Under the presidency of Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II, the Supreme Spiritual Council of the Armenian Apostolic Church, during its last meeting, considered it necessary, in the current conditions of serious government-church crisis, to convene the Episcopal Assembly of the Mother See of the Armenian Apostolic Church in order to examine in detail all the facts of the current unprecedented crisis and to make decisions in response to the latest developments leading to effectively sectarian destructive acts. The Episcopal Conference is also expected to consider and decide on the convening of the National Ecclesiastical Assembly, which, according to the bylaws of the Armenian Apostolic Church, is the supreme authority authorized and obligated to make decisions that, as legal decisions, must be implemented and followed by all structures of the Armenian Church operating in Armenia and the worldwide diaspora.

Unfortunately, the Supreme Spiritual Council has felt obliged to convene this important meeting from February 16 to 19, which under normal conditions should have been convened in the Mother See of Holy Echmiadzin, outside of Armenia, due to the obvious political insecurity prevailing in Armenia. Indeed, the illegal detentions of clergy and some laity by the authorities in recent months – an unprecedented and painful phenomenon in the history of the Armenian people –have created this atmosphere of insecurity, which makes it impossible for participants in this global Assembly of Bishops to undertake a journey to Armenia without exposing themselves to the possibility of illegal detention. This is precisely why it has been decided to convene the Episcopal Assembly in the city of St. Pölten, Austria.

This latest incident is extremely regrettable, for which the current Armenian authorities bear full responsibility. Indeed, it is with the aim of eliminating the serious consequences of the aforementioned insecurity that we recall the just and appropriate demand of the ADL Coordinated Press on or about December 17, in Armenian and English, under the following title: “A Demand for Government to Publicly Guarantee Personal Immunity to Allow Church Assemblies to Resolve Issues.”

Unfortunately, the authorities, consciously or unconsciously, completely ignored this very legitimate demand.

That is why it is now completely unfair and misleading when the authorities, or their acolytes, try to criticize the convening of the Episcopal Assembly outside the Mother See.

On the other hand, it is also worth remembering that not only are there no legal obstacles in our statutes for convening the Supreme Spiritual Council or Episcopal Assemblies outside of Armenia, but, on the contrary, there are precedents.

We wish that the Episcopal Assembly of the Armenian Apostolic Church, which will be convened in Austria from February 16 to 19, will be constructive and productive, despite the current state of extremely unhealthy relations between the government and the church in Armenia, which is unprecedented in our history.

This extremely important church assembly, convened at this serious historical juncture, must reach its conclusion with a conscious victory of a spirit of national unity.

Armenian Democratic Liberal Party (ADLP) Coordinated Press

Azg (Armenia)

Abaka (Canada)

Arev (Egypt)

Zartonk (Lebanon)

Nor Ashkharh (Greece)

Baikar (USA)

Armenian Mirror-Spectator (USA)

Sardarabad (Argentina)