I Remain Committed to Coming to the Homeland to Lead Armenia Out of the Difficult Situation: Catholicos Aram I

The Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia has issued a statement: "It is a shame, a thousand times a shame, for our beloved Homeland—Armenia—to be in such a grave and anti-national atmosphere. Unfortunately, the Armenian language lacks sufficient words to describe my pain and outrage. Especially the recently revealed atmosphere surrounding our nation's two nation-building and homeland-building institutions—the Holy Etchmiadzin and the National Assembly—is deeply shameful and condemnable for me.

Indeed, any nation, church, or organization's life may have errors, omissions, polarizations, and confrontations, but these must be addressed through specific processes and in a calm atmosphere to arrive at appropriate solutions.

For nearly six years, I have, unfortunately, not visited my Homeland. Over the past few days, I thought long and hard about coming to Armenia to help calm this tempest at least to some extent. However, the ongoing low-level expressions through the National Assembly, social networks, and elsewhere, which disparage our moral, spiritual, and national values, as well as the arrests being made, do not encourage me to direct my steps toward the Homeland.

Nonetheless, I remain ever committed to coming to the Homeland at any time to consult with Catholicos Karekin II, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, and other responsible officials, so that we can seek the most suitable solutions to lead Armenia out of the difficult situation it currently faces."