Have our spiritual leaders lost their moral compass?

[bell-the-cat]

Re: Have our spiritual leaders lost their moral compass?

The Armenian Church is Held Hostage by Its Hierarchy: Part 2

Vosgan Mekhitarian
HETQ. October 21, 2013

http://hetq.am/eng/opinion/30136/the-armenian-church-is-held-hostage-by-its-hierarchy-part-2.html

Let us consider for a moment the letter of protest by the Patriarch of Jerusalem, His Beatitude Archbishop Nourhan Manougian—addressed to his Holiness Karekin II—and its impact on the psyche of the clergy.

According to historical accounts, the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem was established almost at the same time as the Mother See Holy Etchmiadzin. The Patriarchate had its own special position as ecclesiastical/spiritual center in the Hierarchy of the Armenian Church. In an environment, frequently hostile to Armenians, it was able to retain its preeminent position among all other Christian denominations, and because of the politically favorable conditions, was able to become a fortress of enlightenment where our church traditions were kept safe.

However, under ne-political conditions, the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem is struggling to keep its own traditions, independence and identity, and is ill-prepared to guide new generations of priests.

Today, as a nation, we live under tragic conditions. Our laissez-faire approach to addressing issues and solving problems within our communities puts us face to face with very serious dangers such as dysfunction, corruption, and ultimately, the loss of identity. Unfortunately, however, we have no grasp of these dangers. The theatrical performance of our clergy has found more ground in our hearts than in understanding of the laws, which are the foundations of a healthy church.

Let us examine and understand these laws.

•The law of the jungle--a place where there are no principles, other than “might makes right”.
•The law of nature - inherent balance and regularity between all living entities in nature.
•The law of the mob - where the accused is judged by the mob and not in a court of law, and is summarily sentenced to death.
•The constitution - the law that governs the relationship between the government and its citizens.
•International laws - those that govern the relationships between countries and define their duties to each other.
•Civil law - body of laws which sanction the supreme authority of the state.
•Criminal laws - hose enacted to preserve the public order by defining offenses against the state and public, and imposing a penal sanctions.
Furthermore, there is another incomprehensible and unacceptable condition in life whereby man impugns all laws and creates his own scheme of rationalizations to impose his will upon all others.

Having looked at the various types of law that govern the human condition, how should one regard the relationship between the Holy See of Etchmiadzin and the Patriarchate of Jerusalem? We maintain the public be the judge.

Before analyzing Nourhan Patriarch’s letter of protest, it is important to pay attention to the sentiments and discontent of our readers, i.e., that the relationship between the two patriarchates of Jerusalem and Istanbul is in a state of discord. During the last Jerusalem patriarchal elections, Catholicos Kareken II attempted to interfere and manipulate the situation but was thwarted.

Furthermore, while late Torkom Patriarch was the Locum tenant in Etchmiadzin, he attested to the corruption of the Nersisyan clan and was courageous enough to express his opinions and make recommendations, which were not cordially received by Archbishop Karekin Nersisyan and his clan.

Let’s return to the protest letter dated August 3, 2013, and analyze the impetus for Nourhan Patriarch to officially pen and submit such a letter.

Foremost, the letter was written in a brotherly spirit, a letter addressed to his big brother, Catholicos Karekin the II.

Second was the final decision of the Supreme Religious Council to accept Archbishop Norvan’s resignation from his post as Primate of France. The non-elected and irresponsible members of the Religious Council, did not have the courage and integrity to question His Holiness Karekin the II and under duress and pressure, took the degrading decision to accept the resignation of Archbishop Norvan. What would they think if, instead of Archbishop Norvan, one of them had their own integrity questioned and their spineless “brothers” took such a heartless decision? They would probably curse the day they joined the ranks of the clergy.

It is understandable and only just that a brother should be able to advice his older brother to be lenient and considerate of another brother, even though there are some misunderstandings, and that the latter deserves punishment commensurate with his transgression. But in a situation like this, where there is injustice perpetrated, it is unconscionable to stand by and let a brother be sacrificed and become the target of vengeance. After mentioning in his letter that the decision was “unacceptable and unjust”, Patriarch Nourhan suggests that his Holiness should act with forgiveness towards his younger brothers.

“ Two years ago you tried to convince Torkom Patriarch to elect Co-adjutor and when Archbishop Aris Shirvanian objected saying that there is no such Article in the Jerusalem Patriarchal constitution, you were furious and declared ‘I will defrock all of you’, and furthermore you repeated the same to me and my answer was ‘Is this how you will threaten every one? Don’t you know anything else’?”

It is very likely that this threat has seriously affected all members of the Jerusalem Patriarchate. Indeed it is very sad, but it reflects a reality, a reality that is unlawful, unjust and non-Christian, and unfortunately this kind of behavior is practiced in both Catholicosates--Etchmiadzin and Antelias.

The last piece of advice given by Nourhan Patriarch, where he says that “it is impossible to bring up and prepare a healthy- minded new generation of clergy under pressure and dictatorship”, is a sad commentary on the state of affairs in the church, which is not only widely expressed in the general newspapers, but is also expressed by members of the clergy, who are currently suffocated and muzzled under the dictatorship of the Catholicos.

The bishops that participated in the conference, especially those who grew up in the Jerusalem Patriarchate, knew all these facts, but did not have the courage to bring this subject up for discussion at the Bishops’ conference. What will the young generation of clergy think? One can only shudder to imagine what the impact of that letter will be on the psyche of the clergy.

Some people adhere to the belief that such subjects should not be discussed openly. We disagree completely. It is time to address all issues openly and publicly if we are to believe that the Armenian Church should be governed democratically–of, by, and for the people.

The Armenian Church is becoming dictatorial institution, ignoring all democratic laws and canons. Even though there is a small contingent of humble clergy that opposes these unjust practices, they do not have the power to voice their opinions, and regrettably, are relegated to self-imposed isolation.

Do we have to constantly reiterate this one indisputable truth: that the Armenian Church is the sole force that led our nation throughout the troubled years when we lost our political independence? The Armenian Church molded the spiritual character of our nation and kept our identity in tact to parallel the exercise of our political powers.

Although this is the sad reality of our times, we should, nevertheless, declare openly that some leaders are hesitant to uphold our religious constitution by criticizing the lifestyles of corrupted clergy and admonish them to stay within the boundaries of their vows.

The ultimate authority in the Armenian Church is the Catholicos, who is obligated to uphold the constitution down to its very detail. The absence of such practice is an insult to democracy and the sacred rights of the Armenian people.

(to be continued)

[bell-the-cat]

Re: Have our spiritual leaders lost their moral compass?

The Armenian Church is Held Hostage by Its Hierarchy: Part 1

Vosgan Mekhitarian
HETQ. October 6, 2013

http://hetq.am/eng/opinion/29854/the-armenian-church-is-held-hostage-by-its-hierarchy-part-1.html

Unfortunately, the Armenian Apostolic Church is held hostage in the hands of its hierarchy - the Catholicos, archbishops, and bishops.

The most recent Synod conference, which took place in Etchmiadzin from September 24 -27 of this year, was utterly disappointing. Even though we were not enthusiastic about the agenda and had no high expectations for the reformation of the church, we were, nevertheless, hopeful that, at the least, this bishops’ conference would address the most crucial subjects and issues facing the Armenian Church today.

It has been several decades since we last saw such a comprehensive congregation of bishops convened to discuss long-standing issues and pertinent challenges emerging from the modern world. How could they neglect to take advantage of such a momentous opportunity to discuss —at a minimum—the fractious nature of the Armenian Apostolic Church and explore all means for its unification?

The topics and issues discussed were clearly secondary and non-essential in nature, especially in light of overwhelming evidence of internal corruption - from top to bottom - not to mention any number of unresolved issues pertaining to the hierarchy of the church. Specifically, matters of urgent ecclesiastic attention and critical social issues of concern to the public, manifested by the widespread outcry in all media worldwide, were notably absent from the agenda and discourse.

Moreover, keeping in mind that no serious preliminary studies were conducted prior to the conference to set a reformative agenda - or even one that was cognizant of current issues - it appears that the bishops had come to Etchmiadzin for purposes other than tackling the burning questions that are consuming an increasingly dissatisfied public.

How have we arrived at this conclusion? Here are some facts that provide the rationale for our reasoning:

First, let’s examine the two main topics of the conference agenda. These were discussed, with pro and con opinions aired, and a final declaration was formulated, which, in turn, was published in the official website of the Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia as well as in many newspapers.

1. The conference decided to adopt a measure leading to the collective canonization of all Armenians who perished during the Armenian Genocide (1915-1923.) The Synod has directed to formulate a special committee to study individual and collective canonization issues, and to present their findings at the next Synod. Also, the committee has been tasked with drafting a canonization procedure for subsequent submissions.

It is inconceivable that in the 21st century the clergy of the Armenian Apostolic Church does not have procedures and rituals of canonization in place, similar to those of the Catholic and Greek and Russian Orthodox Churches. Thus, it begs the question: How do you canonize millions of people as saints when you don’t have a solid foundation of precepts whereby to establish sainthood. In addition, was it really necessary to assemble 62 of the highest ranking clergy just to realize that there are no canons in place to determine sainthood?

That said, we should not approach this issue either lightly or superficially. There are serious theological and political implications associated with this matter. After all, Armenians throughout the world consider those who perished in the Genocide as saintly. However, the individual and/or collective canonization of those who were massacred presents ambiguous and insoluble dilemmas: a person who is to be canonized, must first be witnessed by living members of the church; then, it must be established that the person was indeed a devoted Christian—and martyred in the name of Christ, and lastly, that miracles were observed after his or her death.

2. The next issue was the sacraments of Holy Baptism and Confirmation, and the moral-instructive guidelines of Holy Baptism. The Liturgical Committee was assigned to further continue their work. Also the language of Armenian Church services was discussed. All these issues have been addressed in the past locally in every Diocese or Prelacy, introducing, unilaterally in many instances, vernacular Armenian - sometimes even non-Armenian languages - in certain parts of the liturgy.

As we read on the web site of the Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia, the sessions of September 27 were devoted to the modern challenges facing the Armenian Church. On September 26, 2013, Thursday morning, according to a participant eyewitness, His Holiness Aram I loudly declared to the participating bishops: “The public expects something from this conference. We (Karekin II and I) have nothing specific on our minds. Bring us your suggestions by tomorrow morning.” And my source concluded: “Imagine if newspaper correspondents were here. What would they write about Catholicoi who had no specific agenda in their mind for a very important and unique Synod conference?”

As delineated by Aram I, the bishopric Synod is convened “to pray together, to think together, and seek avenues to reform the Armenian Church with serious and affirmative means”. Hence, was the above declaration the sum total of the outcome of the conference? Was the end result a set of flashy declarations about the Synod, and nothing else? Where are the crucial issues that trouble our church and our people? How will the church renew and reform itself, when we are not courageous enough to talk about issues that threaten the stability of a church that precipitates in the downfall of moral values, xxxxxles on human rights issues, ignores a national identity crisis, and imperils the family structure and the value of love.

Our expectations are neither unreasonable nor unobtainable. All we need is to have the courage to see and approach our weaknesses critically. Unfortunately, within the last fifty years and more, all we have witnessed is the church hierarchy giving lip service to critical issues, much like the repetitive crashing of waves on shore to only vanish with no trace.

There was no need to revive Nerses Catholicos of Ishkhan from the 7th century to illustrate the turmoil in our church today. On a daily basis, the Armenian people are witnessing the dark realities of the church and the lifestyle of corrupted, business-minded clergy. There is no need to look for excuses anymore by claiming that the church’s internal problems are the result of Soviet era politics, in order to justify the decadent and effete lifestyle of the clergy. Haven’t the past 22 years of independence been enough time to correct our mistakes?

Catholicos Karekin II claims that if there are so many unresolved issues and problems in the Armenian Church, it is because of the absence of canons and a constitution, lying at the root of our misunderstandings. On the contrary, we affirm that the church has canons and a constitution in place, but the clergy, who has the duty to implement them, prefers to act as a totalitarian government, as a result of which we witness unconstitutional, unreasonable defrocking of priests, to name but one issue.

One cannot understand why the Synod did not address the most crucial issues that threaten the stability of the church’s foundation, the threats that are related to the internal life of the church and the collective and private lives of our people. Why is it that no one from the participating clergy addressed the following issues?

•The letter of protest of the Patriarch of Jerusalem, His Beatitude Archbishop Nourhan Manougian—addressed to his Holiness Karekin II—and the impact of that letter on the psyche of the clergy.
•The resignation letter of the Primate of France, His Eminence Archbishop Norvan Zakarian and the impact of that letter on the psyche of the coming generation of the clergy.
•The illegal election of the Supreme Council of the Armenian Church in Holy Etchmiadzin.
•The re-evaluation of the spiritual mission of the clergy and the requirement to abstain from involvement in secular businesses.
•How to revitalize the spiritual life of the church and reflect it in the daily lives of ordinary people. In other words, the issue of being the guiding light and spiritual compass of the people.
•To stay away from all secular wealth and to focus on, and to understand and heal the spiritual wounds of the people.
•The church, as a “hospital-in-the-battlefield,” needs to heal the wounds of its soldiers and to reassure the hearts of the faithful and give them hope for the future.
•The church has to develop an appropriate standpoint regarding gender issues, specifically as it relates to women and their place in the daily life of the church. The church cannot subsist without a comprehensive understanding of women and their role in it.
•The most crucial issue of celibacy of the clergy (the quasi-married status (legal/non legal) of high-ranking clergy). A solution needs to be found to end this nefarious practice.
•The covert and surreptitious practice of homosexuality in the church.
•The church must have a clear stand regarding abortions and must articulate it unambiguously, as they have direct implications for the survival of our nation.
In the future, we will evaluate and analyze individually issues that are mentioned here and we will suggest reasonable solutions.

Please do not exploit our devotion and faith in the Armenian Church. If these conditions are not corrected, in all likelihood, they will create further disunity and discord, thus threatening the existence of our nation.

(To be continued)

[hagopn]

Re: Have our spiritual leaders lost their moral compass?

Although the system is open to abuse and frequently abused, I have come across some really dedicated clergy.

Fortunately it is not difficult to realise pretty quickly who is what.

They certainly do not enjoy my trust and respect automatically because they wear the cloth.

As a general rule, what few interview of the genocide survivors that I had done revealed was precisely that the average Kahana had to earn his keep in the rural environment. For one thing, reputation in small social groups are more permanently tainted, and the Kahana of the village was not an assigned post, but an inherited post "elected" as such in the traditional sense: i.e. the most trust fellow in the village would earn that right at some point in time and pass it down to the generations, which was, interestingly enough, not an absolute rule, where a different family could produce a Kahana at any given point.

The urban priesthood were the more prone to corruption due to the overall transparencies of urban life but also due to the very nature of urban populations as compared to rural. I did interviews through a friend, fascinating and erudite fellow, A. Terteryan, whose ancestors hailed from Peria, whose own grandfather was a Kahana, and the information gained was most enlightening with regards to the behavior of the Kahana in their area versus what was happening in larger cities. The disdainfully pejorative term "kakhkeni" (roughly, city dweller) was regularly used to describe corrupt behavior by the elderly interviewed. As even a 100 years ago the writer Raffi would describe the sort of leadership who would in turn influence the selection of Church leadership, the symbiosis of these two groups is well identified. Raffi is more severe, detailed, and factual in his criticisms than Baronian, without the humorous satire. (Although, Grigor Artsruni, Raffis' editor, benefactor, sponsor, friend, mentor, etc. did criticize Raffi of going overboard with this negativism on occasion, just to keep in mind.)

The critics of the clergy certainly have strong arguments. Take for example the Archbishop Yeghishe of Jerusalem, a totally and utterly political animal and showcase person for corruption. The only reason he was tolerated was due to his innate ability, again as a political animal, to be able to negotiate terms with the Zionists with regards to the Armenian Quarter and other Armenian holdings. He took complete advantage of his position and made a business out of selling artifacts from St. James and elsewhere. it was rumored that he also was party to a brothel operation in Beirut, but "those are just rumors". Perhaps a more political naive and malleable moralist would have been harmful to the community in such turbulent times, which is the argument used by his reluctant supporters. My grandfather, who was a donor to the monastery, distrusted this fellow and most of the monks and clerics, with only one exception. On the flipside, the one exception, was the Kahana in Haifa who was an absolutely honest man and true to his calling. Everyone in his time agreed.

There was also the Archbishop Chinchinian of Egypt who passed away in 2004 who was remembered as an honest man. http://oia.net/2004/01/22/lraper-arc...-eternal-rest/

The typical parishoner is of the same mindset you are. The Ayatollism of automatic submission is certainly not a Christian, especially Armenian, ethic.

Remember, Armenians are, as Derenik Demirjian said, "the ultimate freemen," or, in my opinion, to use a more apt political term, natural confederates.

[bell-the-cat]

Re: Have our spiritual leaders lost their moral compass?

He obviously has no class.

If you own a Bentley, you should have a driver also and travel in style.

If you drive a Bentley ( i.e. you cannot afford a driver) then you should work as a chauffer.
Doing weddings and funerals should be a good earner!!

Hah .. I missed the humour there until now!

There was an old news report - probably from before this thread started - that a particular church in the Ararat Diocese had become a favourite for the weddings of the criminal oligarchs and the funerals of their fallen bodyguards and street-thug goons. So much so that the normal parishoners were now too afraid to go there.

Though of course the top oligarchs build their own private churches and pay for the priests that go in them.

[hagopn]

Re: Have our spiritual leaders lost their moral compass?

Not about spiritual leaders, but...

This obsession with antiquity, primordialism, autochthonism has to have been nurtured during the Soviet era, right? There has to be a reason every single one of those godforsaken republics (with the possible exception of the Baltic states) believes their nation to be God's gift to humanity (except they existed before Him, too).

Family tree of nations to be installed in Republic Square?

April 15, 2013 - 16:21 AMT
PanARMENIAN.Net - Armenian Center of PR Development has come up with an offer to install a family tree of nations the Republic Square, with Armenia to be portrayed as cradle of humankind.

A picture depicting Armenia as a cradle of mankind is available in a Gospel published in London in 1634, with “Armenia” and “Ararat” words written on Noah's Ark, painted at the foot of the tree.

Source: http://www.panarmenian.net/eng/news/154242/

I don't know. I once read a few dozen articles about the Tarim mummies, those that happened to have reddish hair and were dated long before the Chinese civilization, etc.

The part that caught my eye was the fanatical obsessions on the part of especially the English and the Scottish posters and commentators who likened the mummies to "Uncle Harry... He could look just like my uncle harry, that mummy, by Jove. Indeed our ancestors were the founders of the Chinese, as well as all Asian civilizations."

See picture of Uncle Harry http://www.dandebat.dk/images/6p.jpg

Obsession with antiquity is a European (we started it all) and Semitic (no! we started it all, and our ten billion year calendar proves it!) thing. Soviets were much more innocent.

Having said that, the article is about this 1634 print. What's the big deal? Why get so worked up about it? I don't see anything that relates to primordialism.

In any case, Armenians are, as things go, a primordial culture-- Only such a culture can be so darn confederate.

[hagopn]

Re: Have our spiritual leaders lost their moral compass?

most Armenian clergy enter the profession to enjoy an easy life, if not the good life.

Traditionally those who would decide to enter the priesthood would do so because they didn't have many career options open to them

so sadly the majority have no moral principles, no values. They usually come from the lower layers of society. They can become foul-mouthed or even violent when anyone exposes their misdeeds

Yes. I can accept that. In the US we have the military as the greatest welfare system.

However, during the genocide when the mobs were running from village to village murdering every Christian population they could grab, there is a story of the Kahana who, having seen the mob in the distance from the belfry, had climbed to the top of the church dome, had torn down the cross, and had yelled "Allahu Akbar!" The village was saved by having time to escape with the caravans to Aleppo. True story.

[hagopn]

Re: Have our spiritual leaders lost their moral compass?

This thread certainly was a learning experience. It taught me once more that Sahag Partev should have adopted a son and not ever instituted celibacy.

[londontsi]

Re: Have our spiritual leaders lost their moral compass?

http://www.keghart.com/Editorial-Catholicos

Catholicos Karekin II Stands Accused

Faced with local or national crisis most Armenians go into two modes these days: “Let’s not wash our dirty laundry in public” or “Exposure is the first step in resolving a crisis.” In the past few months a scandal—immense, terrifying and excoriating—has crashed into our national public arena. It’s no less than the management style and reputation of the Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II. As catholicos, he is not just the spiritual leader of the Armenian Apostolic Church, but is almost as important to the Armenian Nation as the president of Armenia. A smear on the catholicos is a smear on our Nation—even on those who are members of the Cilicia See, are Catholic, Protestant… atheist.

The critics of Catholicos Karekin II have circulated petitions, published open letters and articles, convened meetings, commented on the electronic media, and some have even demanded the resignation of the catholicos. The accusations leveled are in the many scores: Fraud, moral turpitude, corruption, autocracy, the decline of Echmiadzin clergy’s morals and morale, malaise among the clergy…the litany goes on…inclusive of the Seven Deadly Sins and some. A diatribe orgy? Hidden agendas by his enemies or enemies of the Church? Far-fetched allegations? Poison letters? Here is a compilation of the alleged failings of the catholicos.

1. Catholicos Karekin II was elected (1999) through widespread fraud, thanks to the help of former President Robert Kocharian and Armenia oligarchs. Intimidation and bribes were used to get pro-Karekin votes. The $3-million bribe came from wealthy Diaspora donors, particularly from a famed family of benefactors.

Human rights worker Ara K. Manoogian of Los Angeles has aired graphic data on how the catholicos was fraudulently elected. To summarize Manoogian’s main point, the delegations from Russia and Armenia were illegally allowed a far greater number of votes than their congregation numbers justified. Manoogian, the nephew of the late Patriarch Torkom Manoogian of Jerusalem, also says that his uncle told him about the election fraud and that he had protested to Catholicos Karekin II about the blatant chicanery but to no avail.

As well, a month prior to the election, a number of archbishops released a statement which said that Armenia authorities “at the highest level have come to a consensus in favor of one candidate and are trying to install him on the throne.” The reference was to the future Catholicos Karekin II.

2. The catholicos has fathered two children. A photo of one of his supposed offspring is on the Internet. There’s also talk that he is too intimate with a female North American donor.

3. He lacks sound knowledge of theology; knows little of the history and traditions of the Armenian Church. Despite his studies in Armenia and in Europe, he has superficial academic grounding. He even stumbles when reciting the Lord’s Prayer. There’s doubt whether he is a believer.

4. He has no spiritual grace or dignity. He is the dictatorial manager of Echmiadzin, an oligarch in royal purple soutane.

5. He has monopolized all authority as supreme judge, as head of the legislative body, as president of the Supreme Spiritual Council and as head of the College of Bishops. Transparency and accountability are foreign concepts to him.

6. He is rude, crude, common, capricious, unjust, uncouth, intemperate, incompetent, vicious, vain, venal, abusive, authoritarian, glory- and money-seeking, lacks spirituality, and is secretive….It’s not even certain whether he was born in 1951 or 1954.

7. Under his management, Holy Echmiadzin has become a cesspool of intrigue, suspicion, fear, jealousy, intimidation, and nepotism. His Stalinist-Berian style has turned Echmiadzin into a snake-pit.

8. Under his watch, senior Armenia clergymen have fathered children and lead extravagant lives. One of them—Archbishop Navasart Kjoyan, head of the Araratian Diocese—owns a Bentley, one of the most expensive cars anywhere. Kjoyan is also accused of involvement in an off-shore financial scam.

9. Homosexuality among Armenia and Diaspora clergy is another failing the catholicos hasn’t addressed.

10. Under his watch, senior Armenia clergymen have become businessmen and owners of companies. In addition to Archbishop Kjoyan, another clergyman-businessman is Bishop Abraham Mkrchyan of Vayots Dzor. He owns several mini-hydro plants.

11. As an oligarch, the catholicos is part owner of a Yerevan minibus company.

12. He has appropriated property belonging to the Church.

13. He has neglected the restoration of crumbling historical monastic buildings while spending $309,000 to purchase seven Toyotas. To avoid VAT payments, he alleged the money was donated by oligarch Samvel Karapetyan, owner of Tashir Corp. The catholicos’ “neglect” of historic church buildings has been described as “cultural genocide against Medieval Armenian churches and monasteries.”

14. His behavior and that of his Armenia clergy have driven thousands of Armenians into the arms of cults such as the Jehovah’s Witnesses and the Mormons.

15. He has defrocked at least 160 archbishops, bishops, clergymen, and deacons. Never in the 1,700-year history of the Armenian Church have so many clergymen been dismissed for non-heretical reasons. His mass defrocking has been described as “a reign of terror” and “spiritual massacre of the Armenian Apostolic Church”. As a result of his capricious defrocking binge, he was rebuked by Patriarch Mesrob II Mutafyan of Istanbul. The Patriarch pointed out to him-- when a certain senior clergyman was defrocked peremptorily--that if the accusation is clear and evidential “a review board must be formed, the subject accused must be given the opportunity for self defense.” The patriarch also accused the catholicos of interfering in patriarchate affairs.

16. When he defrocked Archbishop Tiran Kyoureghyan of the New Nakhichevan Diocese, for alleged disobedience, Catholicos Karekin II installed his own brother—a priest—as primate.

17. To hide his mediocrity and limited intellectual capacity, he has driven his contemporaries from Echmiadzin, according to a group of Canadian-Armenians.

18. He didn’t condemn the recent fraudulent presidential elections. Instead, he extended his blessing at Serge Sarkissian’s inauguration.

19. His crude and immature behavior during his meeting with Catholicos Elia II of Georgia embarrassed the Armenian Church, Armenia, and Georgian Armenians. As such, he is a harmful representative of the Armenian Church and Nation.

20. He blundered, for the nth time, in his ecumenical responsibilities when he treated the Jerusalem and Istanbul Patriarchates as if these august Sees were minor diocesan entities. An irritated Patriarch Nurhan Manougian of Jerusalem announced earlier this month that he would not attend an upcoming meeting of senior churchmen, organized by the catholicos. He like, the patriarch in Istanbul, expressed his displeasure with the catholicos’ inexplicable tactics to precipitate the resignation of Archbishop Norvan Zakarian, the long-time and popular Primate of France.

21.While visiting Jerusalem a few years ago, the catholicos threatened senior clergymen of the Sts. James’ Brotherhood and said: “I will strip all of you of your ranks.”

22. He attempted, in Western Europe (e.g. Switzerland) to centralize the management of the various churches. The French-Armenia community publicly condemned his heavy-handed interference in the internal administrative affairs of the French diocese.

23. He supported convicted criminal clergyman (Fr. Vatche Hayrabedian) against Archbishop Zakaryan. When Hayrabedian was the pastor of the church in Nice, his congregation pleaded with the catholicos to remove the disreputable clergyman. Their pleas were ignored.

In the past 1,700 years at least 15 times Armenian catholicoi have been removed or forced to resign. The first to be deposed was Kristapor II Apahooni in 630; the last Yeprem I of Tsoragegh in 1830. We don’t know if any of the grotesque accusations leveled against Catholicos Karekin II are justified, but if even 10% of the allegations are well-founded, the Catholicos of All Armenians has no option but to resign. The longer this wound festers the worse it would be for the Church and the Nation. And those in the “bien-pensant” corner who say we should not talk (“dzamots tartsank” in Armenian) about these accusations for we would be aiding our enemies, we say the days of covering up the truth are long gone. The cat is out of the bag. How could the Church survive when these accusations hang over the head of its supreme leader? As well, keeping silent would surely help make the Church and clergy irrelevant.

Even at the best of times we can’t afford an undeserving catholicos. Considering that the Armenian Nation is groping through precarious and tumultuous times, we cannot tolerate a catholicos who has lost his moral compass and doesn’t belong on the Echmiadzin throne. The existential challenges we face leave no room for a catholicos who, according to his accusers, behaves like a modern-day Roderigo Borgia (Pope Alexander VI).

The nation waits for Catholicos Karekin II to reply to the charges.

[londontsi]

Re: Have our spiritual leaders lost their moral compass?

Jerusalem Patriarch vs. Catholicos



Jerusalem Patriarch Urges Catholicos Karekin II to Reinforce the Church’s “Spiritual Foundations”, Rejects Attending Etchmiadzin Meeting

JERUSALEM—In an unprecedented and tersely-worded letter Jerusalem Patriarch Archbishop Nourhan Manougian criticizes His Holiness Karekin II, Catholicos of All Armenians, urging him to reinforce the Armenian Church’s “spiritual foundations,” which the Patriarch says have been waning.

The letter comes as a protest of recent events in the France Diocese, which prompted the resignation early last month of the popular Primate of France Archbishop Norvan Zakarian, which has prompted across-the-board and collective outrage from the French-Armenian community.

In the letter Manougian tells the Catholicos that the protest was prompted by the Supreme Spiritual Council’s decision to accept Zakarian’s resignation, despite his years of service to the church, adherence to the gospel and overall service to the community.

Zakarian resigned his post as French Primate, after alleging that the Catholicos had demanded that he re-instate the parish priest of the Armenian Church in Nice, Father Vatché Ghazanchyan, who was under criminal investigation by the French authorities and was ordered to serve a two-year suspended sentence for allegedly beating a man. Ghazanchyan’s alleged business dealings in France have long been an issue of concern for the French-Armenian community, especially the community in Nice.

Zakarian said his resignation was prompted by an incident on June 29 at the VIP lounge of Charles De Gaul Airport in Paris, where the Catholicos, in the presence of the Foreign Minister Eduard Nalbandian, Parliament Speaker Hovik Abrahamian, Armenia’s Ambassador to France Vigen Tchitetchian and other religious and secular leaders of France, threatened the archbishop by saying: “If by July 1 you don’t reinstate him [Father Vatché Ghazanchyan] to his position, then you have no business with the Mother See.”

Zakarian’s resignation has prompted anger in the French Armenian community, and statements of protest have been issued by a number of organizations including the Armenian Revolutionary Federation’s France Central Committee and the Coordinating Council of Armenian Organizations in France—the ANC of France.

“I would like to say in brotherly terms, that a threat is not becoming of a clergyman, especially a high-ranking one—the ‘Supreme Patriarch of all Armenians,’ from whom it is expected, as the genuine FATHER and forgiving SUPERIOR, to relate with love and forgiving spirit with his children or with his subordinates,” said Arch. Marnougian in his protest letter.

The Jerusalem Patriarch argued that Zakarian’s term was to have ended in November and suggested that the Supreme Spiritual Council should have waited until then to “accept” his resignation.

“Do you truly want to eradicate your reputation as the ‘Constructive Catholicos’ by extending the number of clerics you have defrocked?” asked Arch. Manougian. “What has occurred was unacceptable and a great injustice coming from Holy Etchmiadzin, from the Armenian people’s Holiness of the Holy.”

“Your Holiness, if you recall, a few years back, when with great pride – and justly so – you were showing me the beautiful buildings You had erected within the campus of the Mother See? I said to You, that equal to and more important than physical buildings is reinforcing the spiritual foundation; and You reassured me that this would also happen,” said Manougian.

“Nevertheless, the time has come to establish that it is the superficial and the financial elements that are important and interesting to You,” added the Patriarch.

Arch. Manougian went on to recall an incident when the Catholicos was attempting to pressure the late Patriarch Torkom Manoogian to appoint Archbishop Aris Shirvanian as his “successor.” When the late Patriarch refused and Arch. Shirvanian informed the Catholicos that such a provision did not exist in the by-laws of the Church and the Patriarchate, the Catholicos Karekin II, according to the Patriarch, said: “I will strip all of you of your ranks.”

Citing the current climate within the Armenian Church and the issues he has set forth in the letter, Patriarch Manougian informed the Catholicos that he would not attend a meeting of Diocesan clerics in Etchmiadzin, scheduled to take place in September.

[londontsi]

Re: Have our spiritual leaders lost their moral compass?

most Armenian clergy enter the profession to enjoy an easy life, if not the good life.

Traditionally those who would decide to enter the priesthood would do so because they didn't have many career options open to them

so sadly the majority have no moral principles, no values. They usually come from the lower layers of society. They can become foul-mouthed or even violent when anyone exposes their misdeeds

Although the system is open to abuse and frequently abused, I have come across some really dedicated clergy.

Fortunately it is not difficult to realise pretty quickly who is what.

They certainly do not enjoy my trust and respect automatically because they wear the cloth.