Mother See Accuses Authorities of "Seizing" Hovhannavank

The uninterrupted persecution of the Church by the RA authorities has been expressed in recent days through new, unprecedented manifestations. This is stated in a statement released by the Mother See.

"Following the sacrilegious dramatization carried out under the sacred name of the Holy Liturgy in Hovhannavank of the Aragatsotn Diocese, with the direct participation of law enforcement officers and the involvement of obstructing groups, Hovhannavank has been seized, as a result of which the spiritual service of the locally appointed priests, Rev. Fr. Sargis Sargsyan and Rev. Fr. Manuk Zeynalyan, is being disrupted. At the same time, the obstructing groups are voicing threats and calls for violence against the appointed clergy.

We find it necessary to state that the actions carried out under the name of rituals in Hovhannavank with the patronage of the authorities are a desecration, have no spiritual value, and are invalid, and the church of Hovhannavank is subject to re-consecration," noted the Mother See, assuring that Etchmiadzin will pursue the restoration of its rights over Hovhannavank through all legal means, the elimination of the consequences of encroachments against freedom of conscience, the protection of the spiritual-canonical life of the faithful, and the ensuring of the normal service of the clergy.