We Express Our Unconditional Loyalty to the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin: Statement of Archbishops and Bishops

We express our unconditional loyalty to the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin and its chosen throne, His Holiness Garegin II, Catholicos of All Armenians, as stated in a declaration by several archbishops and bishops.

“We, the undersigned archbishops and bishops of the Armenian Apostolic Holy Church, express our sonly unconditional loyalty to the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin and its chosen throne, His Holiness Garegin II, Catholicos of All Armenians. We consider any attempt to resolve intra-church matters through political interference, regardless of the justification, as unacceptable and dangerous. All issues related to the governance of the Church and its internal life can and must be resolved brotherly, with a high sense of responsibility befitting the apostolic bishops, through the competent bodies of our Holy Church in accordance with the functioning canonical procedures.

We find the arbitrary omission of the name of the Catholicos during the sacred ceremony of the Divine Liturgy to be intolerable and condemnable, as it constitutes the grossest violation of liturgical norms and contains divisive elements from a theological perspective.

We are confident that the unity and peace of our Holy Church transcend personal, group, or other interests and will be strengthened through the communion of love, truth, and justice, with apostolic encouragement, that says: “I urge you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them” (Romans 16:17).

We are convinced that through the collective efforts of our bishops, we will find effective solutions for the benefit of our Holy Church.

Signed by:
Archbishop Khajag Parsamyan
Archbishop Natan Hovhannisyan
Archbishop Hakob Glnjyan
Archbishop Yeghiaz Nersisyan
Archbishop Vigen Aikazyan
Archbishop Haygazun Najaryan
Archbishop Mikael Azhapyan
Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan
Archbishop Arshak Khachatryan
Bishop Vahan Hovhannisyan
Bishop Hovakim Manukyan
Bishop Tatev Hakobyan
Bishop Ararat Galtagchyan
Bishop Mkrtich Proshyan
Bishop Abgar Hovakimyan
Bishop Markos Hovhannisyan
Bishop Mushegh Babayan
Bishop Narek Berberyan
Bishop Hovnatan Hakobyan
Bishop Daniel Funtigyan
Bishop Tiran Petrosyan
Bishop Mesrop Parsamyan
Bishop Oshakan Kulkulyan
Bishop Aren Shahenyan
Bishop Grigor Khachatryan
Bishop Kirakos Davtyan
Bishop Makar Hakobyan.