Armenian Apostolic Holy Church The Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin

Beloved Reverend Fathers,

Dear clergymen,

With gratitude we welcome the presence of His Eminence Archbishop Sahak Mashalyan, Armenian Patriarch of Constantinople to the Brotherhood Conference. We convey our Patriarchal blessings and best wishes to the Brotherhood of the Mother See and the clergymen from the Hierarchical Sees united in the Mother See. Such gatherings are important occasions for strengthening the spirit and renewing the covenant, as well as to discuss the issues that concern the Armenian Church, clergymen and faithful.In this regard, our expectation is that you express your thoughts and suggestions through active discussions and jointly make the necessary conclusions for the efficiency of our Church's mission.

We are pleased to note that the Conference is being held in the year of the 1720th anniversary of the founding of Holy Etchmiadzin, under the symbolic slogan "Echmiadzin As a Mission". Through the descend of our Lord Jesus Christ, Holy Etchmiadzin became a special blessing of God and a heavenly gift in the life of our people. The sacrament of Holy Etchmiadzin was beautifully formulated by the historian. You as well are Holy Etchmiadzin, its mission is your service in the Homeland and in different parts of the world. The more powerful you are in the Lord and your effective ministry, the more powerful is Holy Etchmiadzin," stated His Holiness, emphasizing that the more fruitful and lively the pastoral, administrative, and spiritual service of the Brotherhood is, the stronger and unshakable is the mission of Holy Etchmiadzin in the life of the people.

In the conditions of the various challenges facing the nation and the homeland, the Armenian Patriarch found the implementation of the most awake and responsible service necessary, so that the Church always keeps the torch of faith burning and preserves and protects the Armenian people from the dangers and threats. In the brightness of these realities, we must define and determine the priorities of the service to the Lord of our Holy Church, with their directions, plans and deeds, and establish a developed strategy for a wide period of time, recording the vision and expected results of pastoral activity in the spiritual, educational, cultural, social spheres, as well as make the word of God, the preaching of spiritual values with modern perceptions more accessible to the children of our Holy Church.

It is visible to all of you that the authority of the Church is continuously being attacked in an attempt to reduce the benevolent influence and activities of the Apostolic Holy Church and the clergymen in the life of the Armenian people and to weaken the traditional structure of the people's unity, unity and national identity. In this regard, the Armenian Patriarch urged the churchmen to be zealous in their words, deeds and actions, to correct the shortcomings, being a good example to people, showing great love and care towards the people. At the same time, we must boldly refer to the mistakes and sins of the children of our nation under our spiritual care and admonish, teach and keep them steadfast on the path of the Lord's message. In this regard, it is also necessary to know the psychology and way of thinking of people of modern times, to be well aware of their worries and problems, so that the spiritual care of our children can be carried out in the best way.

You are aware that there are certain disagreements in Church-state relations, due to the authorities' misconceptions about the Church's mission, as well as the Church's principled positions on meeting various challenges of domestic life. The withdraw of the subject "History of the Armenian Church" from school programs is another unacceptable reality, which was an important contribution to the important work of providing the young generation with knowledge about universal spiritual values, principles of Christian faith, national identity and self-awareness, and our sacred heritage. Our Holy Church is always an ally of the authorities in the mission of nation-building, welfare and strengthening of the state. However, our calling is to boldly raise the alarm about the dangers, to stand against the manifestations of injustice in the  life of the Homeland, the processes that harm the motherland, national interests.

Today, we are all concerned about the situation in the Homeland, the desperation noticeable in the society, sometimes a certain indifference to the unfolding events. The difficult post-war situations in our country have brought serious problems, which we, the clergymen, must continue to rebuke in the spiritual and social service provided for the war victims, dead, disabled, captured and missing Armenians and their families. Strengthening the love and dedication of our people's children towards God, the nation and the Homeland, we must continue to fix in their minds and hearts the idea that the Homeland is the Promised Land of every Armenian, for the protection and progress of which we must act with national unity and special dedication.

At this difficult moment for our people and homeland, it is imperative that all of you in the diaspora communities strengthen your efforts to use all possible means to speak out before the state, diplomatic, international and inter-church structures about Azerbaijan's aggression towards Armenia, the settlement of the Artsakh issue, the unblocking of the Lachin Corridor, the issues of ensuring the right of self-determination of our people living in Artsakh, so that we can face the trials that plagued our country and find patriotic solutions.

We note with gratitude that you, dear spiritual fathers, are committed to record new and desirable results with more energy on the way of service to the Holy Church, for the sake of love towards the nation and countrymen. The church does not have any other interest than the one that derives from the responsibility towards God, the motherland and the people. The main goal of the church's mission is humankind and the salvation of his soul, and along with that life-saving service, national protection and serving the strengthening of the native country. Now, it is necessary to keep a clear vision of what kind of Armenian faithful, what kind of Armenian person we want to educate and bring up, so that the words and actions of the clergy are aimed at that main task. Only the abstract presence of faith in a person's life is not enough, but with the mission of our Holy Church, we must continue to create a God-loving, patriotic Armenian person, the bearer of our ancestors' deposits and heritage.

Once again, we convey our love and blessings to all of you, dear Brotherhood members, and express our appreciation for the achievements you have made during your ministry. We wish you good health, the joy of productive prayer days and the support of the Holy Right of the Lord in your service. We pray that the Almighty Lord will keep our Homeland, Armenia and Artsakh, peaceful and safe, protect and guide our people all over the world in safe ways. May the Lord's love and graces spread in our lives and in the lives of all mankind today and always. Amen.