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Protest march held in Yerevan, demanding resignation of the Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II

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YEREVAN.- A protest march was held in Yerevan, demanding resignation of the Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II, the press service of the Armenian Police reported.

Participants of the march headed to the center of Yerevan, urging people to join them.

Yesterday Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II invited the participants of a protest at the yard of St. Katoghike and St. Anna church to visit Mother See Holy Etchmiadzin on June 7 to meet with him and Archbishops. As it was noted, Catholicos has no intention to resign.

 

Opposition leader meets with Catholicos of All Armenians

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Opposition leader Nikol Pashinyan who leads the anti-government protests in Armenia had a meeting with His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians.

“I had a meeting with Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II in Echmiadzin. The situation emerged in the country and possible ways of solving it was discussed,” Pashinyan wrote on Facebook.

WASHINGTON: Catholicos Aram I Salutes ANCA Advocacy for the Armenian Cause

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knight-of-ciliciaBestows “Knight of Cilicia” Medal on Executive Director Aram Hamparian
WASHINGTON—His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia, recognized the Armenian National Committee of America’s (ANCA) leadership in advancing the Armenian Cause, bestowing the Knight of Cilicia Medal on Executive Director Aram Hamparian, in honor of the ongoing and tireless work of the ANCA Board, staff, volunteers and supporters across the United States.

“The advocacy, the enhancement, the promotion of the Armenian Cause has been a priority item on the agenda of the Catholicosate of Cilicia and its Prelacies,” explained His Holiness during a special visit to the ANCA offices on Wednesday, noting that the work of the ANCA is “very close to our hearts, to our minds, and to our mission as a church.”

Thanking the ANCA Board, staff, volunteers, and donors across the U.S., His Holiness noted, “All of us, in different ways, in different forms, in different levels to different degrees should participate in the work of such centers because what you are doing is part of the agenda of our nation – strengthening the independence of Armenia, strengthening the self-determination of the Armenians in Karabakh and all the things that you are doing in the form of advocacy – the promotion of the Armenian Cause.”

Bestowing the Knight of Cilicia medal, His Holiness explained, “in decorating Aram, I decorate all of you, your colleagues, your assistants, all of you, who together – I would like to underscore ‘together’ – engage in this sacred mission. And I am sure, now that Aram becomes Knight, he will continue this mission with renewed engagement – with the spirit of a Knight of Cilicia.”

Hamparian humbly accepted the award on behalf of all who strive to realize the just national and democratic aspirations of the Armenian nation, including those who work in the public spotlight and, of course, the many more whose devotion and hard work remain largely unheralded.

His Holiness Aram I’s delegation visiting the ANCA included Archbishop Oshagan Choloyan, Prelate of the Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church of Eastern US; Very Rev. Housig Mardirossian, Director of Ecumenical Relations; Rev. Bedros Manuelian, Director of the Audio Visual Department and staff-bearer; and Dr. Dertad Manguikian, a member of the Catholicosate of Cilicia Central Committee.

The ANCA team was joined by Soorp Khatch Armenian Church Board of Trustees members Hrant Jamgochian and Jemma Simonian; local representatives of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation and Armenian Relief Society; and community advocates, who engaged in a lively discussion with His Holiness on a broad range of topics, from the Catholicosate’s efforts to secure the return of its historic seat in Sis from Turkish authorities, to the challenges facing Armenian American communities in expanding Armenian language and cultural education and broadening community participation.

Armenia supports Catholicosate’s lawsuit against Turkey

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By Harut Sassounian
TheCaliforniaCourier.com

armenian-supportMore than 1,000 attendees of the Armenia-Diaspora Conference in Yerevan, organized by the Diaspora Ministry, cheered loudly when Catholicos Aram I of the Great House of Cilicia made the surprising announcement that the Catholicosate would file a lawsuit in a Turkish court demanding the return of its properties confiscated during the 1915-1923 Genocide. His Holiness explained that before taking this important decision, he had consulted with international legal experts during the past two years.

Stating that remaining indifferent towards the violation of Armenian rights is tantamount to treason, the Catholicos urged Armenians to take the genocide issue out of the narrow confines of genocide recognition and condemnation, and transcend the mindset that genocide recognition is the ultimate goal of the Armenian Cause. Considering that it is high time to transfer Armenian demands from Turkey to the legal field. His Holiness announced that the See of Cilicia would file shortly a lawsuit with the Constitutional Court of Turkey, seeking the return of its erstwhile headquarters, the Catholicosate of Sis. Should the Turkish Court reject the lawsuit, which is likely, the Catholicosate will then appeal to the European Court of Human Rights, said the Catholicos. He also expressed the hope that this lawsuit would pave the way for other legal demands from Turkey for the return of public, private, and religious properties belonging to Armenians.

While this is great news to all those who have been advocating for years taking legal action against Turkey, such lawsuits require painstaking preparation by top notch international lawyers. Moreover, regardless of how just one’s cause may be, no one can guarantee a positive outcome in court, given various external influences on the judiciary, and technicalities used as an excuse for rejecting a lawsuit emanating from a century-old grievance.

The Catholicos hinted at some of these obstacles in his remarks, acknowledging that “the framework of international law is not that favorable to our Cause.” More alarmingly, he seemed to dismiss the devastating effect the loss of such a court case would have on the Armenian Cause by claiming that “if we lose the lawsuit, we would still be winners, because we would have reminded the genocidaire and the international community that the Armenian people continues to demand its rights, no matter how much time has elapsed since the Genocide.”
The Turkish government would certainly exploit such a negative judgment by misrepresenting its victory around the world as a rejection of all Armenian genocide claims.

Going beyond the Catholicosate’s initiative, His Holiness urged the Armenian government to file its own lawsuit against Turkey in the International Court of Justice (World Court), where only states have the right to sue. At the international Armenian lawyers’ conference sponsored by the Diaspora Ministry last year, a task force was formed under the auspices of the Gagik Haroutunyan, Chief Justice of Armenia’s Constitutional Court, to study the legal ramifications of filing a lawsuit against Turkey in the World Court. The task force is reportedly assessing the various legal options available to the Republic of Armenia.

Given the Armenian government’s cautious approach to suing Turkey, it was quite surprising that Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian, during the Sept. 20, 2014 Armenia-Diaspora conference, when asked by a reporter about his reaction to the news that the Catholicosate of Cilicia would file a lawsuit against Turkey, enthusiastically and without hesitation responded: “there could be no two opinions about it. Such an important initiative must only be supported.”

Coincidentally, the conference attendees were handed the executive summary and introduction of a lengthy report entitled, “Resolution with Justice: Reparations for the Armenian Genocide.” Funded initially by a grant from the Armenian Revolutionary Federation, the report was prepared by the Armenian Genocide Reparations Study Group, composed of Alfred de Zayas, Jermaine O. McCalpin, Ara Papian, and Henry C. Theriault. George Aghjayan served as a consultant. The extensive report examines the case for reparations from legal, historical, and ethical perspectives.

It is clear that on the eve of the genocide centennial, several serious efforts are underway to seek justice through various courts for the massive human and economic losses suffered by the Armenian people during the 1915-1923 Genocide.

Armenian catholicos condemns violence against Iraqi Yezidis

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Catholicos of All Armenians Garegin II has condemned the continuing violence against the Yezidis of Iraq.

CatholicosPriest Vahram Melikyan says in a Facebook post that the supreme patriarch has extended condolences to Mire-Mira Tahsim Beg, the spiritual leader of the Yezidis, in a solidarity message submitted to the latter by Archbishop Avag Asaturian, the prelate of the Armenian Diocese in Iraq,

“Strongly condemning the massacres and violence against the Yezidi people, the Catholicos of All Armenians has expressed belief that the Yezidis, who have a centuries-long history, will have the tenacity to overcome this ordeal. His holiness has also called upon the international community and organizations to take urgent steps towards stopping the massacres of Yezidis in Iraq,” reads the post.