PROBLEMS ARISING ANXIETY OF VIRAHAYOTS DIOCESE OF ARMENIAN APOSTOLIC CHURCH DISCUSSED AT “ROUND TABLE” TAKEN PLACE IN TBILISI

Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Apr 04 2006

TBILISI, APRIL 4, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. Issues concerning
present problems of the Virahayots Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic
Church, particularly, concerning giving legal status and returning six
churches belonging to the diocese historically were discussed at the
March 30 “round table” held at the International Research Center of
Conflicts and Negotiations. Representatives of the Virahayots Diocese,
the Parliament of Georgia, the Ombudsman’s Office and of a number
of public organizations participated in the meeting. Presenting
the position of the Virahayots Diocese, Levon Isakhanian, the
Assistant of the diocesan primate on legal issues mentioned that the
diocese intends to sign a separate agreement with the Government
of Georgia, according to which, the diocese will be recognized a
legal body and its rights and obligations will be defined. Priest
Narek Ghushchian, the spiritual pastor of the Surb Gevorg church of
Tbilisi expressed anxiety relating to the negative approach of the
Georgian society towards the issue of returning the Armenian churches
of the diocese. He considered it to be also a wrong opinion created
towards the Armenian church. Van Bayburdian, an Armenian Deputy of the
Parliament of Georgia, the editor-in-chief of the “Vrastan” (Georgia)
newspaper expressed sorrow for aspersions and wrong interpretations
addressed to the Armenian Church and Armenian people by mass media
of Georgia. Speaking about giving the legal status to the diocese,
he attached importance to participation of the Georgian Orthodox
Church in that issue and mentioned that Ilya II Catholicos-Patriarch
of the Georgian Orthodox Church is for that traditional religions
of Georgia get legal status. According to Paata Gachechiladze,
a representative of the “Dar 21” public organization, changes made
in the Civil Code don’t correspond to present demands of the society
and aren’t able to regulate problems in which traditional religions
are interested. Appreciating the decision on making amendments, Beka
Mindiashvili, the representative of the Ombudsman’s Office of Georgia
emphasized that there are still a lot of things to do. “One of them
is giving back the six churches belonging to the Virahayots diocese
historically. These churches are under registration of the Ministry
of Culture, Monuments Protection and Sports of Georgia today. As for
the latter, the Ombudsman is ready to presented letter of reference
to the Minister,” he stated. Bishop Andreas Stoekl, the primate of the
Lutheran church participating in the “round table,” expressing sorrow
that the Government of Georgia doesn’t take steps in the direction of
regulating problems of church confessions of the country, stated: “This
may come to the thing that all of us address to the court of Strasbourg
and protect our rights there. In this case the Government will have
to subject to the decision of Strasbourg. Which is more purposeful? To
solve the problem willingly or to subject to anybody’s decision?”