Tweet
PATRIARCH MANOUKIAN TO CATHOLICOS KAREKIN II
Nourhan Archbishop Manoukian
Armenian Patriarch of Jerusalem
Your Holiness,
Be sure that I very reluctantly submit these lines to paper,
particularly when a while back I was informed that you have reproached
some of your bishops for their passivity in not responding to the
many criticism levelled against you on websites. It is said "Silence
is a sign of agreement".
In September, at the photo-opportunity of the representatives'
gathering at Holy Echmiadzin once again you raised the issue of
demoting the Armenian Apostolic Patriarchate of Jerusalem to a
"diocese of a sort", which you had first raised in the first years
of your incumbency at a similar gathering. The adage says "the
fruit does not fall far from the tree", and this year a number of
ranting bishops...Hovnan, Mikayel, Haygazoun, and Hovagim ... for
understandable reasons and motivations - (not so much to protect
their thrones and positions--but to secure their pockets--sensing
your avowed aim and only concern) have "heroically" demanded that
the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem be urgently brought under the
jurisdiction of Echmiadzin.
Among those bishops--Bishop Hovnan [Derderian]--expressed the
desire, a few years ago, to join the Brotherhood of St James,
together with his brother-in-arms Bishop Pagrad who was enchanted
by the prospect of a brighter future. Instead of concerning himself
with the immediate threat posed by the activities of the increasing
number of sectarians and Catholics in his diocese, Bishop Mikayel
spends his time on questions above his intellectual abilities. While
materialistic Bishop Haigazoun who waited a very long time to be
worthy for the rank of bishop, has transformed his once held anti
'Karekinian rhyme' into 'only Karekin' hymn. I do not wish to say
anything about the lamentable Bishop Hovagim, who like some of the
Echmiadzin Brotherhood bishops when visiting Jerusalem could not be
stopped from pouring his complaints about your despotic regime. I
will confine myself by using only these words regarding your attitude
towards the entire Brotherhood.
All those members of the Echmiadzin Brotherhood, who have enjoyed
the warm hospitality of this Holy See, seem to be hostages to their
business instincts and have not wanted to see the eternal struggle that
each member of the St James' Brotherhood wages to protect and preserve
that national right of the Armenian people. As if our everyday problems
and difficulties with the other Christian denominations, the constant
conflict with the Jews and Islam, are not enough now the Brotherhood of
the Holy See like yourself launches a crusade against the Patriarchate
of Jerusalem, intoxicated by your uncontrollable desire for absolute
authority ... the fruit does not fall far from the tree. Your Holiness
not very long ago attempted to neutralize the Armenian Patriarchates
of Jerusalem and Constantinople and failed. Do not try again. Never
forget one fact...that foreigners have come to know the Armenian
Church by virtue and through the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem.
This holy institution has survived through the ages despite all
human and natural disasters, your predecessors--a whole generation
of catholicoi-- have acknowledged and respected the independence and
Constitution of the Patriarchal hierarchy, and what is it that gives
you the authority to encourage your stooges to adopt such a negative
stance towards the Brotherhood? Do you think you are wiser than your
predecessors? Commercial and business acumen are not manifestations
of wisdom. You can buy men and discard men but CAN NEVER USURP AND
APPROPRIATE HOLINESS.
During the Second World War, Winston Churchill warned the German
leadership "those who seed breeze will reap hurricane". And you
over decades of incumbency have sawn breeze and now you must prepare
yourself to reap hurricane. Years have passed since the collapse of
the Soviet Union, from the days when they would employ civilians with
murky pasts and even vicious clergy to create such institutions like
the 'Free Church'. In our times it is painful to see the same diseased
spirit is rekindled in the Motherland, where new sects flourish and
strengthen under your 'benevolent and tolerant gaze'. You who are
called to be the leader of our Church hand in hand with anti-religious
and faithless political leaders are trying with your auctioned mind
and childish, capricious decisions to uproot the centuries-old oak
tree that is our Armenian Church, because despite your age [you]
are not yet matured. During the entire course of your life you have
lacked common sense, the combination of faith and consciousness that
is one of the greatest virtues man has been blessed with.
Like your sophist reasoning also irresponsible is your expressions and
decisions. The Armenian Apostolic Church, during its centuries-old
existence, has not been afraid of external dangers, so much as
by your senseless and destructive acts which your Holiness--a son
born of the bosom of the same Church--are waging war within it and
against it. To deprive the Church from its characteristic features
means cutting the umbilical cord that connects it with its past at a
time when the strengthening of religion and its influence coalesce
creating our image and the miracle of our century. Those who have
given themselves the authority to guard the public interest and
oversee its moral standing must surely know that a flint will not
light a fire without being struck and an abscess will not burst
unless it is lanced. We write these lines believing that to witness
evil and remain indifferent means being an accomplice to evil. Once
again in relation to our request to ordain Father Baret a bishop you
have displayed the same immature disposition-relying on the rumours
and grudges of certain individuals, who having cut their umbilical
cords from their people, attempt with few dollars to buy favour-
always disregarding the truth which in this case is the decision of
the Synod of the Brotherhood of St James, Jerusalem.
Without cause you blame individuals and with no ability to separate
the fact from fiction, you are one who according to the ability of his
sight, or by the measure of his coloured glasses sees reality. In other
words, Your Holiness, you are among those who harness the horse behind
the cart. The time has come to stop pretending you are a resident of
paradise attempting to cover your moral nakedness with fig leaves.
In the present time our Church finds itself confronting such dire state
and serious situation which give rise to serious doubts regarding
the future, when for a moment re-imaging all the virtuous traits of
our nation by virtue of which our people have been worthy or could
still be worthy. Be sure that the strength and greatness of a nation
are not found in material achievement, because people do not perish
as a consequence of physical wounds they receive, but by spiritual
wounds. The wounds inflicted upon our people are more the result of
our own irresponsible and self-centred actions and can be regarded as
a natural death of a nation. The time has come Your Holiness for you
to rediscover our spiritual values, if you have had any. If not then
you yourself should declare yourself defrocked and spare our Mother
Church from absolute destruction.
The Armenian Church has always been the home of our people's
intellectual, spiritual and moral aspirations. It has been par
excellence the life boat of the covenant of our faith. Our Church,
this estimable religious-national institution is our nation's greatest
institution, which surviving all kinds of historical and political
adverse conditions has taken shape and definition has reached
us and you as "Father of All" [Õ~@Õ¡ÕµO~@ Õ¡Õ´Õ¥Õ¶Õ¥O~AÕ¸O~BÕ¶]
are obliged to act without vengence, with favour and particularly
graciously. Your perceived prejudices with or without foundations,
mostly without foundation and in some instances it will be looked
upon as a virtue if you could acknowledge your mistakes.
Your Holiness can be sure that the Holy See of Echmiadzin for us is and
will always remain the source of our inspiration and hope, but you...
[Signed] Nourhan Archbishop Manoukian Armenian Patriarch of Jerusalem
PS. Bearing in mind that you lack the basic courtesy of responding to
the Patriarchate's previous letter, we preferred to send this letter
via the website.
Translator's notes
Bishop Mikayel Adjapahian is the Primate of Shirak and Gumri-Armenia
Bishop Hovagim Manoukian is the primate of Arthik, Thalin- Armenia
Archbishop Hovnan Derderian is the Primate of the Western diocese
of America, Los Angeles Bishop Haygazoun Nadjarian is the Primate
of Australia and the Far East Bishop Pagrad Galstanian was formerly
Primate of Canada.
Baret Dzayrakouyn Vartaped Yeretsian (b.1946, ordained 1966) was
nominated by the Synod of the Brotherhood of St James to be elevated
to the rank of Bishop. The honour of ordination is reserved to the
Catholicos of All Armenians. In this instance, His Holiness has
declined to carry out the unanimous decision of the Brotherhood.
November 2014 http://www.keghart.com/Patriarch-N-Manoukian-Letter
Nourhan Archbishop Manoukian
Armenian Patriarch of Jerusalem
Your Holiness,
Be sure that I very reluctantly submit these lines to paper,
particularly when a while back I was informed that you have reproached
some of your bishops for their passivity in not responding to the
many criticism levelled against you on websites. It is said "Silence
is a sign of agreement".
In September, at the photo-opportunity of the representatives'
gathering at Holy Echmiadzin once again you raised the issue of
demoting the Armenian Apostolic Patriarchate of Jerusalem to a
"diocese of a sort", which you had first raised in the first years
of your incumbency at a similar gathering. The adage says "the
fruit does not fall far from the tree", and this year a number of
ranting bishops...Hovnan, Mikayel, Haygazoun, and Hovagim ... for
understandable reasons and motivations - (not so much to protect
their thrones and positions--but to secure their pockets--sensing
your avowed aim and only concern) have "heroically" demanded that
the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem be urgently brought under the
jurisdiction of Echmiadzin.
Among those bishops--Bishop Hovnan [Derderian]--expressed the
desire, a few years ago, to join the Brotherhood of St James,
together with his brother-in-arms Bishop Pagrad who was enchanted
by the prospect of a brighter future. Instead of concerning himself
with the immediate threat posed by the activities of the increasing
number of sectarians and Catholics in his diocese, Bishop Mikayel
spends his time on questions above his intellectual abilities. While
materialistic Bishop Haigazoun who waited a very long time to be
worthy for the rank of bishop, has transformed his once held anti
'Karekinian rhyme' into 'only Karekin' hymn. I do not wish to say
anything about the lamentable Bishop Hovagim, who like some of the
Echmiadzin Brotherhood bishops when visiting Jerusalem could not be
stopped from pouring his complaints about your despotic regime. I
will confine myself by using only these words regarding your attitude
towards the entire Brotherhood.
All those members of the Echmiadzin Brotherhood, who have enjoyed
the warm hospitality of this Holy See, seem to be hostages to their
business instincts and have not wanted to see the eternal struggle that
each member of the St James' Brotherhood wages to protect and preserve
that national right of the Armenian people. As if our everyday problems
and difficulties with the other Christian denominations, the constant
conflict with the Jews and Islam, are not enough now the Brotherhood of
the Holy See like yourself launches a crusade against the Patriarchate
of Jerusalem, intoxicated by your uncontrollable desire for absolute
authority ... the fruit does not fall far from the tree. Your Holiness
not very long ago attempted to neutralize the Armenian Patriarchates
of Jerusalem and Constantinople and failed. Do not try again. Never
forget one fact...that foreigners have come to know the Armenian
Church by virtue and through the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem.
This holy institution has survived through the ages despite all
human and natural disasters, your predecessors--a whole generation
of catholicoi-- have acknowledged and respected the independence and
Constitution of the Patriarchal hierarchy, and what is it that gives
you the authority to encourage your stooges to adopt such a negative
stance towards the Brotherhood? Do you think you are wiser than your
predecessors? Commercial and business acumen are not manifestations
of wisdom. You can buy men and discard men but CAN NEVER USURP AND
APPROPRIATE HOLINESS.
During the Second World War, Winston Churchill warned the German
leadership "those who seed breeze will reap hurricane". And you
over decades of incumbency have sawn breeze and now you must prepare
yourself to reap hurricane. Years have passed since the collapse of
the Soviet Union, from the days when they would employ civilians with
murky pasts and even vicious clergy to create such institutions like
the 'Free Church'. In our times it is painful to see the same diseased
spirit is rekindled in the Motherland, where new sects flourish and
strengthen under your 'benevolent and tolerant gaze'. You who are
called to be the leader of our Church hand in hand with anti-religious
and faithless political leaders are trying with your auctioned mind
and childish, capricious decisions to uproot the centuries-old oak
tree that is our Armenian Church, because despite your age [you]
are not yet matured. During the entire course of your life you have
lacked common sense, the combination of faith and consciousness that
is one of the greatest virtues man has been blessed with.
Like your sophist reasoning also irresponsible is your expressions and
decisions. The Armenian Apostolic Church, during its centuries-old
existence, has not been afraid of external dangers, so much as
by your senseless and destructive acts which your Holiness--a son
born of the bosom of the same Church--are waging war within it and
against it. To deprive the Church from its characteristic features
means cutting the umbilical cord that connects it with its past at a
time when the strengthening of religion and its influence coalesce
creating our image and the miracle of our century. Those who have
given themselves the authority to guard the public interest and
oversee its moral standing must surely know that a flint will not
light a fire without being struck and an abscess will not burst
unless it is lanced. We write these lines believing that to witness
evil and remain indifferent means being an accomplice to evil. Once
again in relation to our request to ordain Father Baret a bishop you
have displayed the same immature disposition-relying on the rumours
and grudges of certain individuals, who having cut their umbilical
cords from their people, attempt with few dollars to buy favour-
always disregarding the truth which in this case is the decision of
the Synod of the Brotherhood of St James, Jerusalem.
Without cause you blame individuals and with no ability to separate
the fact from fiction, you are one who according to the ability of his
sight, or by the measure of his coloured glasses sees reality. In other
words, Your Holiness, you are among those who harness the horse behind
the cart. The time has come to stop pretending you are a resident of
paradise attempting to cover your moral nakedness with fig leaves.
In the present time our Church finds itself confronting such dire state
and serious situation which give rise to serious doubts regarding
the future, when for a moment re-imaging all the virtuous traits of
our nation by virtue of which our people have been worthy or could
still be worthy. Be sure that the strength and greatness of a nation
are not found in material achievement, because people do not perish
as a consequence of physical wounds they receive, but by spiritual
wounds. The wounds inflicted upon our people are more the result of
our own irresponsible and self-centred actions and can be regarded as
a natural death of a nation. The time has come Your Holiness for you
to rediscover our spiritual values, if you have had any. If not then
you yourself should declare yourself defrocked and spare our Mother
Church from absolute destruction.
The Armenian Church has always been the home of our people's
intellectual, spiritual and moral aspirations. It has been par
excellence the life boat of the covenant of our faith. Our Church,
this estimable religious-national institution is our nation's greatest
institution, which surviving all kinds of historical and political
adverse conditions has taken shape and definition has reached
us and you as "Father of All" [Õ~@Õ¡ÕµO~@ Õ¡Õ´Õ¥Õ¶Õ¥O~AÕ¸O~BÕ¶]
are obliged to act without vengence, with favour and particularly
graciously. Your perceived prejudices with or without foundations,
mostly without foundation and in some instances it will be looked
upon as a virtue if you could acknowledge your mistakes.
Your Holiness can be sure that the Holy See of Echmiadzin for us is and
will always remain the source of our inspiration and hope, but you...
[Signed] Nourhan Archbishop Manoukian Armenian Patriarch of Jerusalem
PS. Bearing in mind that you lack the basic courtesy of responding to
the Patriarchate's previous letter, we preferred to send this letter
via the website.
Translator's notes
Bishop Mikayel Adjapahian is the Primate of Shirak and Gumri-Armenia
Bishop Hovagim Manoukian is the primate of Arthik, Thalin- Armenia
Archbishop Hovnan Derderian is the Primate of the Western diocese
of America, Los Angeles Bishop Haygazoun Nadjarian is the Primate
of Australia and the Far East Bishop Pagrad Galstanian was formerly
Primate of Canada.
Baret Dzayrakouyn Vartaped Yeretsian (b.1946, ordained 1966) was
nominated by the Synod of the Brotherhood of St James to be elevated
to the rank of Bishop. The honour of ordination is reserved to the
Catholicos of All Armenians. In this instance, His Holiness has
declined to carry out the unanimous decision of the Brotherhood.
November 2014 http://www.keghart.com/Patriarch-N-Manoukian-Letter