Mikael Archbishop Responds to Alen Simonyan

This current government differs from its predecessors in its attitude and expressions towards the clergy, noted Mikael Archbishop Ajapahyan, the head of the Shirak Diocese, in a conversation with NEWS.am.

In response to the remark that government officials argue that clergy are involved in politics and should respond with political language, Ajapahyan commented, "They are making a mistake; they are not responding to us with political language; they are insulting us by using our civilian name, which we have not forgotten. My biography is significant enough that someone recently born would remember me by a name with which they have never had any connection and could never have had."

Addressing the statement made by National Assembly President Alen Simonyan that the Catholicos is a servant of the believers, he is not a saint or a king, Mikael Archbishop said, "It is simply interesting to know what feeds that young man, who is so 'smart.' Saying 'the Vicar is a servant of the people' carries two meanings. We are servants of the people; we serve the nation, but in a certain sense, we are not servants of the people. God serves us, providing everything, but God is not a servant of humanity. Serving does not mean being a servant. Yes, we serve the Armenian people, but we are not their servants, let alone their slaves. Yes, we serve Armenia and the Armenian people, we do not serve anybody else, unlike them, who serve Azerbaijan and Turkey. Whoever wishes to make us serve shall face the consequences. We serve willingly, but no one has been born in the Armenian reality that will make us serve them. Most certainly, we will not become servants of these semi-illiterates."