Catholicos Karekin II, head of the Armenian Apostolic Church, called for social and national cohesion in Armenia in his Christmas message.
This is the only way to resist Azerbaijan's expansion efforts and attacks on Armenian territory. The Catholicos criticized social divisions in Armenia that needed to be overcome. He expressed comfort and confidence to the more than 100,000 Armenians displaced from Nagorno-Karabakh who have found refuge in Armenia. The enclave “will never be a thing of the past for us,” Karekin II said verbatim. It will continue to exist in the hearts and souls of all Armenians.
Karekin II called on all Armenians in Armenia and around the world to provide active assistance to displaced people. He paid tribute to the latter for the courage and dignity they maintained in the face of their difficult fate.
Children who fled with their families from Nagorno-Karabakh to Armenia in recent weeks show signs of severe psychological stress.
“In the Days of Catastrophe”
Without directly naming the current Armenian government, the Catholicos harshly criticized its actions in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Nagorno-Karabakh remained alone during the “days of catastrophe”. In recent months, Catholicos has repeatedly expressed its deep concern about the inaction of the international community and the Armenian government. He could understand that the people of Armenia were angry with their own government.
In the Armenian Church, the feast of Jesus' birth is celebrated together with the Epiphany on January 6th. In his New Year's message, Karekin II also called for active material and human support for Karabakh refugees. The “vision of a return” to their homeland “must never disappear”, said the Catholicos.
More than 100,000 people have had to flee Nagorno-Karabakh to Armenia in recent weeks. In September there was a major military offensive by Azerbaijan. …
Tense relationship
An incident on New Year's Eve showed how tense the relationship is between the leadership of the Armenian Church and the current government of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. According to the Catholicosate in Echmiadzin, it has been good practice so far for Armenian state television to broadcast the Catholicos' New Year's speech on New Year's Eve, immediately before the President's speech. This time, however, the broadcaster informed the church leadership “at the last minute” that this would not be the case. Instead, it was suggested that the speech be broadcast as part of the evening news, which was rejected by the Catholicosate.
(kap – sk)