Armenian Apostolic Holy Church The Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin

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"We must take up the cross and follow the Lord, accomplish the good even when confronted with obstacles, worship the One Who was crucified even to the point of our own crucifixion, to see the stone of disbelief rolled away from the grotto of faith and spirituality." - Karekin II

On Sunday, April 16, the Feast of the Glorious Resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ was celebrated by the worldwide Armenian Church. His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, celebrated the Pontifical Divine Liturgy in the Mother Cathedral of the Armenian people - Holy Etchmiadzin.

Early in the morning, a religious parade was held in the city of Vagharshapat with the blessings of His Holiness. More than one thousand young men and women began walking from the Monastery of St. Hripsime to Holy Etchmiadzin, led by drums and trumpets and under the singing of church hymns. They arrived in the Mother See just in time to greet the Pontifical procession of His Holiness as it began from the Residence of the Catholicos toward the Mother Cathedral to celebrate the Easter Divine Liturgy.

Surrounded by thousands of faithful Armenians from Armenia and the Diaspora, the convergence of the two processions as the Liturgy commenced infused great spiritual joy and happiness into the atmosphere of the Mother See and the emotions of the people. Assisting His Holiness as he celebrated the Liturgy were His Grace Bishop Vicken Aikazian, Diocesan Legate of the Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern); and His Grace Bishop Vazgen Mirzakhanian, Primate of the Armenian Diocese of Georgia.  

The Mother Cathedral was filled to capacity, and the overflowing crowd in the courtyard of the Mother See heard the message of the Pontiff, as he declared: "Christ is Risen from the dead! Blessed is the Resurrection of Christ."

The theme for His Holiness' sermon was from St. Paul's Letter to the Romans, "So that as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life" (Romans 6:4). In his message to the Armenian faithful in Armenia and the Dispersion, His Holiness stated in part, "Two millennia after these events in the history of mankind, the Glorious Resurrection of Christ grants the same consolation and happiness to the living, through which we have the grace to pass from death to life, from darkness to light. Today as well, the words of the Apostle are very timely for nations and peoples, 'As Christ was resurrected from the dead by the glory of the Father, the same way we shall walk with a new life'. The world as yet cannot completely realize this message - to walk with a new life in paths of peace, reconciliation, love and brotherhood. Today also, many greet the feast of the Resurrection in tumult and unease, in difficulties and worries, and in the dangers of war. The world is tempest-tossed akin to a biblical episode, but men are not eager to call upon the Lord, as did the Apostles who pleaded with their Teacher to calm the storm. Resonating once again today is the greeting of the Resurrected Savior: 'Peace be with you' (John 20:19), Who revealed his wounds and pierced side in order to bring the world to faith, while the world shows its wounds to protest against God and to depart from God.

" . . .In contrast to the fundamental problems facing mankind, the feast of Resurrection is the grace-filled source of new inspiration, strengthening of faith, and in the words of the Apostle, 'to walk in a new life'. It reinforces us to withstand difficult situations, and to establish peace, hope and love in the lives of men. Throughout history, as in our time, financial means and resources, mere secular understandings and methodologies, have simply not been enough to face challenges, stop socio-political confrontations, or triumph over the calamities of war. To have a peaceful, just and philanthropic world, it is necessary to arm ourselves today with spiritual armaments rather than deadly weapons. We must take up the cross and follow the Lord, accomplish the good even when confronted with obstacles, worship the One Who was crucified even to the point of our own crucifixion, to see the stone of disbelief rolled away from the grotto of faith and spirituality.

" . . .We too were called to see the dawning of the Resurrection of Christ. Hope, joy and the strength of our faith in the Savior gave life to the aspirations of our people and our culture, and guided the course of our history. Passing through genocidal paths, our people always believed in their new resurrected life with Christ, in their own rebirth. The reestablishment of our statehood and the freedom of our people are realities today in Armenia and Nagorno Karabagh. On the edges of our homeland and in the Diaspora, all our people live with new hopes, aspirations and faith, which for centuries has been unceasingly and without shadows dispersed from the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin - from the 'altars of light' of our churches. May our faith and hope in Christ continue to flow through the arteries of our heart, transforming into the power to build the vigorous and prosperous country dreamed of by our fathers, to keep our national-ecclesiastical life vibrant, to ignite the lights of the future, as well as to support and help all on the paths of realizing desires for peace, liberty and justice." - stated His Holiness.

From the See of the Apostles Saint Thaddeus and Saint Bartholomew, and the Throne of the Illuminator, His Holiness addressed his Easter greetings, blessings, congratulations and brotherly love to the Incumbents of the Hierarchal Sees of the Armenian Church, the entire ranks of
clergy, state officials of the Armenians, and all faithful throughout the world.

Present during the Divine Liturgy were President of the Republic of Armenia Robert Kocharian, Prime Minister Andranik Margarian, President of the Constitutional Court Gagik Haroutiunian, Ministers of the Government of the Republic of Armenia and Members of the National Assembly (Parliament), Ambassadors and the diplomatic corps of foreign governments, representatives of sister Christian Churches, members of the Supreme Spiritual Council, and thousands of faithful.

The entire Divine Liturgy was broadcast live via satellite to all Armenian communities throughout Armenia and the world, including the Middle East, Europe, North and South America, Asia, Africa and Australia.

At the conclusion of the Liturgy, an official reception was hosted in the Pontifical Residence for the dignitaries and guests in attendance. His Holiness welcomed and congratulated the guests on the occasion of the Glorious Resurrection of Christ and once more conveyed to them the great tiding of: "Christ is Risen from the dead! Blessed is the Resurrection of Christ."

Later in the afternoon, hundreds of children from the Armenian Church Youth Centers converged on Holy Etchmiadzin and were received by His Holiness in front of the Pontifical Residence. They came from throughout Armenia to congratulate the Pontiff of All Armenians on the occasion of Easter. His Holiness welcomed and blessed them, extending his fatherly love and best wishes to the young boys and girls, their parents and teachers.