Video: Prime Minister and Senior Officials Leave Holy Cathedral Before Service Completion

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, President Vahagn Khachaturyan, and National Assembly Speaker Alen Simonyan, along with other senior officials, left the Mother Cathedral in Echmiadzin before the completion of the Holy Service.

In a video by Sputnik Armenia, officials are seen exiting the Mother Cathedral just as the Catholicos was preparing to descend from the stage to offer the attendees a chance to kiss the Holy Cross and receive the patriarchal blessing.

Despite deep disagreements with the church, representatives of the government, including the Prime Minister, President, and Speaker of the National Assembly, participated in the consecration ceremony of the Mother Cathedral, which is the first of its kind since the 4th century.

Nikol Pashinyan attended the Mother Cathedral along with his wife, Anna Hakobyan, and President Vahagn Khachaturyan.

“To fight against the Holy Echmiadzin means to fight against Armenian identity and existence, to strike at Armenian statehood, and to strip Armenian life of its national and spiritual content,” declared His Holiness Karekin II, Catholicos of All Armenians, during the consecration ceremony of the Mother Cathedral.

“Any step that undermines the mission of Holy Echmiadzin means attempting to weaken our nation, to shake the foundations of independent and sovereign life, which is championed by the Armenian Church. The strong affection and diligent love of the global Armenian community for Holy Echmiadzin solidify our homeland and the unity of our powerful and unbreakable people,” he emphasized.

The consecration of Holy Echmiadzin has been thoughtfully renovated and restored in such a way that it will lead the Armenian people along the path of salvation for centuries, remaining an unshakable rock of our everlasting faith and a magnificent witness to Christian Armenia,” he added.

During today’s consecration ceremony, after his speech, the Catholicos awarded medals to the benefactors of the Mother Cathedral's reconstruction and their wives.

From early morning, there were crowds of people near the entrance of the Mother Cathedral. The security service did not allow citizens to enter the cathedral; entry to Holy Echmiadzin was only by invitation. There were 500 invitees.

It is recalled that the Myron blessing took place on September 28. On September 27, the Door Opening of the Mother Cathedral also occurred, and the columns of the church were consecrated.

The renovation of the Mother Cathedral has been ongoing for a total of 12 years. The first phase involved research and design work, while the second phase included the actual construction work. The Mother Cathedral has been closed to visitors since the end of 2018.

Such extensive renovation work has never taken place before; only in the 1620s during the time of Catholicos Moses of Tatev was there significant renovation work.

The Mother Cathedral of Echmiadzin is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List, and for this reason, every stone and construction material has been selected and agreed upon according to the requirements and standards of UNESCO and Armenian legislation.