The Image of the Judge: From the Holy Scriptures to Mkhitar Gosh


A meeting-lecture dedicated to Judge's Sunday was organized by the initiative of the spiritual pastor and parishioners of the Dashtavan Holy Mother of God Church. Candidate of Legal Sciences, attorney Ruben Melikyan gave a lecture on the topic "Mkhitar Vardapet Gosh in Search of a Just Judge." According to him, the Code of Law is a judicial guide that has helped shape systematic judicial practice for centuries, covering civil, criminal, family, and church law.

Israeli missile attack approaches Beirut's Armenian neighborhood, Burj Hammoud


Armenian charitable organizations operate in Lebanon, but according to Vigen Avagyan, director of the Armenian radio station "Voice of Van", if the war is prolonged or intensifies, a humanitarian disaster will begin in the country. According to official data, there are up to two million people in Beirut, about fifty thousand Armenians live there. Lebanon is the most vibrant and important community not only in the Middle East, but also in the entire Armenian Diaspora.

 

An eventful week at a glance


With the blessing of the Primate of the Armenian Diocese of Georgia, two groups of Tbilisi Armenian believers left for a pilgrimage to the holy places of Lori region. On February 27, an evening service was held in the Armenian rite in the Vatican's St. Peter's Basilica on the occasion of the feast of St. Gregory of Narek. From March 6 to 8, the youth of the Armenian Apostolic Church participated in a three-day gathering in the Netherlands

Archbishop Arshak Khachatryan, the head of the Mother See, has been released


By the decision of the Court of Appeal, the preliminary detention was replaced with administrative supervision. The priest is prohibited from leaving the territory of Vagharshapat and is prohibited from having contact with witnesses in the case. He has been in solitary confinement since December 4. He has been charged with illegal drug trafficking with prior consent, although no evidence has been presented to date regarding the alleged crime.

The Catholicos’ decrees have legal force for the Armenian Apostolic Church


The basis for the defrocking of Bishop Gevorg Saroyan was the transgressions of the former bishop. The Catholicos’ decrees are a source of church law, along with the rules of the ecumenical and local councils, as well as the canons. That is, the decisions of the Catholicos are binding on the entire church. Only he can anoint the myron. Only by his hands are bishops ordained. He convenes church councils, appoints or confirms diocesan leaders. He also has the right to punish transgressing clergy.
 

The New Rituals of the Armenian Church


In the fourth century, during the patriarchate of Karekin II, the ritual life of the Armenian Church was enriched. Under the direction of His Holiness, new orders and ceremonies were established in the church calendar. They gradually became an integral part of church life. Karekin II, the Catholicos of All Armenians, by establishing new orders of spiritual worship, continues the work of the patriarchs of the Armenian Church.

The Mother See Expresses Its Support for the Hostages of Artsakh’s State Figures


The Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin has responded to the illegal trial being held in Baku and the court’s verdict, which sentenced Artsakh’s military and political figures to life or long-term imprisonment. The Mother See has reaffirmed its commitment to consistently exert efforts through its structures around the world on international and inter-church platforms to secure the release of the captured Armenians and their return to their homeland.
 

Catholicos of Cilicia Aram I addressed the US Vice President regarding the issue of prisoners held in Baku


Aram I reminded James Vance that international law clearly emphasizes the importance of releasing prisoners of war and protecting spiritual and cultural monuments. The Catholicosate of Cilicia reported that the letter has already been delivered to the US Vice President. James Vance will visit Armenia and Azerbaijan next week.

Defrocked Arman Saroyan Sues Mother See and Fails to Appear in Court


Former Primate of the Masyatsotn Diocese, defrocked Arman Saroyan, has filed a lawsuit against the Armenian Apostolic Holy Church, demanding that the Patriarchal Decree of Catholicos of All Armenians Garegin II on his dismissal from the position of Primate of the Masyatsotn Diocese be declared invalid and that he be reinstated in his position. The Mother See’s lawyer emphasized that a secular court and judge cannot interfere in the internal affairs of the church, as this is enshrined in the state law of Armenia, as well as in the norms of international law. Therefore, such a dispute is not subject to examination in court in a civil proceeding.

 

Georgian Armenians hold rally in support of Armenian Apostolic Church


The Armenian community in Georgia has stated that when clergymen speak out, they are met with humiliation and arrest. When the Catholicos of All Armenians defends the cultural heritage of Artsakh on international platforms, he is accused of revanchism. Georgian Armenians believe that this is not a coincidence, but a deliberate policy to weaken the collective resistance of the Armenian people and devalue the essence of the nation-state.
 

Los Angeles Armenian Community Holds Protest in Defense of Mother See


Representatives of the Los Angeles Armenian community held a protest outside the Burbank Prelacy of Saints Ghevondians Church in defense of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin and the Patriarch of All Armenians, as well as against Archbishop Hovnan Terterian, the Primate of the Armenian Western Diocese of the United States. They demanded answers from the Primate of the Diocese and the Diocesan Council for siding with those persecuting the Church.
 

Clergymen under ban from absenteeism to participate in the Bishops’ Assembly remotely


At the invitation of Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II, the Bishops’ Assembly will be held in the Austrian city of Sankt Pölten on February 16-19. The authorities have imposed a ban on six bishops and an archbishop, members of the Supreme Spiritual Council, from being absent from the country. Remote participation cannot pose a problem in terms of legitimacy and challenging the decisions made.