STATEMENT
Of the Clergymen of the Armenian Diocese of Canada
Regarding the Falsification of Cultural and Historical Heritage by Azerbaijan
“But let justice roll down like waters,
and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.”
Amos 5:24
April 12, 2025
We, the clergymen of the Armenian Diocese of Canada, express our deep concern and unequivocal condemnation of the ongoing attempts by the Republic of Azerbaijan to falsify the cultural, historical, and religious heritage of the Armenian people, particularly in the region of Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh).
Our dismay is especially deepened by the recent international conference entitled “Christianity in Azerbaijan: History and Modernity”, held on April 10, 2025, at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome. This event, organized in partnership with the Embassy of Azerbaijan to the Holy See, presented a distorted and revisionist narrative that actively erases the Armenian Christian legacy in Artsakh and promotes a state-sponsored campaign of cultural appropriation.
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We regret that such a conference—devoid of academic integrity and lacking the presence of authentic scholarly or ecclesiastical voices—was permitted to take place within the sacred academic walls of one of the Catholic Church’s most respected institutions. To offer a platform for the denial of truth and the dissemination of politically motivated falsehoods contradicts the very mission of the Church and the academy: to uphold truth, promote justice, and protect the sacred.
The Armenian Christian presence in the region stretches back over 1,700 years. It is a sacred and living tradition—manifested in the thousands of churches, monasteries, khachkars (cross-stones), and manuscripts that have adorned the landscape of Artsakh. Yet in recent decades, and with accelerated aggression since the 2020 war and the 2023 military offensive, Azerbaijani authorities have sought to erase this presence entirely.
Azerbaijan now promotes the false claim that the ancient churches on its territory belong to an extinct “Caucasian Albanian Church”—a fabrication that lacks credible scholarly support and serves no purpose other than to sever Armenian heritage from its rightful origin. These actions are not merely offensive—they are violations of cultural rights, breaches of international heritage protections, and grave moral transgressions.
We join our voices with those of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin and all people of conscience in denouncing this latest act of cultural revisionism. We call on academic institutions, religious leaders, and international bodies to resist the instrumentalization of education and interfaith dialogue for political gain, and to reaffirm their commitment to historical truth and the protection of sacred heritage.
Truth must not be sacrificed at the altar of convenience. Silence in the face of injustice is complicity. And we, as servants of Christ and heirs to an ancient apostolic tradition, will continue to stand firm in defending the dignity of our faith, our people, and our heritage.
May peace be rooted in truth, and may justice prevail where falsehood seeks to reign.
The Clergy of the Armenian Diocese of Canada
