justification for its existence,
... Government adopted the church as an ally. In return, the senior
clerics have seen granted privileges "said Badalyan. "The result is
that instead of focusing on society and help him with his problems,
the church focuses on the government."
Stepan Danielyan, Head of Cooperation for Democracy Center and editor
of the site www.religions.am, said that the establishment of the church
has been mired by controversy, some clergy undertake in activities
and support of the political authorities.
"The Church continues to lose influence. When Armenia became
independent after the collapse of the Soviet Union, much has been
expected of the church, but these expectations have not been met "Has
he told IWPR. "The Church continues to ignore the face quxquelles
things most people are concerned about - the social, economic and
political vital and endless corruption scandals."
Another point of contention is the synod the resignation of Archbishop
Norvan Zakaryan, the head of the church for the large Armenian
community in France.
In July, the Archbishop wrote to Zakaryan Catholicos Karekin accusing
her of abuse.
"You gain pleasure in humiliating me and blacken my name. You're
probably not even aware that you hit people's feelings, "he wrote. The
archbishop continued by offering his resignation, which was duly
accepted the Catholicos.
At the beginning of August, Nurhan Manoukian, Patriarch of Jerusalem,
entered the fray, criticizing the Catholicos Karekin for allowing
Archbishop Zakaryan to resign.
"A healthy generation can not grow in an atmosphere of fear and
threats.This will hurt our people and our church, which - more than
ever - need priests educated, honest and pure, not toadies "wrote
the patriarch.
The Catholicos has not responded publicly to the letter, but his
spokesman Vahram Melikian denied that he was authoritarian in style.
"The gathering of bishops at the end of September is strong evidence
of how the church is trying to solve its problems by taking all
opinions into account," Melikyan said at a press conference. "It is
inevitable that there are differences of opinion within the church,
but that does not mean that there are different factions in the church
or something like that, or there was a battle between them. "
Armen Karapetian is a freelance journalist in Armenia.
Institute for War & Peace Reporting
Thursday, October 17, 2013, Stephane © armenews.com
http://www.armenews.com/article.php3?id_article=93767
ARMENIA
Translated from French.
The Armenian Apostolic Church held its first General Synod for nearly
six centuries, but the event was rocked by a scandal.
The council, which was held from September 24 to 27 was the first
since 1441. It brought together religious leaders of the Holy See
of Etchmiadzin in Armenia, the seat of Cilicia in Lebanon, and the
patriarchs of Jerusalem and Constantinople, which together have ten
million followers.
The Synod adopted a measure paving the way for the collective
canonization of all those killed in Ottoman Turkey in 1915 in the
so-called Armenian genocide, and also discussed issues such as the
liturgy, education and social mission of the Church.
Observers suspected that behind closed doors, bishops and archbishops
together have spent more time on the scandal and controversy sowed
divisions in Armenia and the Diaspora. The Armenian Apostolic Church
is the oldest in the world, and survived the persecution and massacres
during its many centuries of existence, remains an essential element
of national identity. The current turmoil, however, are considered
unprecedented. At the end of May, the newspaper Hetq Yerevan published
an article accusing a senior cleric, the Archbishop Navasard Kchoyan,
to be associated with Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan and a businessman
Ashot Sukiasyan for create an offshore company that has received
several million dollars of misappropriated funds.
After the article came out, Sukiasyan wrote to the newspaper claiming
to be responsible for the full responsibility for this situation.
Bishop Ksoyan and Prime Minister Sarkisian both denied any wrongdoing.
Prosecutors have opened a criminal case, which means that a lawsuit
is a possibility.Sukiasyan left Armenia.
Bishop Ksoyan is a prominent figure of the Armenian Church, and some
have seen as a possible successor to the Catholicos of All Armenians
Karekin II Armen Badalyan, an analyst at the Centre for Policy
Studies in Yerevan, said that the case showed how the church had
become closely linked with political and business groups that support
Armenia. "In his attempts to find a justification for its existence,
... Government adopted the church as an ally. In return, the senior
clerics have seen granted privileges "said Badalyan. "The result is
that instead of focusing on society and help him with his problems,
the church focuses on the government."
Stepan Danielyan, Head of Cooperation for Democracy Center and editor
of the site www.religions.am, said that the establishment of the church
has been mired by controversy, some clergy undertake in activities
and support of the political authorities.
"The Church continues to lose influence. When Armenia became
independent after the collapse of the Soviet Union, much has been
expected of the church, but these expectations have not been met "Has
he told IWPR. "The Church continues to ignore the face quxquelles
things most people are concerned about - the social, economic and
political vital and endless corruption scandals."
Another point of contention is the synod the resignation of Archbishop
Norvan Zakaryan, the head of the church for the large Armenian
community in France.
In July, the Archbishop wrote to Zakaryan Catholicos Karekin accusing
her of abuse.
"You gain pleasure in humiliating me and blacken my name. You're
probably not even aware that you hit people's feelings, "he wrote. The
archbishop continued by offering his resignation, which was duly
accepted the Catholicos.
At the beginning of August, Nurhan Manoukian, Patriarch of Jerusalem,
entered the fray, criticizing the Catholicos Karekin for allowing
Archbishop Zakaryan to resign.
"A healthy generation can not grow in an atmosphere of fear and
threats.This will hurt our people and our church, which - more than
ever - need priests educated, honest and pure, not toadies "wrote
the patriarch.
The Catholicos has not responded publicly to the letter, but his
spokesman Vahram Melikian denied that he was authoritarian in style.
"The gathering of bishops at the end of September is strong evidence
of how the church is trying to solve its problems by taking all
opinions into account," Melikyan said at a press conference. "It is
inevitable that there are differences of opinion within the church,
but that does not mean that there are different factions in the church
or something like that, or there was a battle between them. "
Armen Karapetian is a freelance journalist in Armenia.
Institute for War & Peace Reporting
Thursday, October 17, 2013, Stephane © armenews.com
http://www.armenews.com/article.php3?id_article=93767