Conference of Clergy held in the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin
On February 5 a clergy conference was convened in the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, on the occasion of the Feast of St. Ghevont the Priest and His Companions. His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians presided during the one-day meeting of clergy from Armenia and Artsakh. The Feast day of St. Ghevont is dedicated to the blessed memory of the Armenian priests who fought alongside St. Vartan and the entire Armenian Nation for their Christian faith in 451 A.D. in the Battle of Avarayr.
Over 120 clergymen, along with their Diocesan Primates, participated in the sessions. His Grace Bishop Abraham Mkrtchian and His Grace Bishop Mikayel Ajapahian co-chaired the meeting.
The morning began with a church service held in the Cathedral of Holy Etchmiadzin. Upon conclusion of the service, the conference sessions commenced. In his opening remarks, His Holiness stated, "Today is a re-initiation of an old tradition which we will continue from this time forth on this Feast day. St. Ghevont is the priest whom we should all exemplify. He stood with confidence and stood his ground against all odds. We are all called, from the Catholicos to the Bishop to the Parish Priest, to serve the Armenian faithful, with the same faith, will, dedication and love of St. Ghevont and his Companions."
During the two sessions, lectures were delivered on a range of topics focusing on the necessity of the reformation of church communities and the establishment of parish life. During the discussion on parish life, His Holiness gave as examples the structure of our parishes in the Diaspora. He spoke about the various church organizations, composition of parish and diocesan councils, the importance of Sunday Schools, the development of our youth through church youth organizations, and the significant role of the "Yeretsgin" (wife of the priest) in the successful functioning of a parish.
The participants noted that the headquarters of the Armenian Church - the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, under the conditions of today?s free and independent Armenia, shall be the fountainhead for the spiritual rebirth of the nation. One main theme emerging from the sessions was that the clergy must function with more zeal and devotion in order to protect our people from sectarian movements, which lead to division and cause families to disintegrate. It was also noted that the clergy play a large role in the contribution to national unity. Special attention was accorded to the need for fundamental religious education for the Armenian faithful, in order to restore what has been forgotten during the fruitless and destructive period of Soviet atheism.
During the meeting, the priests reaffirmed that as servants of God's sanctuary and His faithful, they must always look to the living and true example - Our Savior, Jesus Christ. The clergy stated unanimously, that they must follow the example of Christ, for He shows the way through His immeasurable love and His humanity, humility and patience for all mankind.
His Holiness expressed his appreciation and gave his blessings to the participants of the meeting, reminding them that as shepherds of a sacred flock, the clergy must serve our 2000 year-old church with unparalleled dedication and with the conscience of faith founded by Christ.
He stated, "We ask no more than this" Serve our people, our parishes, with dedication, sacrifice and unending love. This is the path to life and salvation."
One final decision made during the meeting was that this conference would continue on a yearly basis, as well as similar diocesan level meetings, to allow the clergy to express their concerns directly to His Holiness in more intimate settings.
At the end of the meeting, the clergy in attendance expressed their filial love and thanks to His Holiness for his fatherly concern and attention, and confirmed their oath to the sacred mission of serving the Armenian Church and nation.
