Message from His Holiness Karekin II, Catholicos of All Armenians

His Holiness Karekin II, Catholicos of All Armenians, has sent a message on the occasion of the Feast of the Nativity and Theophany of our Lord Jesus Christ. We present it below.

"In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.

“The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light; and for those who sat in the region and shadow of death, light has dawned” (Matthew 4:16).

Dear faithful people,

Today, once again, the angelic message of the Nativity is echoing in our churches and families. Together we glorify our Lord and Savior, Who was born and came into the world for our salvation. “The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light; and for those who sat in the region and shadow of death, light has dawned.” The Evangelist compares the Birth of the Son of God to the arrival of light.

Indeed, “a great and marvelous counsel.” The eternal God came into the mortal world. The Creator of the infinite universe was enclosed in human flesh, He who sits upon the heavenly throne was born in a small and humble cave. Nations were called to cast off sin, to rise from the darkness of death, and to become heirs of eternity. “God became man so that man may become divine,” teach the Holy Fathers of the Church. Truly, the incarnation of God was the beginning of the purification, sanctification, and divinization of man.

Beloved ones, straying from this path shown by Christ makes the world a theater of injustice, misery, and misfortunes, plunging into the darkness of delusions, leading to the deformation of personal and social life, the distortion and destruction of values, manifestations of which we also see in our reality. Today, faith and trust towards each other are weakening in our lives, disrespectful and impulsive behavior is perceived as courage, freedom of speech is countered with intolerance to dissent, and debate turns into insults and slanders, while public benefit, national and patriotic service is subordinated to personal and group interests.

Our Holy Church continues to be subjected to violence. This situation is a serious blow to the reputation of our nation and state and a deep wound inflicted on communities and believers. Despite illegal and rule-breaking actions, our Holy Church remains steadfast and unshakable with its pious people, faithful to its divine calling and mission. The Armenian Church is holy and sanctifying, founded through the preaching of our Lord Jesus Christ's apostles, Saint Thaddeus and Saint Bartholomew, as “a mansion of men, a dwelling of angels, and a house of God.” Our Apostolic Mother Church has faced numerous attacks, endured terrible tribulations and sufferings throughout history, has been martyred, but has never become a captive of despair, for it understood that true freedom and salvation lie in obedience to Christ and reliance on Him.

Life with Christ is filled with love and mercy, nobility and justice. Christ is the way from darkness to light, from sin to holiness. The Lord is always faithful to save from confusions and collapses sinful humanity, for as the prophet Ezekiel declares, God does not desire the death of a sinner, but that he turns from his wicked way and live (18:23). Through Christ, a path of return and renewal opens before us.

According to the apostles’ words, the Savior is our living stone who can keep us firm (cf. 1 Peter 2:4, Romans 14:24) amidst the turmoils of a troubled world. It is through the saving power of the Son of God that horror, death, and destruction recede, and with the Holy Birth of the Savior, light shines upon those who sit in the region and shadow of death.

Dear faithful believers, the angelic message of the Nativity and the light of the Bethlehem star is today also an invitation to all people to transform their lives with trust in God, to establish peace in the world and good among people. Listening to this heavenly message, let us live and act with the Lord in all our endeavors, through our diligent and complete service for the safe and prosperous course of personal, family, and national life. Let us be determined to uphold legality, to reject injustice and arbitrariness, hatred and revenge, which severely damage and undermine our state and national potentials.

Before us lies the path to the Lord, to heavenly gifts and eternity. It is through the fulfillment of divine messages that our people will overcome the darkness of sufferings and, according to the evangelist’s word, light will dawn in our lives, on our way to overcome our troubles and misfortunes. Therefore, like the open-hearted shepherds and wise Magi, let us unhesitatingly worship the newborn Jesus and open our hearts to welcome the incarnate Son of God.

Let us be diligent in transforming with the gifts given by the Savior, so that as Christ was born and became the Son of man, we too may truly walk as sons of God, as per the apostle’s word: “But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive adoption as sons” (Galatians 4:4-5).

Let us remain faithful to this greatest gift given to us by God, and with new achievements pleasing to God, let us build our safe and secure present and the bright future of generations.

With the joyful message of the Nativity, we convey our greetings to the leaders of our Holy Church’s Episcopal Sees: His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of Cilicia, His Eminence Archbishop Nourhan Manougian, Patriarch of Jerusalem for Armenians, and His Eminence Archbishop Sahak Mashalian, Patriarch of Constantinople for Armenians.

In Christ's love, we greet the leaders of sister churches, asking for the support of the incarnate Savior in their divinely honored mission. We extend our patriarchal blessing and best wishes to the entire clergy of our Holy Church and all our faithful people at home and abroad.

On this hopeful day of the Feast of the Nativity and Theophany, let us raise our prayer to our Lord the Savior, asking that peace may prevail throughout the world, that our homeland may be strengthened in security and prosperity, and that our people may thrive in welfare. We beseech for the steadfastness and strength of spirit of our displaced Armenian children in Artsakh and for the restoration of their violated rights. Let us pray for the souls of our soldiers who defend our homeland, for the rest of our heroic sons who fell for their homeland, and for the consolation of their parents and loved ones. Let us pray for the unjustly imprisoned clergy, national benefactors, and devoted sons, as well as for our children who are missing and in captivity.

May our life remain bright under the protection of the Holy Hand of the Most High, adorned with faithful good deeds, and may we glorify with joy the incarnate Savior our Lord today and always and forever. Amen.

Christ was born and revealed, to you and us a great message,” says the address of Karekin II, Catholicos of All Armenians.