SPIRITUAL TRIP BRINGS LEADER TO CHICAGO
By Margaret Ramirez and Karoun Demirjian | Tribune staff reporters
Chicago Tribune, IL
t/chi-armeniaoct25,1,453406.story
Oct 26 2007
Armenian patriarch urges return to faith
Robed in gold and black vestments with a jeweled cross over his
forehead, His Holiness Karekin II, patriarch of the worldwide Armenian
Apostolic Church, anointed a Chicago Armenian church Wednesday
and urged his people to remain on the path toward faith. Outside
St. Gregory the Illuminator Armenian Church on the Northwest Side,
old and new generations of Armenians sang hymns of their nation as
Karekin climbed onto a stepladder and blessed the new, bronze doors.
As the crowd watched, he dipped his thumb in holy oil and traced a
cross above the entry. Inside the building, Karekin told more than
200 worshipers the anointing of the doors was a symbolic gesture
to remind Armenians to continue living their Christian faith. "My
exhortation to you all … is to walk always in the ways that are
leading you to the church," Karekin said. "With God, we have stayed
together. … Faith in God has helped us survive." As Catholicos
of all Armenians, Karekin is the spiritual leader of the world’s
7 million Armenian Orthodox Christians, including 1 million in the
United States and about 10,000 in the Chicago area. This pontifical
trip is Karekin’s second visit to the U.S. and his first to Chicago.
"I’m overwhelmed by this visit by His Holiness," said Raelene
Ohanesian, 33, who wept after the patriarch blessed her. "He
represents our heritage, our conversion to Christianity. We have
such a long history of struggle and it’s our faith that has gotten
us through." Before the blessing at St. Gregory, Karekin met with
Chicago’s Roman Catholic archbishop, Cardinal Francis George. On
Wednesday night, the Armenian patriarch also attended a public
prayer service with ecumenical leaders at a Greek Orthodox church
in Glenview. Karekin’s trip has taken him to New York, Boston,
and Washington to spread a message of "Bringing Faith Home." He has
stressed efforts to remember faith and culture, which are tightly
intertwined in the Armenian community, and bring back Armenians
who have left the church. Karekin’s visit comes on the heels of an
explosive debate in Washington regarding a painful piece of Armenian
history. Earlier this month, a congressional committee approved a
nonbinding resolution that condemns as genocide the killing of 1.5
million Armenians in Turkey nearly a century ago. The resolution,
though largely symbolic, unleashed an international furor that
offended the Turkish government, a key supporter of the American
presence in Iraq. President Bush opposed the resolution, saying it
could damage efforts to end the war in Iraq. At an interview in his
hotel suite at the Four Seasons, Karekin said the recognition of the
killings as genocide is necessary to prevent further atrocities. He
expressed disappointment that the resolution had faced opposition in
Congress due to Turkey’s logistical importance in the war. "The best
way to prevent similar kinds of atrocities is through recognition
and condemnation," Karekin said. "Values such as these should never
be sacrificed for political interests. "Our people are a Christian
people. … In spite of all the crimes committed against Armenia,
our people have never been filled with hate toward the Turkish people."
Though Karekin did not speak of the genocide resolution at St. Gregory,
it was on the minds of many. Karekin offered a special blessing to
100-year-old Helen Polaian, a survivor of the genocide.
"It happened," said Diane Abezetian, "regardless of the resolution
or what anyone says. We know it happened." Although the community is
united politically, the religious identity is strained by division
within the Armenian church. The church became divided administratively
about 50 years ago as the former Soviet Union curbed religious
freedom. Some Armenian churches broke off and switched allegiance
to the Lebanon-based See of Cilicia. Others remained loyal to the
Armenia-based church. Today, Armenia is an independent republic,
but the split in the church remains. One branch is headed by Karekin
and based in the Armenian city of Etchmiadzin. The other is led by His
Holiness Aram I and based in Lebanon. As supreme patriarch, Karekin is
pre-eminent. The division means there are two Armenian archbishops in
the United States. Archbishop Oshagan Choloyan, who reports to Aram,
and Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, who is under Karekin. When asked if
there was any hope for reconciliation, Karekin said church leaders
have formed committees to discuss healing the rift. "You cannot
have two bishops. I am hopeful we will one day have a solution," he
said. Those tensions were clear even in Chicago’s small but vibrant
Armenian community. Armenian churches in Chicago that are not under
Karekin felt snubbed by the visit, saying they had not been invited to
attend. "We were hoping that the diocese church would officially invite
us to this important event, but what can we say?" said Archpriest Zareh
Sahakian of Armenian All Saints Apostolic Church in Glenview. "Since
we have not received any official invitation, how can we ask people to
attend from the altar? … Everyone is free to go. But I’m not excited
because I’m not invited." But those tensions could not overshadow
the joy felt Wednesday by those in the presence of Karekin. "It felt
personal, like he was speaking directly to me," Nancy Berberian said.
"He says you have a choice in life and you should always choose
the walk of faith." Her husband, Nick, said he felt it was
important for young Armenians to hear from the patriarch. "To
see him here, it really bridges our ties to Armenia. It
gives you that strong feeling and strong sense of your roots," he
said.