The Catholicos' brother and nephew have been illegally detained for nearly 5 months


At the court hearing in the case of the brother of the Catholicos of All Armenians and his son, the lawyers presented Garnik Ghazaryan's application, in which he refutes his previous statement that the Nersisyans hindered the campaign of the Republic party. After the main hearings, the defense lawyers filed a motion to lift the house arrest, but the court left it unchanged.

Holy and Immortal Liturgy was celebrated in the Mother Cathedral under the presiding authority of the Catholicos of All Armenians


The mystery of Advent Sunday was presented in his sermon by Archbishop Arshak Khachatryan. The 6th Sunday of Great Lent is called Advent and reminds the believer of the second coming of Christ. Christ calls his second coming the “Last Day,” “the Day of Judgment,” “the Day of Coming,” “the Day of God’s Wrath.” During the first coming, the Son of God underwent crucifixion and death, but the second coming, according to the Gospel testimonies, will come with awesome power and great glory.

 

Educational reforms or schools being liquidated?


The government is preparing to liquidate 229 schools under the name of “Quality Educational Services”. These schools are mainly located in border communities or remote villages in the mountains and highlands. These schools are mainly the only educational institutions in the communities, and after their closure, children will have to travel more than 12 kilometers in some cases. According to education expert Atom Mkhitaryan, residents of high-mountain villages even plan to have children in the summer so that they can take the newborn to the regional center, so how will the children of these communities go to school? It is also not yet clear who will cover their travel expenses.

The government is liquidating 229 schools on the grounds of poor educational services


According to the September 2023 decree, schools with small numbers of students are to be closed, and children are to be transferred to newly built large schools in other communities. Experts describe this as a “disguised reduction” that is undermining the viability of remote communities. The target is mainly border villages. In Syunik and Shirak alone, almost 100 educational institutions are planned to be closed.

Video recordings examined at court hearing on the case of the brother and nephew of the Catholicos of All Armenians


Attorney Emin Khachatryan drew the court's attention to the factual inconsistencies underlying the accusation. According to the attorney, the prosecution claims that the Nersisyans' car was spotted in the center of the Voskehat village during the campaign, but video footage proves that the car was parked in the yard of the house the entire time. The next hearing, which will take place on March 23, is scheduled to question Gevorg and Hambardzum Nersisyans.

Farewell to Archbishop Sargsyan of Tatev at St. Gayane Monastery


A Divine Liturgy was served, during which the last rites of consecration were performed. During the ceremony, Archbishop Shahan anointed the forehead and right hand of the deceased clergyman. In the Armenian Church, the last rites of consecration are performed only for ordained clergymen. Under the leadership of the Catholicos of All Armenians, the clergy of the Armenian Church paid their respects and bid farewell to the devoted clergyman, sending him off to eternal rest in the 85th year of his life.

 

Judgement Sunday: Liturgy at the Mother See


This Sunday in the series of Sundays of Great Lent is called the Sunday of the Unjust Judge. The meaning of the day is summed up in the parable of the unjust judge. The fifth Sunday of the Unjust Judge is named after the parable of the unjust judge and the widow, mentioned in the 18th chapter of the Gospel of Luke, which Jesus told the people. The next Sunday, March 22, is Advent Sunday. The clergy will go to the gospel passages concerning the second coming of Christ.

Residents of Kuchak participated in the Rest service at the Holy Mother of God Church


During Lent, each of the clergy of the Aragatsotn diocese holds Liturgies, rituals, and services in his pastoral area. With the blessing of Bishop Proshyan, they gather once a week for joint prayer. Priests from the Artik diocese joined in prayer at the Holy Mother of God Church in Kuchak.

 

The court examined the case of Stepan Asatryan vs. the Armenian Apostolic Holy Church


Defrocked priest Stepan Asatryan is challenging the patriarchal decree of the Catholicos of All Armenians to declare him defrocked. Ara Zohrabyan has argued that this case cannot be examined within the jurisdiction of the court, since the parties are not in a working relationship with each other. The lawyer also noted that he will do everything to hold the judge accountable.

Lent involves not only a life of prayer, but also work


Hundreds of faithful and priests gathered at the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin under the leadership of His Holiness Karekin II, the Patriarch of All Armenians

There is no illegal element in the intercepted conversations in the Holy Struggle case


At the court hearing in the Sacred Struggle case, the defense team recorded that in the wiretapped conversations, the struggle members talked about organizing peaceful protests. Hovhannes Khudoyan emphasized that the struggle members discussed that the issue should be resolved politically in parliament. The defense team announced that they are going to request an investigation into the recordings published by the Investigative Committee to substantiate the purpose of spreading false information and discrediting the struggle members.

 

Defense attorney in the “Holy Struggle” case filed a report on data falsification


Hovhannes Khudoyan filed a report to the Prosecutor General regarding data falsification, falsification of evidence during criminal proceedings, and the use of this false evidence. According to him, months ago he had informed the prosecutor’s office about the falsification of the evidence regarding the “gunshot” incident, which had received widespread criticism, by presenting the real story. The prosecutor’s office was given the opportunity to ensure the process of holding the falsified individuals accountable before the evidence examination stage. However, according to the lawyer, the prosecutors not only did not proceed with the matter, but also continued to circulate the false evidence in recent court hearings.