Armenian Apostolic Holy Church The Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin

KAREKIN II, SERVANT OF JESUS CHRIST, BY THE MERCY OF GOD AND THE WILL OF THE NATION, CHIEF BISHOP AND CATHOLICOS OF ALL ARMENIANS, SUPREME PATRIARCH OF THE PAN-NATIONAL PRE-EMINENT ARARATIAN SEE, THE APOSTOLIC MOTHER CHURCH OF UNIVERSAL HOLY ETCHMIADZIN

Christ-bequeathed greetings of love and Pontifical blessings to the Catholicosate of the Great House of Cilicia, to the Armenian Patriarchates of Holy Jerusalem and Constantinople, to the Archbishops, Bishops, Learned Doctors, Priests and Deacons, to the Diocesan Delegational Assemblies, Diocesan and Parochial Councils and Officers, and to All Beloved Faithful of the Armenian People.

Beloved faithful Armenians in Armenia and in the Dispersion,

With the crowning jubilee of the 1700 year old Mother See of Armenians - Universal Holy Etchmiadzin, a festive year has begun, which comes through the renewal of spirits, to be the crowning conclusion of the jubilees which opened the current millennium of Armenian life. From the Throne of the Illuminator, by the merciful Will and the All-abundant grace of God, we declare 2003 as the year of God-built Holy Etchmiadzin in our national-ecclesiastical life.

Once again our gaze is directed to the faith-building times of the Great Conversion of the Armenians. Before our eyes, is that night of deep mystery in the year 301, when in Vagharshapat, the capital city of Armenia, where Christianity had been declared the religion of the state, "suddenly there was intense noise, detonation of thunder, and awesome rumble, as the sound of boiling, turbulent waves of the sea and the canopied firmament of the heavenly dwelling opened." (Agathangelos, 5th c.) The heavens opened and torrents of Divine light flooded the plain of Ararat. Before our Father of Faith, Saint Gregory the Illuminator, the Only-Begotten Son descended, encircled by lights and hosts of angels, and with the hammer held in His All-sustaining Right Hand, "Knocked on the thickness of the vast ground" and drew the gold-anchored "Shoghakat" - Effusion of Light, Holy Etchmiadzin. Above the light-illustrated image of the sanctuary, the message of the Most High resounded: "And that place will be the temple of God and a house of beseeching prayers for all the faithful and the seat of the pontificate." (Agathangelos).

God placed His seal upon our land, positioned the anchor of faith and attached the arch of the Sacred Covenant. Bowing to the Will of God, having turned their faith of the Descent of the Savior into mortar, our newly converted holy ancestors established the See of the Pontificate of All Armenians, and in the year 303, erected the first edifice of the Mother Cathedral with joyous haste and great awe. They erected the God-viewing dome, placed the redeeming and protecting cross on top, which soared high towards the altar-filled gates of heaven opened before Armenian lands. "Universal Cathedral built for us, which the gates of hell cannot destroy, anointed with oil, river of good news, O adorable Mother, Holy Etchmiadzin." (Paghtasar Dpir, 18th c.)

On the level plain at the foot of Masis, through Holy Etchmiadzin, the Will of God and the will of the Armenians became one. Across from the Ark of Noah rested the ark of salvation of the Armenian people - the Only-Begotten Descended Mother See of the Armenian Church; whose light of chrism of the baptismal font, gave new spiritual birth to our people, and became the new lifeblood for the ancient Armenian stock, to live and perpetuate upon our native soil. Our Christ-sealed faith became one with our identity. Holy Etchmiadzin became the spiritual Motherland of the Armenians, and kept alive the love and vision in Armenian life, for the reestablishment of lost independent statehood. In the difficult twists, turns and temptations of history, love and faith in deliverance, emanating from the Mother See, generated hope and strengthened Armenian souls. They kept the small flower bed of the Armenians cohesive and unanimous, the survival of which, both in the conquered Motherland, as well as far from her on foreign shores, was endangered for centuries. The greater the calamity, greater still was the protective strength felt from Holy Etchmiadzin. The light radiating from the Holy Altar of Descent became more visible and kept us warmer the farther we were dispersed. The light, through the vision of the Descent of God, increased the faith, will and aspiration for a new renaissance among our people. In all lanterns of Armenian Churches, the "Shoghakat" Light of Holy Etchmiadzin is present, and in all baptismal fonts, the Holy Chrism of the Illuminator is there, distributing the grace of adoption for inheritance of the homeland. Holy Etchmiadzin is a singular, unconditional sanctity for every Armenian, the vessel to be an Armenian and a Christian. 

"In this sanctuary is the heart of the Armenian Nation - the place of the Descent. Love Etchmiadzin, enter inside, kiss the point of Descent and you will have kissed the entire expelled nation, dispersed throughout the universe." (Berj Proshian, 19th c.) This is how we know Holy Etchmiadzin, and this is how we have enabled others to know her. For seventeen centuries we have known her as the source of strength and the treasury of the Armenian soul; as the love and banner for freedom; as the pride and victory of the Armenian soul. We know her as our adorable Mother, who unites us together with her tender affection, fortifies and defends us in love. Mashtots and the ranks of Translators; the Golden, Silver and all "genius-bearing" Armenian ages; Vardan and all of the Vardanank of our history; Avarayr and all of our "struggle for existence" Avarayrs, Sardarapat, which kindled the new dawn of Armenian independence, and the freedom struggle of Artsakh, were all born from the soul of Holy Etchmiadzin. With this understanding, our forefathers continually have renovated and embellished the Mother Cathedral of the Armenians, and in the likeness of the miraculous vision, in beautiful form and structure, they have preserved Her against the destructive storms of the times. Far from Holy Etchmiadzin, the Armenian Pontiffs have felt themselves, as Saint Nerses the Graceful felt, banished and inconsolable; because the Armenian soul has always recognized his cradle of faith, his symbol of perseverance and impetus to life, his Mother See: Holy Etchmiadzin, which descended from the heavens upon the soil of our homeland. "To the Right Hand and to Holy Etchmiadzin, the whole of the Armenian Nation is bound." 

In 1441, following long-enduring wanderings, by the Will of Providence, the Pontifical See was reestablished in her Only-Begotten Descended location, to keep her flock assembled together and hopeful under times of new tribulations, and to shepherd them to new shores of hope and victory. 

With the joy of the 1700 Anniversary of Holy Etchmiadzin, we extend greetings and invitation to the graceful Incumbents of the Hierarchal Sees of the Armenian Church, to the diligent Diocesan Primates, to the entire devoted spiritual order, and to all of our beloved faithful people. Today, we are the ones carrying forward the sacred mystery of Holy Etchmiadzin and we are the recipients of her grace, invited to celebrate the 1700 Year Jubilee of the Mother Cathedral of the Armenians. True to ourselves, true to our Etchmiadzin-sealed souls, with faithful, nation-gathering and homeland-building deeds, let us make renown this great event in Armenian life. In the example of our forefathers, let us keep well-traveled the path of pilgrimage of Armenians to Holy Etchmiadzin. Let us touch the stones which have kept the warmth of the prayers of our ancestors, let us feel our roots vibrant with faith, and glorify God with the same love and loyalty, as our grandparents and our fathers, who built Holy Etchmiadzin, who defended Holy Etchmiadzin; so that through us the Mother See of the Armenians always remains bright and radiant, and through her, Armenian life becomes strong and united. Let us kneel down before the Holy Altar of Descent and say in thanksgiving prayer: Glory to You, O Lord, Who with the heavenly rays of Your shadow-less light, designed and illustrated the Mother Cathedral of our faith. Increase Your Grace, which descends upon our land and upon our souls through the "Shoghakat" Light; and bless us, so that we remain steadfast through Holy Etchmiadzin, upon our path of faith which illuminates our national life. Protect the entire world, our Motherland Armenia and Artsakh, the Armenian Nation and the Armenian Church with all Her Hierarchal Sees, with Your peace and justice. Omnipotent Lord, keep unshaken the Mother See of All Armenians, which You Yourself established, so that she may always be the populous house of prayers and the grace endowed Pontifical See, for "To the Right Hand and to Holy Etchmiadzin, the whole of the Armenian Nation is bound."

The grace, love and peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.

With Blessings,

KAREKIN II
CATHOLICOS OF ALL ARMENIANS

Encyclical given on the 30th of January
In the Year of Our Lord 2003, and in the date of the Armenians 1452
At the Mother Monastery of Holy Etchmiadzin
Number 124