His Holiness Catholicos Aram I arrived in Montreal for a visit coinciding with the celebration of the 30th anniversary of his enthronement and made his entrance to Sourp Hagop Church on Thursday, October 16. Archbishop Anoushavan, Prelate of the Eastern Prelacy, traveled to Montreal to join His Holiness. The Catholicos was welcomed by Archbishop Papken, Prelate of the Canadian Prelacy, members of the Central Executive Council and the Canadian Executive Council, community leaders and a huge crowd while the choir sang the sharagan Hrashapar. After the ceremony, Archbishop Papken introduced His Holiness. In his message, Catholicos Aram announced that the theme of his visit would be the joint revitalization of community structures (church, school, and all community organizations), recalling the words of the Apostle: “Faith without works is dead” (James 2.26). He called to live faith, to translate it into works, and to make faith a part of our lives, filling our community life with Christian faith and spiritual and moral values that reflect that faith. His Holiness also referred to the current situation in Armenia. “In the last years, about the internal and external challenges, crises, and issues confronted by Armenia, we have clearly and consistently expressed our viewpoint as Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia, and we have even suggested to go personally to Armenia and be a participant in the discussion of possibilities to solve internal issues. In this regard, we have condemned the current unhealthy situation of the state-church relations and the arrest of ecclesiastics and laypersons related to them, and we have even made indirect attempts to tone down the situation and find solutions. We have also condemned the violation of approaches and criteria regarding national values and the creation of an anti-national atmosphere. We have spoken, condemned, and made appeals about all these to ensure that our steps take their right direction from all-national approaches and values. We repeat the same today and ever. The current situation of the relations between the Armenian Church and state is harmful and unacceptable for our homeland and people. It is not possible to bypass the current situation with arrests and slander. Even the most rival countries discuss the issues through dialogue. We ask: when the blood of thousands of young Armenians has been shed, the state leaders of Artsakh have been illegally arrested, and today both countries have extended a hand of peace and talk to each other, is it not possible to create a dialogue between the sides belonging to the same nation and country, the church and the state for the sake of the supreme values of Armenia and our nation. Where is Armenia going with this course of action? Toward self-destruction? We can’t allow this. People, authorities, and structures are fleeting; we have to hold to what is permanent. We have to act with this awareness and this commitment. Therefore, let’s together keep Armenia away from the danger of self-destruction through dialogue.”
