Message of His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians on the Snap Parliamentary Elections

19 June, 2021

Dear people,
We are on the threshold of a crucial day for our homeland. By participating in the snap parliamentary elections, we will decide the way of building the future of our country. We all want to live in a peaceful and secure, developing country, away from shocks and divisions, to build our dignified and prosperous life on national and patriotic achievements.

Today, in the conditions of heavy losses that have befallen us, more than ever, we have a duty and responsibility for the preservation and strengthening of our independent statehood, for the strengthening of our homeland.

We have a responsibility to the blessed memory of our fallen martyrs, to our present and future, to our generations. It is imperative for our people in Armenia, Artsakh and the Diaspora to relieve the tensions created in the post-war and pre-election days, to reaffirm solidarity. It is also a vital necessity for the domestic life of our country to be in an atmosphere of calm and adequacy in the pre-election period. The actions dividing the nation, the sowing hatred in society, the calls for violence and revenge, as well as the inciting clashes can never be justified. Dear people, our patriarchal exhortation is to refrain from hate speech, intolerance, to show vigilance, respect for law, not to endanger our public life with new trials. Let us create a new page in our history with faith and optimism, love and unity.

Let us always remember that the future of Artsakh, the overcoming of the problems of our brothers and sisters living in Artsakh is conditioned by the stable situation in Armenia and strong statehood. Let us participate in the elections with this consciousness, spirit and commitment, not be indifferent to the future of our country, so that tribulations and sufferings, new catastrophes do not find a place in our national and patriotic life, so that to overcome internal and external challenges with one heart and one mind and build a strong and bright homeland anchored on our national and caring values that determine our identity. In this way we will be able to increase the Lord's blessing in our lives, to embody the bright visions of the well-being and progress of our people in Armenia and Artsakh.

Beloved ones, let us pray together that all efforts to overcome the current crisis will be crowned with good results by the mercy of God. Let us ask the Most Merciful Lord to keep and preserve our homeland and all our people all over the world under the blessing of His graces and grant wisdom and power, a peaceful and secure life under the protection of His Most Caring Holy Right Hand. May the grace, love, and blessing of Our Lord be with us and our Homeland. Amen.