Restored fragment of the first layer of frescoes of the Mother Cathedral exhibited at Matenadaran


The newly opened exhibition titled “The Manuscript Secret of the Creator Nature” presented for the first time a restored image from the first layer of frescoes in the Mother Cathedral of Etchmiadzin. At the opening ceremony of the exhibition, Ara Khzmalyan, Director of the Mashtots Matenadaran, stated that the diverse and regular exhibitions and the presented material increase public interest in the treasures of the Matenadaran.

Clergy consider law enforcement actions at the Mother Cathedral a national shame


In the Mother Cathedral, Bishop Narek Berberian, Primate of the Diocese of Brazil, urged the faithful to be steadfast, as the Armenian Patriarchs were. The chain of Holy Liturgies began on June 30. On July 5, the feast of the discovery of the relics of St. Gregory the Illuminator will be celebrated.

A conference entitled "The Church at the Origins of Statehood" was held in Yerevan


Historians consider the Armenian Church to be a structure that preserves the idea of ​​statehood. The Church prepared the foundations of Armenian statehood from the late Middle Ages to the modern period. In practice, it was the Church that transmitted the idea of ​​a national state to generations. Historians consider the thesis that the Church has hindered the formation of statehood throughout history to be baseless.

Nikol Pashinyan openly directed law enforcement agencies in the case of Archpriest Michael


Archbishop Michael's lawyers believe that the invasion of the Mother See law enforcement agencies and the presentation of fabricated charges against the archbishop was an attempt to discredit the church. According to them, Nikol Pashinyan openly directed law enforcement agencies in this case, evidence of which is the fabricated charges, the groundless detention, and the judge's behavior. Archbishop Michael Ajapahyan is currently in the NSS solitary confinement. He was detained for two months.

Law enforcement officers invaded the territory of the Mother See to arrest the Primate of the Shirak diocese


Archbishop Michael Ajapahian was coordinating the annual priestly assembly at the Mother See when masked law enforcement officers invaded the sanctuary. Priests from the dioceses of Armenia surrounded and protected the Primate of the Diocese of Shirak and the Catholicos of All Armenians. Then the faithful community joined in the defense of the Archbishop. Archbishop Michael tried several times to get into the car and go with the law enforcement officers, but those gathered resisted, and in the end he decided to walk to the Inquiry.

The more than 60 religious organizations registered in Armenia are almost not monitored


During the congress, thematic lectures were organized for the members of the Brotherhood at the Mother See. The speakers noted that the Holy Apostolic Church in Armenia has an exclusive status with its structures. That is, since 1991, the obligation to consider the Holy Apostolic Church of Armenia as a national structure and to legally fix its status has been imposed, which was later enshrined in the 2005 constitution. And the more than 60 religious organizations registered in Armenia are almost not monitored, accountability is incomplete.

The exhibition "The Monastery of Holy Etchmiadzin in the 19th-20th Centuries" was opened at the congress


The documentary material summarized in the exhibition is about the prominent monks and patriarchs of Echmiadzin. Their activities have left an indelible mark on the history of the Mother See and the Armenian people. They were not only clergymen, but also famous intellectuals and scientists. Catholicos Gevorg IV founded the first higher educational institution of Armenia in the new period, the Gevorgian Theological Seminary. Not only the clergy of the time were educated here, but also future writers, teachers, musicians, historians, and public figures.

Catholicos of All Armenians urges religious to be united in facing new challenges


The Armenian Patriarch, speaking about the current difficult period for the homeland and people, also addressed with concern Nikol Pashinyan's targeting of the Armenian Patriarch and the clergy, noting that the planned attacks aim to discredit the Armenian clergy and the Church, silence the voice of the Church, and diminish its high reputation and authority in society.

Catholicos of All Armenians Receives Pilgrims from St. David's Church Community in Florida


The pilgrims visited Armenia and the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin to renew their vows and strengthen their ties with the Motherland. His Holiness expressed his joy on the occasion of the visit of the Armenians to the Mother See, affirming with satisfaction that the pilgrimages often organized by the Armenian communities of the Diaspora are the best opportunity for spiritual renewal, recognition of the homeland and strengthening patriotic feelings. They also become acquainted with the reality of the homeland and the life of the people. His Holiness especially urged the young pilgrims not to forget their identity and to definitely participate in community and church life.

Catholicos of All Armenians receives newly ordained clergy in Holy Etchmiadzin


Following the ordination, the clergy spent a forty-day period of preparation in the Mother See. Father Sepuh Asatryan, in accordance with the accepted procedure, presented the relics of the first liturgies they celebrated on behalf of the newly ordained clergy to His Holiness the Patriarch. The Grand Sacristan of the Mother See, Archimandrite Anania Tsaturyan, introduced the seven clergymen ordained in the Mother Cathedral 40 days ago, and asked for His Holiness’s paternal instructions and blessings for the new period of service of the ordained.

 

Allahshukur Pashazadeh wrote a letter of protest to the World Council of Churches


He again complained that the Armenian Church is supposedly pushing people not to peace, but to violence, calling on the Armenian people to a “death struggle” and dragging its future into new dangers and disasters. He called on the World Council of Churches not to support the provocative, revanchist propaganda of the Armenian Church, which violates the fragile peace. Prior to that, the World Council of Churches, at the request of the Catholicos of All Armenians, had organized an international conference entitled “Religious Freedom: Preservation of the Armenian Spiritual, Cultural and Historical Heritage in Artsakh/Nagorno-Karabakh.”

Bishop Abgar Hovakimian re-elected as Primate of the Armenian Diocese of Canada


From May 30 to June 1, the diocesan assembly of the Armenian Diocese of Canada was held at the St. Gregory the Illuminator Cathedral in Montreal, attended by clergy and lay delegates from different parts of the country to reflect on the life and mission of the church. One of the most important events of the assembly was the election of the diocesan Primate. Two candidates were nominated: the current Primate, Bishop Abgar Hovakimyan, and Proto- Archimandrite Bagrat Perchekian. By the vote of the congregants, Bishop Abgar Hovakimyan was re-elected to continue his service as the Primate of the Armenian Diocese of Canada.