Aravot.am asked the Director of the Museums of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, Asoghik priest Karapetyan, how he interprets the sensational statement made by the Pope of Rome to be ready to baptize the space aliens and shake their hands, and in the context of this tolerance, his own expression that an atheist Armenian is not a full Armenian. “Every clergyman, be the Pope of Rome or a humble servant, has his own opinion, which he is free to express. With this expression of the Pope of Rome, only a love campaign should be carried out. We cannot interpret it in any way, because we, as clergymen of the Armenian church, are carrying out our part of our campaign to get people live in peace, harmony and love, because this covenant is divine… We also preach love, harmony, peace, goodwill, and we also believe that God created the world, and the man is the crown and the wreath of the world divine creation, who is not alone in the universe. God, before creating the man, created the first creatures of the universe, the angels, and we are thus in that holistic circle,” said Asoghik priest Karapetyan. In his opinion, with regard to not univocally accepting the statement of an atheist Armenian is not fully Armenian, priest Asoghik said, “Yes, I have said that one who does not profess the values characterizing the Armenian people in general, he cannot be fully Armenian, hence, if an atheist accept one thing and refuses another thing, he cannot be full Armenian. Full Armenia is the one who with his whole essence carries our national values and lives by these values. Therefore, I do not step back from my words, and this is my belief. I have been educated so, and accordingly I move ahead in my job as a priest because the Armenian church’s mission includes not only the spiritual propaganda, but also national identity. We view the nation, as such, as a divine grace. Hence, the national identity and fullness is a divine grace.”
Gohar HAKOBYAN
Ծիծաղելի և ցաւալի է թէ’ գաղափարը և թէ’ մտայնութիւնը որ սևազգեստ կրօնականները պիտի որոշեն իմ հայ ըլլալս կամ չըլլալս: Իրենց մտային մենաստաններուն մէջ մեկուսացած, փոխանակ Քրիստոսի պատգամին վրայ կեդրոնանալու, փոխանակ հայութիւնը սիրով իրար մօտեցնելու, կ՚երևի թէ այսպէս կոչուած “հայ” և “առաքելական” եկեղեցին ազգը պատառ պատառ ընել կը ջանայ: Յստակ է որ հայ եկեղեցին իր մթագնած մտայնութեամբ, ոչ ազգին կը ծառայէ և ոչ ալ 21’երորդ դարուն կը պատկանի, այլ պատմութեան էջերուն: