It is beyond doubt that a defrocked priest celebrating a liturgy is an act of hooliganism and sacrilege. Taking part in such a liturgy is just as disgraceful. How we have reached the point of a “fake liturgy,” how such a thing has become possible in Armenia, how believers tolerate it and even express willingness to participate — that is a separate and lengthy subject for discussion. The reasons are many and not only domestic; perhaps volumes will be written about it one day.
But the immediate political context is more than clear: this is a shameless provocation aimed at aggravating tensions and deepening divisions within society. Naturally, there will be thousands — perhaps tens of thousands — of people who will want to belong to a “Pashinyan Church.” Yet there are just as many who, like me, will continue to remain faithful to our traditional 1,700-year-old institution, regardless of how they feel about the current Catholicos or the bishops.
In any civilized country, the police would have prohibited such an illegal gathering in a consecrated church — let them meet wherever they wish, even in a sports and concert complex, and perform their own “liturgy.” But since this event is being provoked, encouraged, and, in essence, organized by the country’s prime minister, the “fake liturgy” will naturally take place, and some people will “receive communion” from a defrocked former priest — now a layman — aligned with Pashinyan.
The main objective is to pit the supporters and opponents of this event against each other — if not physically, then on social platforms. This serves several purposes: to divert public attention from the Turkish projects being carried out in Armenia, to intensify internal hatred and hostility, and to deliver yet another blow to the Armenian Apostolic Church. The ultimate goal is to weaken the state, whose stability rests chiefly on unity — especially in matters of faith. A normal government would promote such unity, whereas Armenia’s current authorities are working in the opposite direction.
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The only thing we can and must do is to resist this provocation — not only by avoiding physical confrontation with supporters of the “Pashinyan Church,” but also by showing as much love and tolerance as possible toward our misguided compatriots.
And God, I assure you, sees everything.
Aram ABRAHAMYAN
