PARLIAMENT CHAIRMAN DRAFTS BILL ON RELATIONS BETWEEN GOVERNMENT AND CHURCH

Armenpres
Dec 04 2006

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 4, ARMENPRESS: Before to wrap up the last session
this year Armenian lawmakers are likely to open debates on a draft
law on Relationships Between the Republic of Armenia and the Armenian
Apostolic Church, authored by parliament chairman Tigran Torosian.

Torosian said today that the necessity of the law stemmed from the
revised constitution’s provision which says that relationships between
the government and the Church can be regulated by a law. Torosian
downplayed fears that the draft law would undermine the liberties
and rights which the Constitution provides for freedom of religion
and religious organizations, saying the bill would only accomplish
the list of relevant documents specifying ‘special relations between
the government and the Church.’ Torosian said the bill sets that the
history, cultural and spiritual heritage of the Armenian Apostolic
Church is an important and indivisible element of the national
identity.

"The Armenian Church has been acting for 1,500 years as an independent,
national Church with its peculiarities and this is not subject to
questioning, since throughout these centuries the Church has been a
key and inseparable part of our identity, having created spiritual
and cultural values which are special and differ significantly from
religion-related issues and in this sense we need to regulate an
array of issues related to this heritage," Torosian argued.