PRESS RELEASE
Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, Information Services
Address: Vagharshapat, Republic of Armenia
Contact: Rev. Fr. Ktrij Devejian
Tel: (374 1) 517 163
Fax: (374 1) 517 301
E-Mail: ktrij@etchmiadzin.am
April 14, 2004

Feast of the Glorious Resurrection of Jesus Christ in the Mother See of Holy
Etchmiadzin

On Sunday, April 11, the Feast of the Glorious Resurrection of Our Lord and
Savior Jesus Christ was celebrated by the worldwide Armenian Church. His
Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians,
celebrated the Pontifical Divine Liturgy.

As the service was about to begin, the Pontifical Procession moved from the
Residence of the Catholicos toward the Mother Cathedral to celebrate the
Easter Divine Liturgy, surrounded by thousands of faithful Armenians from
Armenia and the Diaspora.

The Mother Cathedral of All Armenians was filled to capacity, and the
overflowing crowd in the courtyard of the Mother See heard the message of
the Pontiff, as he declared: “Christ is Risen from the dead! Blessed is
the Resurrection of Christ.”

The theme for His Holiness’ sermon was from the Gospel of Saint Mark, “Take
heart, it is I; have no fear.” (Mark 6:50). In his sermon to the Armenian
faithful in Armenia and the Dispersion, His Holiness stated in part, “With
His blessed presence and with His saving power, the Lord has been at our
side, wherever the ship of our life has been driven during the journeying
courses of difficult, as well as trouble-free periods of our history. God
has been at our side and has not abandoned us in deadly fateful times, when
having lost our hope in men, we have been left alone. The light of the
Resurrection soars above all of our Avarayrs and Sardarapats. The paths of
Golgotha for the Armenians, which dispersed us throughout the world, are
crowned with the radiance of the Resurrection. Today, our statehood is also
reborn, and at every stage of life, the Lord awaits us, to spread His light
and His peace over us, to bless our efforts and labor and to make them
fruitful. However, we should not mix the good with the bad, nor confuse
truth with falsehood. The truth is Armenia independent and Artsakh free,
and our patriotism, our solidarity and unanimity. Indeed, there is no
greater expression of faith than unity, and there is no greater
encouragement than the belief that God with his saving power, is with us.

“Wherever we live, we will live through the Homeland and Holy Etchmiadzin,
with our national values and patriotic inheritance, so that our children
will keep away from useless and false ideas, and from alien values, which
are penetrating our lives and being imposed upon us from within and without
…

“Dear Armenians dispersed throughout the world, you who can look to Ararat
from near or far, can see under the gaze of the mount that hosts the Ark,
the outstretched ark of Armenian salvation: Armenia and Artsakh. You, who
see the radiating and inexhaustible light of the lantern of the Illuminator
above the heights of Aragats, have faith, that the God of our fathers will
continue His work upon our land through our faith. He will continue His
work throughout our national life, upon which today the hope of Resurrection
is taking flight.”

His Holiness addressed Easter greetings, blessings and congratulations as
well to the Incumbents of the Hierarchal Sees of the Armenian Church, the
entire order of clergy, state officials of the Republics of Armenia and
Nagorno Karabagh, and all faithful throughout the world.

Present during the Divine Liturgy were President of the Republic of Armenia
Robert Kocharian, Prime Minister Andranik Margarian, President of the
National Assembly (Parliament) Arthur Baghdasarian, National Assembly
Members and Ministers of the Government of the Republic of Armenia,
Ambassadors and the Diplomatic Corps of Foreign Governments, representatives
of sister Christian Churches, members of the Supreme Spiritual Council, and
thousands of faithful.

At the conclusion of Divine Liturgy, an official reception was hosted in the
Pontifical Residence for the dignitaries and guests in attendance. His
Holiness welcomed and congratulated the guests on the occasion of the
Glorious Resurrection of Christ and once more conveyed to them the great
tiding of: “Christ is Risen from the dead! Blessed is the Resurrection of
Christ.”

##