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.

The Association of Religious Women of Holy Etchmiadzin celebrated its 65th anniversary


The Association of Religious Women of Holy Etchmiadzin was established in the late 1950s. The Patriarchate was in a difficult situation, and the Armenian ladies of Beirut took on the task of making vestments for the clergy. They donated church vestments, shirts, carpets, seminary robes, ritual utensils, crosses, various accessories, and material assistance to the Mother See. With their efforts, the first pilgrimages from Lebanon to Armenia, to the Armenian spiritual center, began, which continue to this day.

A monument dedicated to Saint Gregory of Narek was unveiled at the main cathedral of St. Nicholas in Amsterdam


The author and implementer of the initiative is producer Rafael Hovhannisyan, president of the Pan-Armenian Geographical Association. The sculptor is David Yerevantsi. The project partner is Vahan Avagyan, president of the Grigor Narekatsi Foundation in Amsterdam, thanks to whose negotiations permission to install the monument in the temple was obtained.

 

World Council of Churches organizes conference dedicated to Artsakh heritage


The World Council of Churches is the largest inter-church organization in the world, which is organizing a conference in Bern, Switzerland, dedicated to the Armenian heritage in Artsakh. Under the title “Freedom of Religion: Preservation of the Armenian Spiritual, Cultural and Historical Heritage in Artsakh,” the conference will address the consequences of the conflict in Artsakh: the Armenian heritage of Artsakh, the rights of the people, and the future security issues of the Armenians of Artsakh. About 150 participants are involved in the conference. The idea of ​​organizing a gathering of this scale was the idea of ​​​​the Patriarch of All Armenians. He will also participate in the conference.

 

The section "Armenia in the 15th-18th Centuries" has been reopened at the History Museum with new exhibits


The exhibition begins with the story of the reestablishment of the Catholicosate of Holy Etchmiadzin from the city of Sis in Cilicia in the 15th century. The door of the St. Gregory the Illuminator Church of the Tatev Monastery, created in 1614, decorated with a khachkar composition, is presented. It was brought to the museum in 1931. The winged cross installed in Sevan Monastery in 1448 is next to it, one of the doors of the Arakelots Church in Sevan. It was also created in the 15th century. The single-paned door is carved with scenes of the Lord.

An ecumenical event was held in Canada in memory of the holy martyrs of the Armenian Genocide


A liturgy was held at the Notre Dame Catholic Cathedral in Ottawa, commemorating the holy martyrs of the Armenian Genocide of 1915-1923. The ceremony was attended by more than 200 guests, including ambassadors from more than 30 countries accredited to Canada, representatives of the diplomatic corps, and representatives of the Catholic, Ethiopian Orthodox, Coptic Orthodox, Assyrian Catholic, Romanian Orthodox, and Indian Orthodox church.cal event was held in Canada in memory of the holy martyrs of the Armenian Genocide A liturgy was held at the Notre Dame Catholic Cathedral in Ottawa, commemorating the holy martyrs of the Armenian Genocide of 1915-1923. The ceremony was attended by more than 200 guests, including ambassadors from more than 30 countries accredited to Canada, representatives of the diplomatic corps, and representatives of the Catholic, Ethiopian Orthodox, Coptic Orthodox, Assyrian Catholic, Romanian Orthodox, and Indian Orthodox church.

 

The Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church in Georgia organized a Vardaton dedicated to Sayat-Nova in Tbilisi


The annual event in honor of Sayat-Nova began at 18 Amaghleba Street, the apartment of Hovhannes Tumanyan. Tbilisi Armenians and guests walked to the St. Gevorg Cathedral, in the courtyard of which is the grave of the poet. Under the chairmanship of Bishop Kirakos Davtyan, Primate of the Armenian Diocese of Georgia, and with the participation of the clergy, a requiem mass was held. The Vardaton dedicated to Sayat-Nova has been celebrated for already 111 years.
 

Descendants of survivors at Armenian Genocide Museum search for parents in photos


Toros Tadevosyan's children tried to find their father in the group photos of children dressed in identical clothes in the section of the Armenian Genocide Museum's exhibition dedicated to Armenian orphans. Along with hundreds of Armenian children who survived the Genocide, Toros Tadevosyan ended up in the Antura orphanage, 15 kilometers from Beirut, which was opened specifically for Armenian orphans by order of Cemal Pasha. By his order, the Turkish writer, feminist and pan-Turkist Halide Khanum undertook the forced conversion and Turkification of Armenian children. Despite the efforts of the Turks, many of the children retained their native language and religion.

His Holiness the Patriarch received the participants of the Assembly of the European Union of Judges


The Catholicos of All Armenians considered it important for the international judicial community to address the protection of the just rights of the forcibly displaced Armenians of Artsakh, the trumped-up trial of Armenians captured by Azerbaijan, as well as the actions of destruction and appropriation of the spiritual and cultural heritage of Artsakh. More than 70 delegates from more than 35 European countries are participating in the conference.