STATEMENT
June 27 of this year will be remembered in the modern history of our people as a day of national shame, due to the disgraceful actions carried out by the authorities of Armenia against the Armenian Church and the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin.
Under the pretext of a criminal case fabricated on false grounds, law enforcement officers entered the grounds of the Mother See to arrest and forcibly summon His Eminence Archbishop Mikael Ajapahyan, Primate of the Shirak Diocese.
At the same time, the entrances to the Mother See were blocked by a large deployment of forces, disrupting the normal life of the spiritual center of the entire Armenian nation. Artificial obstacles, including inspections, were also imposed on those traveling to Vagharshapat and Holy Etchmiadzin.
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We strongly condemn these anti-church actions and regard them not only as an insult and desecration of the Holiest of Holies — the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin — but also as a grave offense against the spiritual feelings of the faithful.
As evident from the rhetoric of the Prime Minister and other government representatives, this premeditated operation is yet another expression of the ruling power’s church-hating policy. It is unimaginable that the authorities of our own country would deliver such a treacherous blow to the most ancient national institution of the Armenian people — the Armenian Apostolic Holy Church — an offense that even foreign rulers of the past never dared commit.
We call upon the sons and daughters of our nation to continue standing with unwavering devotion alongside the Mother Church and to pray for the radiance of Holy Etchmiadzin and for peace in our homeland. The clergy, together with our faithful children, will be present at the offices of the Investigative Committee and the courts in solidarity with Archbishop Mikael Ajapahyan.
We expect a just judicial decision.
The Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin will use all lawful means to defend the rights of the Church and the clergy.
Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin
