MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT WORRIES ABOUT BEHAVIOR OF ARMENIAN APOSTOLIC CHURCH

Lragir.am
16:29:21 – 18/11/2008

On these days the problems with the Armenian church in Georgia has
reoccurred. The story repeats, about which the Republican Member
of Parliament Shirak Torosyan, the leader of Javakheti Union of
Compatriots, reminded on November 18 at the Pastark press club. In
this connection, he voiced concern about the passivity of the
Armenian Apostolic Church towards the issue of the Armenian churches,
as well as the legal status of the Armenian Apostolic Diocese in
Georgia. Shirak Torosyan accused Echmiadzin of passivity, and noted
that his passivity is strange against the active, even aggressive
behavior of the Georgian church when the Georgian church tries to
present as Georgian not only the churches of Georgia but also a lot
of churches of the regions of Lori and Tavush in Armenia. Meanwhile,
not a single orthodox Georgian lives there. The member of parliament
who talked about it wondered that the Armenian Apostolic Church is
silent and is not trying to solve the existing problems.

Shirak Torosyan stated that the behavior of the Armenian Apostolic
Church is identical to the passive behavior of the Armenian
government. Shirak Torosyan also underscored the creation of a separate
diocese in Javakheti, noting that it may have not only spiritual but
also geopolitical importance because it will underline at least the
virtual borders of Javakheti. At the same time, Torosyan said the last
Armenian catholicos who visited Javakheti was Khrimyan Hairik in 1905,
but he popped in on his way to Batumi, it was not a pastoral visit.