RUSSIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH CONSIDERS OPENING OF LAITY OF AZERBAIJAN IN NAGORNO KARABAKH AS CONTRIBUTION TO CAUSE OF PEACE
Azerbaijan Business Center
Jan 15 2010
Baku, Fineko/abc.az. Russian Orthodox Church of Moscow patriarchy
opened the second laity in territory of Azerbaijan, located in the
territories occupied by Armenia – in Nagorno Karabakh.
In this connection, deputy head of Department of External Church
Relations of Moscow patriarchy hieromonch Philip (Ryabikh) declared
that Russian Orthodox Church does not consider possible to evaluate
the status of Nagorno Karabakh and stand for peaceful solution of
Karabakh conflict.
"Russian Orthodox Church always perceived with pain Karabakh conflict
and undertook efforts that jointly with Moslems of Azerbaijan and
Christians of Armenia to find and offer to politicians ways of its
peaceful settlement. Final solution of the conflict is within political
leaders’ cognizance, their direct challenge – to find peaceful solution
of development of life of the Transcaucasia people," Philip said.
At that, he noted that Russian Orthodox Church never tried to take upon
itself these challenges and intervene into this political conflict.
He explained opening of the laity in spite of established practice
in Azerbaijan that inquiries started coming to Moscow from the local
Russian-speaking population of the self-proclaimed Nagorno-Karabakh
republic with appeal to settle their church life.
"Today the community of Nagorno Karabakh numbers about 600
persons. In spite of pendency of the status of Nagorno Karabakh at the
international level, Russian Orthodox helped orthodox people, and the
laity of Moscow patriarchy was registered in Khankandi in summer, 2009,
as well as a plot was given for construction of a church," Philip said.
Registration of the laity was delayed and was carried out only after
assistance of Artsakh eparchy of Armenian Apostolic Church.
"I meant exactly it saying that there are three laities of Russian
Church in Armenia, including a laity to Nagorno Karabakh. We in
our church laities, first of all, we do not have in view the state
boundaries, we meant borders of responsibility of Churches for
Christian people, residing living in this or that territory.
Development of laity in Nagorno Karabakh was always considered by
Russian church not as means to support one of conflicting parties,
on the contrary, means to introduce another factor of peace in
long-suffering Nagorno Karabakh. We hope that the life of this laity
will promote that Armenians, Azerbaijanis, and Russian-speaking people
can live in peace in this region as had been living over the certain
periods of history.
Russian Orthodox Church believes that its presence in Armenia,
Azerbaijan, Nagorn Karabakh will contribute to the fastest peaceful
settlement in this region. So and in no other way we consider the
challenges of Russian Church in Nagorno Karabakh," Philip noted.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
