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SACRED VICTIMS OR MARTYRS? ARMENIAN CLERICS' CALL RAISES CONTROVERSIES
12:10 ~U 25.09.13
An Armenian monument expert has expressed his disagreement with the
clerical proposal for beatifying the victoms of Genocide.
Speaking to Tert.am, Samvel Karapetyan said the question, which has
been repeatedly raised by the Armenian Apostolic Church and is now
on the agenda of the Bisops' Synod being held in St. Echmiadzin,
should not address the 1.5 people who died during the Genocide, but
rather those who helped the Armenian nation to survive the hard moment.
"The problem is not of course in the number of victims, but if those
victims had struggled and died for their homeland, I would be in favor
of their beatification. I do not want to say a rude word, but they
were martyred for the sake of nothing. They went to the grave with
bowed heads for the sake of nothing and without a struggle," he said.
"If beatification is the issue, why don't they beatify those who
fought and helped create the Republic of Armenia? Why don't they
beatify [Garegin] Nzhdeh, David Bek-Pirumyan? Why don't they beatify
[General] Andranik and the commanders and soldiers of the 1910s-1920s?"
Vardan Khachatryan, a theologist and a former parliament member,
holds the contrary viewpoints. He thinks beatification is important
given that the 1.5 people who died accepted their death for belief
and with obedience as did Jesus Christ.
"A central principle in Christianity is that a certain part of people
shared Jesus' fate, and that's why, they resurrected from the dead.
That, as a matter of fact, can be considered the repetition of Jesus'
fate, a behavior of Christians," he told Tert.am.
"Considering the ancient tradition, and simultaneously the fact that
they are innocent victims who died without violating the principles
of faith, I don't find it illogical. I assure you that there are two
factors here: first, they would have saved their lives by changing
their belief - while they didn't - and second, I recall the words of
[Ottoman leader] Sultan Hamid, who said, 'I respect the Armenians
because they never write letters from a death row saying they are
converting to Islam'."
Armenian News - Tert.am
12:10 ~U 25.09.13
An Armenian monument expert has expressed his disagreement with the
clerical proposal for beatifying the victoms of Genocide.
Speaking to Tert.am, Samvel Karapetyan said the question, which has
been repeatedly raised by the Armenian Apostolic Church and is now
on the agenda of the Bisops' Synod being held in St. Echmiadzin,
should not address the 1.5 people who died during the Genocide, but
rather those who helped the Armenian nation to survive the hard moment.
"The problem is not of course in the number of victims, but if those
victims had struggled and died for their homeland, I would be in favor
of their beatification. I do not want to say a rude word, but they
were martyred for the sake of nothing. They went to the grave with
bowed heads for the sake of nothing and without a struggle," he said.
"If beatification is the issue, why don't they beatify those who
fought and helped create the Republic of Armenia? Why don't they
beatify [Garegin] Nzhdeh, David Bek-Pirumyan? Why don't they beatify
[General] Andranik and the commanders and soldiers of the 1910s-1920s?"
Vardan Khachatryan, a theologist and a former parliament member,
holds the contrary viewpoints. He thinks beatification is important
given that the 1.5 people who died accepted their death for belief
and with obedience as did Jesus Christ.
"A central principle in Christianity is that a certain part of people
shared Jesus' fate, and that's why, they resurrected from the dead.
That, as a matter of fact, can be considered the repetition of Jesus'
fate, a behavior of Christians," he told Tert.am.
"Considering the ancient tradition, and simultaneously the fact that
they are innocent victims who died without violating the principles
of faith, I don't find it illogical. I assure you that there are two
factors here: first, they would have saved their lives by changing
their belief - while they didn't - and second, I recall the words of
[Ottoman leader] Sultan Hamid, who said, 'I respect the Armenians
because they never write letters from a death row saying they are
converting to Islam'."
Armenian News - Tert.am