Supreme Spiritual Council Meeting in the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin
02.04.2004
From March 31 to April 2, the regular session of the Supreme Spiritual Council convened in the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, under the presidency of His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians.
The first session of the meeting opened with the Lord?s Prayer and the welcome message of His Holiness. The members of the Supreme Spiritual Council offered prayers up to God, asking for the repose of the souls of five high ranking clergymen of the Armenian Church who entered their eternal rest since the last Council session: His Eminence Archbishop Zaven Chinchinian of the Brotherhood of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, a member of the Supreme Spiritual Council and Primate of Egypt; His Grace Bishop Guregh Kapigian of the Brotherhood of St. James in Jerusalem, His Eminence Archbishop Mesrob Ashjian of the Catholicosate of Cilicia, His Eminence Archbishop Sahag Aivazian of the Catholicosate of Cilicia; and Very Rev. Fr. Manuel Yergatian of the Brotherhood of St. James in Jerusalem.
The meeting sessions were co-chaired by the two senior members of the Council, His Eminence Archbishop Vatche Hovsepian and His Eminence Archbishop Kude Nakkashian. The three-day agenda included a number of matters concerning the national-ecclesiastical life of the Armenian Church and people.
Among the issues related to diocesan life, the Council expressed its satisfaction regarding the positive outcome of the undesirable situation that had been created in the Armenian Diocese of Russia and New Nakhijevan. They further expressed their contentment that the primate, His Grace Bishop Yezras Nersissian, is now in the process of organizing the lives of the faithful around the Church.
Abp. Kude Nakkashian, Pontifical Legate to Western Europe and Primate of Paris, presented his report regarding the reorganization of the diocesan structures in France. His Eminence stated that the new draft constitution for the diocese has been presented to the Pontiff of All Armenians. The Council, in response to the suggestion of His Holiness, created a special commission to review the document and present its report.
The Supreme Spiritual Council also discussed the establishment of a parallel, anti-canonical diocesan administrative structure by the Catholicosate of the Great House of Cilicia within the Armenian Diocese of Canada. The Council has issued a communique stating their position regarding this matter, wherein it is stated: "The Mother See once again fraternally calls on the Catholicosate of Cilicia to sound judgment, welcoming every step directed to overcoming the discord and the reestablishment of the canonical status within the Armenian Church, and invites her children to be zealous and unified on the road of the settlement of disunity - a rift born from the dictates of difficult times, and in effect for half a century."
During the three-day meeting, the Council members also discussed events which shall take place in the coming year. Among them are the 1600th Anniversary celebration of the Discovery of the Armenian Alphabet, and the commemoration of the 90th Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. It was further decided to solemnly commemorate the 10th Anniversary of the death of His Holiness Vasken I, Catholicos of All Armenians, of blessed memory.
At the conclusion of the final session of the meeting, the members offered prayers up to heaven, asking God to always guard and protect Armenia, and to keep all Armenians dispersed throughout the world in love, brotherhood and solidarity. Being led by the Glorious Resurrection of the Savior, they prayed for the strengthening of the homeland and progress for all Armenians.
