ANTELIAS, Lebanon—A statement recently published by the office of information of the Catholicosate of Cilicia informed the public that the Catholicosate will not send representatives to attend church services at the Holy Cross Armenian Church in Turkey on Sept. 19.
The statement read, “In an attempt to convince the European Union and UNESCO that Turkey safeguards the cultural heritage of its occupied lands, the government restored the Holy Cross Armenian Church, but instead of keeping it as a church, transformed it into a museum.”
The Catholicosate condemned this act as “an attempt to obscure its consistent policy of denying the Armenian Genocide and the rights of its survivors.”
In the statement, the Catholicosate “calls upon all nations that advocate human rights to demand accountability from Turkey. The Catholicosate demands that the world community oblige Turkey to acknowledge that both in Western Armenia and Cilicia, occupied by Turkey, more than two thousand Armenian churches and monasteries have either been destroyed or converted into mosques or stables.”
The statement concludes by reaffirming the Catholicosate’s commitment to justice, human rights, and genocide recognition, and by underscoring Turkey’s “obligation to restore of the rights of its survivors.”
Good strong statement from Cilicia. Leadership at last. Glad to see it. Would love to read the entire text of the statement.
PURK EZ DER!
Kudos to His Holiness Aram I, Catholicosate of Cilicia.
The majority of Armenians agree with this decision. The others are playing into the hands of another Turkish propaganda victory and will only realize it after the fact.
Boyajian,
The statement is “don’t you dare go and be a pawn in the Turkish game while the Turks are hard at work with the Jewish and Turkish lobbies trying to block the Armenian Genocide resolution.”
It is about time that the Armenian leaders show some backbone. The Armenian nation is not any lower than the Turks and should negotiate with them as an equal. Equals respect one another and do not patronize or treat each other with contempt. When are the Armenians going to recognize that they are independent and survived centuries in spite of the Turks not because of them?
If Turkish government is serious and this is not a publicity stunt, then they should put the cross back on the dome and give the property back to the Armenian Church, to its rightful owner. Then the Armenians can go to their own house of worship. Until then this is just a charade at best if not an insult.
BRAVO! I nominate Vehapar Aram to be the next President of Armenia — now wouldn’t THAT set into motion a very interesting chain of events!
Thank you Aram Vehapar!!! thank you Catholicosate of Cilicia! Bravo!!!
I think Catholicos Aram should have been the Catholicos of All Armenians, not the present… one
Armenians shouldn’t feel obliged to attend this Turkish show in order to show the world that we legally own that property and land. In all seriousness who else do people think these Churches belonged to? Were Turks at one point Christians? Hardly.
By going Armenians would only help the Turks politicize their theft of our land and property.
If by attending any of you think we are asserting our rights to our property, you are only fooling yourselves. The land and our property do indeed belong to its rightful owners the Armenians. BUT this is NOT a ceremony where the Turks are planning on handing back our assets.
WE WILL BE USED AS BACKDROP.
Oh, great…. hre we go again with our public disunified position. Why is it that we can not work internally to stand united and subordinate our regional positions. I actually like the directness and strenght of the statement, but for those of you worried about Turkish exploitation, here is an opportunity for the Turks… a splintered Armenian church no a issue the church should be leading.
I, for one , am sick of our disuntiy and the real impact it has on our effectiveness. Etchmiadzin says yes and Cilicia says no. So those Armenians who align with the Mother See go one way and those in support of Antelias go the other way. Once again the competitiveness of the two Sees becomes public. Can’t our leaders see the impact of taking clearly differnt positions and the problem it creates…. or it it that they just don’t care. It is sad that this event is not only clouded by the Turkish propaganda issue; but also by disunity within the church itself.
This is not about which position is correct, but why we can’t agree to define who leads and who follows on these issues. The Cilician position would be much more effective if came before Etchmiadzin and the Patriachate commited to participate. Now we just look like a community in turmoil.
On this issue i disagagree with you guys, they should go and enjoy the event.
And people/countries are not stupid, they are not going to look at this event and look at Turkey with approved eyes. I know that everyone is concerned about that.
Let’s not be picky about every little thing, just go and enjoy.
Hye, the Muslim Turks, are using the Armenians, again, another of their PLOYS to fool the world… to believe that the Turk is benevolent – by granting Armenians one day, ONLY – September 19th, to oberve Armenian religious services – in the ancient Armenian church, built before the Turk knew enough to raid the Caucases to steal lands, eliminate lives, to gain the cultures of these peoples…as if their all was from the Turk.
In true Turkish lies, on September 20th,, the Turk’s will publish to the world the Muslim Turks views of what the Turks saw… Turkish inerpretation/lies…
Then the other 364 days our ancient and venerated Holy Cross church shall be the Turkic
museum – for all the tourists of the world seeking to see remnants of a building that was built by the Armenians – the first nation to accept Christianity in 301AD (a few years later followed by the Romans in, I believe, 307AD). Too, historically, in 2010 stolen by Muslim Turks, as is their MO – stealing Armenians’ origins, cultures, churches (used as stables and worse) over all the centuries – always, and into today, always applying their vile and abusive methods against the Armenians!
The Turkish Muslims behave as though it was the Armenians who committed a genocide against the Turkish nation – the Turks are incapable of comprehending – instead, it was the Turkish Genocide of the Armenian nation which took place from the 1890s, the 20th century, and into today, still the 21st century continue to debase the Armenians – for Turkish Genocide of the Armenian nation continues until the gulity Turks are brought to justice – Turks repay all the reparations due and owing over all these years of denials! For until Turks are brought to justice, their Genocide of the Armenian nation continues –
for historically, and before all the world, the Turkish Genocide is fully documented…
Turks pursue in their actions and PLOYs and whatever means they employ, with their USA lobbyists, to abuse and debase Armenians – the victims of the Turkish Genocide of the Armenian Christians!
Manooshag
AMEN!!!!!
Finally some pushback from the Armenian side.. LONG OVERDUE.. It feels soo great to see our leaders, some at least, who decided to stand up to the devil. to have the balls to say .. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH..we are not going to bow down and follow Turkey’s orders…glad that our Catholicos put their foot down..
I wish our spineless President and Prime Minister had the same balls but apparently they are ball-less… because as I see it, our beautiful and ancient country is in dismay, in poor condition, it is ran by mobsters and crooks….it is absolutely sickening to know that our own government will destroy our country by being dishonest, cheats, sell outs, cheap bastards…it is ok, their day will come… sooner or later…..
Bravo Catholicos.. you give hope to all of us who are watching and praying that with unity, with one voice and with courage and backbone we can win and destroy injustice and inhumanity..and receive what we are owed…
Lets see how this will pan out… now that our own Catholicos told Turkey “Shove it” in a very nice way…that Turkey will not have any clergyman at the church.. aka “Turkish museum” as Turkey loves to refer to it…
Gayane
Gayane, I wish that your last statement was true. The Patriarchate in Istanbul and Holy Etchmiadzin have already commited to send clergyman. Unless they are inspired by Aram I ‘s position and back off. I am praying for unity on this from our church. Anything less is an embarassment and open the door for the Turks to exploit us. I can just see it now…. the Turks say that Armenia(Etchmiadzin) and Turkish Armenians support it, but those Armenians of the diaspora(Antelias) are “at it again” We all now that the Turks tried to divide us on the protocol issue by blaming the Armenian diaspora.
Let’s put ego and hierarchy aside(yea right) and unite on this issue. If united, i actually think Aram’s position could carry some leverage. Long shot though because it requires other to back off.
The Turks are testing the waters. They shall reap what they sowed.
I believe STEPAN is correct.I was also hopeful there would have been some “entente” between the two important Eccleciastical Hierarchy.Alas,it was not.It goes to show we are not as yet MIAPAN…in issues that are crucial for our nation.The position that ST.Etchmiadzin has taken is more to the point ,in as much as ,firstly whether hovsep margos or others like it or not thousands of pilgrims are gearred (reserved passage) to go,whether we oppose it or not.Thence,let us be more tactical show the world that these Pilgrims are going to an An Armenian church in occupied land.Moreover even if great Turkey is doing for propaganda purposes,their stance will not change either at ONCE,they take very small steps-probably spurred BY WORLD OPINON against them.In short they are changing in their “Voj” yavash yavash…do not expect Turkey to bend over just by such declarations whether by Antillias or any other Armenian sourc e.Their is their business.We should make the most of it too.If we tottaly boycotted it-an impossibility-since Babiks ,mamiks and Bolsahyes will go, then be it.But think if we did not go,then they would come up to the world media and say Armenians did not take ourextended hand,this is how Armenians are…let us be cautious,like I wrote here on another issue,”suggtesting” not to enter church while Badarag is being conducted IF THEY HAVE HUING AGAIN ATATURK OR TURKISH FLAG ON FACADE,OR EVEN INSIDE..stay ojut and pray in open air.They don´t give thought to such important diplomacy..our BBB´s
Hye, after the Pontic Greeks has their ONE day of releigious rites “allowed” by the Turks
there was a PR release – Turkish inspired, a Turkeys viewpoint of the the event.
Holy Martyrs Church at Aghtamar ONE day of religious rites “allowed” by Turks is scheduled for September 19th. The Turkish PR release by Turks *with/without” our Armenian cross atop Holy Martyrs Church – too, will be the Turk’s interpretation (lies) to the world on September 20th.
Manooshag