Commemoration Services for the Holy Martyrs of the Armenian Genocide
24.04.2017
On April 24, Commemoration Day of the Armenian Genocide and the Holy Martyrs, Commemoration services were offered in Yerevan and the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin.
His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians; visited the Tsitsernakaberd Memorial Complex, where under the presidency of His Holiness and with the attendance of the RA President Mr. Serzh Sargsyan, a prayer service was offered, through which they asked for the intercession of the Holy Martyrs of the Armenian Genocide. The service was attended by members of the Brotherhood of the Mother See; the State officials; heads and representatives of foreign diplomatic missions.
A Divine Liturgy was offered in the Mother Cathedral of Holy Etchmiadzin. The Celebrant was His Grace Bishop Moushegh Babayan, Director of Administration of the Mother See.
During the liturgy, Bishop Moushegh reflected on the perplexity of the day, and stated in part:
“April 24, 2017. Over a hundred years. There are no generations left; no more people who have lived and survived the disaster. There are none left of those who have seen, felt, and tried to forget it, even those who were born during those days, and who told us the untold events and missing pieces that lacked a name.
The God-created human had never seen anything like it. After Cain, murder acquired a new quality. Killing each other and destroying, the Ottoman crime was called GENOCIDE. First the Armenians became martyrs. And the world painfully witnessed a new human massacre - the Genocide, and became a silent spokesman of unfairness.
Our nation had lost everything: the greatest values - a large part of the homeland and a generation of people that composed thousands of burned manuscripts; built burnt towns and villages, and erected thousands of ruined churches…
A nation, that was the beginning of life, sprinkle existence on the drowning earth from the heights of Ararat; was this time also irrigating the slopes of the sacred mountain through her sacred blood.
Our nation was tested. The Armenian nation stood in the face of a spiritual challenge and proved once again that it is "A chosen and a holy nation". We assured and promised that even at the cost of one and a half million children; we would not turn from Christ or leave the Homeland.
Our nation followed the Lord, took up His cross and repeated Golgotha. We defeated death in Sardarapat, World War II, and Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh). We appeared on the verge of physical destruction, but today we have a free and independent Armenia and Artsakh and more than 10 million compatriots living around the world. Therefore, God did not abandon us, but saved us from evil”.
Bishop Moushegh also spoke about the international recognition of the Armenian Genocide: “Today, the mourning has not changed into joy, but to persuasion and realization that humanity, Armenian humanity, must recognize the sacrifices of those who gave their lives for the sake of faith and Homeland. We also kneel and bow in front of the sacred memory and holy relics of the Holy Martyrs; and ask the Almighty to grant peace to the world. May no one see Genocide. And may smiles, joy and prayer reign everywhere.
We recognized the Armenian Genocide, survived and overcame it, declared the sanctity of its martyrs, recognized them and accepted it. Our gratitude to all those who have always been with the Armenian people, are and will remain”.
The Celebrant stated that the concept of genocide should not be viewed simply in terms of physical destruction, as it still takes place in religious, cultural, moral and societal aspects, challenging humanity either to be massacred, or following in the example of others, to struggle and even be ready to overcome each challenge with the cost of life.
The Celebrant added that each of our holy martyrs gives an example of a feat of spirituality and faith that should become the life guideline for everyone, and encourage us to redouble our spirituality, re-evaluate and change our future actions.
Following the Divine Liturgy, His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians offered an intercession service in the courtyard of the Mother Cathedral, at the Memorial to the Genocide and Khachkar of Prayer and Oath. The Service was attended by Diocesan primates, Mother See benefactors and numerous pilgrims.
