On August 3, Armenian Apostolic Patriarch of Jerusalem, Archbishop Nurhan Manoogian sent a letter to His Holiness All-Armenian Catholicos Karekin II, in which he expressed uncertainty about the decision of the Supreme Spiritual Council regarding the resignation of the primate of Armenian French Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church Archbishop Norvan Zakarian’s resignation.
Nurhan Archbishop’s letter notes that the decision left a difficult and unpleasant impression on him. How can the church authority be ignored for the sake of a simple priest? Later on, the Armenian Patriarch of Jerusalem is adding: “If I am not mistaken, the leadership circle of the Bishop Norvan is going to end on upcoming November, and the image-members of the Supreme Spiritual Council can “accept” his resignation then.” Armenian Patriarch of Jerusalem’s letter notes that years after he became sure that His Holiness was more interested in external appearance and the material. The priest also expresses concern that in the atmosphere of fear and threat there can not be a healthy generation, the mother church and the people will suffer, while, according to his formulation, there is more need in advanced and puritan clergymen then heel lickspittles. Nurhan Eminence, as a sign of protest, in his letter to the Catholicos, has informed about his non-participation in the upcoming bishopric conference to be held on September 21-28. The details of the letter and the Holy See comments are pending.
Gohar HAKOBYAN
