Jerusalem Armenian Brotherhood Calls for Convocation of National Ecclesiastical Assembly
An extraordinary General Assembly of the Brotherhood was convened at the St. James Monastery (Srbots Hakobyants Vank) at the initiative of His Beatitude Archbishop Nourhan Manougian, the Armenian Patriarch of Jerusalem, to discuss the developments surrounding the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin and the Catholicos of All Armenians. We learn about this from the communiqué issued by the General Assembly of the Brotherhood of Saint James.
The members of the Brotherhood addressed the Catholicos of All Armenians, requesting him to convene the National Ecclesiastical Assembly (Azgayin Yekeghetsakan Joghov) to discuss the resolution of the created situation.
The participants of the Assembly expressed their full support for the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin and His Holiness Karekin II, Catholicos of All Armenians, who was elected by the National Ecclesiastical Assembly, emphasizing that the commemoration of the Catholicos’ name during the Divine Liturgies is a requirement prescribed by law.
“Issues concerning the Church must be resolved only in accordance with the Church’s canons. The only competent body to examine these issues is the National Ecclesiastical Assembly,” the statement noted.
The statement also mentioned that the Armenian Apostolic Holy Church is a self-governing structure under the Constitution of the Republic of Armenia and is separate from the state; therefore, any interference by the current government in ecclesiastical affairs contradicts the constitutional order.