Garegin II Assessed the Situation: An Assembly of Priests Is Held at the Mot

On July 11, the annual clergy assembly took place in the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, under the presidency of H.H. Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, attended by the primates of the Armenian dioceses, members of the brotherhood of the Mother See, and 215 priests serving in the dioceses and church structures. This is reported by the Information System of the Mother See.

After the Lord's Prayer, Bishop Mushegh Babayan, who by the blessing of the Supreme Patriarch has been appointed to replace Archbishop Mikayel Ajapahyan as chairman of the organizing committee for the clergy assemblies, welcomed those present. Afterward, the Catholicos of All Armenians delivered his paternal blessing and message to the assembled clergymen. He emphasized that the meeting planned for June 27 could not be held because of the unacceptable actions taken by representatives of security forces in the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin to arrest Archbishop Mikayel Ajapahyan.

"We are deeply concerned that instead of uniting all Armenians and eliminating the divisions in society, the Armenian authorities are continuing to carry out a campaign against the Church. No matter how much they try to present the steps against the Church as actions directed against individual clergymen, it is nevertheless obvious that they are systemic in nature, and the Church itself is being targeted," said the Supreme Patriarch, noting that the obstacles and artificial difficulties created in various spheres for the mission of the Church in recent years testify to all of this.