Author: Andres-Papazian

WORDS OF REMEMBRANCE AT ECUMENICAL SERVICE

Berlin, 23 April 2015 Translation of advance text

This service commemorates the hundreds of thousands of Armenians who
fell victim to planned and systematic murder a century ago.

Men, women, children and the aged were deported, sent on death marches,
abandoned in the steppe and desert without any shelter or food, burned
alive, hunted down and beaten to death, and shot dead indiscriminately.

This planned and calculated criminal act was meted out against the
Armenians for one reason, and one reason only: because they were
Armenians. A similar fate befell their fellow sufferers – Pontian
Greeks, Assyrians and Aramaeans.

With our present day knowledge, and against the backdrop of the
political and humanitarian horrors of recent decades, it is to us
clear today that the fate of the Armenians exemplifies the history of
mass annihilations, ethnic cleansing, deportations, even genocides,
that marred the twentieth century in such a terrible way.

These crimes were committed in the shadows of wars; war also served to
legitimise these barbaric acts. This is what happened to the Armenians
in the First World War. This is what also happened elsewhere over the
course of the last century. And this is what sometimes continues to
happen to many other religious and national minorities today. They
were branded variously as spies, as the henchmen of foreign powers,
as troublemakers threatening national unity, as enemies of the people
or enemies by race, or as pathogens infecting the body politic.

We remember the victims so that they and their fate are not forgotten.

We remember them for their own sake. Above all, in doing so we call
to mind the inalienable dignity of every human being. While this
dignity cannot be destroyed, there is unlimited potential for running
roughshod over it by violating and crushing it underfoot.

We remember the victims so that they are once again given a voice,
so that their story is told – a story that was supposed to vanish
without a trace.

Yes, we remember the victims also for our own sake. We can only
preserve our humanity by ensuring that it is not only the victors and
the memory of the living that determine history, but that those who
were beaten, the missing, the betrayed and the annihilated, also have
a voice.

Commemorating the victims would only be half of the act of remembrance
if we failed to talk about the perpetrators. There are no victims
without perpetrators. The perpetrators, the then rulers of the
Ottoman Empire and their henchmen – as essentially all perpetrators
of racially, ethnically or religiously motivated mass murder – were
convinced, to the point of fanaticism, that what they were doing
was right.

The Young Turkish ideology saw in the concept of an ethnically
homogeneous nation state with a uniform religion an alternative to the
lost tradition of the coexistence of different peoples and religions
in the collapsing Ottoman Empire. Division along ethnic lines, ethnic
cleansing and expulsions often formed the darker side of the emergence
of nation states at the beginning of the 20th century. However,
ideologies preaching unity and purity often lead to exclusion and
expulsion and, ultimately, to murderous acts. In the Ottoman Empire,
this developed a genocidal dynamic to which the Armenian people
fell victim.

We are currently right in the middle of a necessary debate on which
term most appropriately describes events that took place one hundred
years ago. But let us ensure that this debate is not boiled down to
differences in terminology. What matters above all is – even after
one hundred years – to recognise, deplore and mourn the systematic
annihilation of a people in all of its terrible reality. If we fail to
do this, we will lose sight of the compass that guides our actions –
and also lose respect for ourselves.

If we achieve understanding in our assessment of history, if we
call injustice by its name even if our people were guilty of such
injustice, if we are united in our commitment to respecting rights
and human rights in our daily lives, then we will manage to preserve
the dignity of the victims and create a shared humane basis for
coexistence at home and beyond borders.

We are not putting anyone alive today into the dock by remembering
this. The perpetrators of this crime committed long ago are no longer
with us, and their children and their children’s children cannot
be found guilty. However, what the descendants of the victims are
rightfully entitled to expect is that historical facts, and thus
historical guilt, are recognised. It is part of the responsibility
of those living today to feel a sense of commitment to respecting
and protecting the right to life and human rights of each and every
individual, and also of each and every minority.

In the case of the Armenians, we therefore follow no other principle
than that of our deep-rooted human experience, which teaches us
that we cannot free ourselves from guilt by denying, suppressing or
trivialising it. We in Germany have painstakingly, and often after
shameful procrastination, learned to remember the crimes committed
in the National Socialist period – above all the persecution and
annihilation of Europe’s Jews. And, in so doing, we have also learned
to differentiate between the guilt of the perpetrators, which must be
recognised unconditionally, and the responsibility of their descendants
to engage in appropriate acts of commemoration.

It is utterly important and clearly justified to remember, also
here in Germany, the murder of the Armenian people. Descendants of
Armenians and Turks live here, and each has their own story to tell.

It is important, however, for the sake of peaceful coexistence, for
us all to follow the same objective principles when coming to terms
with the past.

In this case, we Germans as a whole must also take part in this
process insofar as we share responsibility, perhaps even guilt,
in the genocide committed against the Armenians.

German military officers were involved in planning, and to an extent
in carrying out, the deportations. Advice from German observers and
diplomats, who plainly recognised the destructive intent behind the
actions taken against the Armenians, was overlooked and ignored. At
the end of the day, what the German Reich wanted least was to damage
relations with their Ottoman ally. Reich Chancellor Bethmann Hollweg,
who had been informed about the persecution of the Armenians in
painstaking detail by a special envoy, remarked dryly in December
1915 that: “Our sole objective is to keep Turkey on our side until
the end of the war, irrespective of whether Armenians are killed in
the process or not.”

But there were also Germans, most notably the highly dedicated Johannes
Lepsius, whose publishing activities made the suffering of the Armenian
people known around the world.

It was the medic Armin Theophil Wegner who captured the fate of the
Armenians on camera and brought their plight to a German audience
at his slide shows in Germany after the war. And it was the Austrian
Franz Werfel who erected an artistic monument to the resistance of the
Armenians against their planned destruction with his novel The Forty
Days of Musa Dagh. The book was quickly banned in Germany following
its publication in 1933 – but it was read in the Jewish ghettos of
BiaÃ…~Bystok and Vilnius as an omen of what was soon to happen to
the Jews. Both the censors of the Third Reich and the Jews therefore
understood the book and the story it recounted entirely correctly.

When Adolf Hitler ordered the German army groups to attack Poland
and explained his plans to his military commanders in his operation
order of 22 August 1939, which urged them to “kill without pity or
mercy, all men, women, and children of Polish descent or language”,
he expected the reaction to be one of collective disinterest, which
is why he concluded with the rhetorical question: “Who, after all,
speaks today of the annihilation of the Armenians?”

We are speaking about them! Even today, one hundred years later, we
are still talking about this – about this and other crimes against
humanity and human dignity. We do this so that Hitler is not proved
right. And we do this so that no dictator, no tyrant and no one who
considers ethnic cleansing to be legitimate can expect their crimes
to be ignored or forgotten.

Yes, we are still talking about uncomfortable facts of history, a
denial of responsibility and past guilt. We do not do this in order to
shackle ourselves to the bleakness of the past, but rather in order
to be watchful and to react in time when individuals and peoples are
threatened by destruction and terror.

It is good when we do this together, and not separately according to
denominations and religions, languages and ethnic and state borders.

Today, we are thankful for signs of remembrance and reconciliation
from around the world. I am especially thankful for each and every
encouraging sign of understanding and rapprochement between Turks and
Armenians. No one must be afraid of the truth. Only together can we
overcome what divided and continues to divide us. Only together will we
be able to enjoy a bright future in this One World entrusted to us all.

From: A. Papazian

STATEMENT BY THE LEADER OF THE LIBERAL PARTY OF CANADA ON THE OCCASION OF THE 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

April 23, 2015

I would like to take a moment and welcome you all to Queen’s Park
in Toronto, Ontario for the Human Rights Awareness and Genocide
Prevention March.

Today, we commemorate the centennial anniversary of the Armenian
Genocide; an event which oversaw the destruction of the national and
personal freedom of over a million people during-and-after the First
World War. By recognizing the atrocities of the Armenian Genocide,
we are reminded of the pain and suffering endured by those affected,
as we endeavor to achieve peace and reconciliation for the people of
Armenia, and a stable and prosperous future for all of its citizens.

Canada must never stop working to combat bigotry in all of its forms.

I would like to thank the Armenian Genocide Centennial Committee
of Canada for continuing to educate Canadians about the lessons to
be learnt about what kind of despicable tragedy can occur when the
world ignores acts of intolerance. While the 100thanniversary of the
Armenian Genocide is a time for solemn remembrance, it also provides
us with the opportunity to reaffirm our commitment that never again
will we be indifferent to hate and genocide, or silent to those who
discriminate against others based on characteristics such as race,
gender, or sexual orientation.

Today, I, and the entire Liberal Caucus, stand with Canadians across
the country as we honour the memories of the victims of the Armenian
Genocide.

Please accept my warmest welcome,

Justin P.J. Trudeau

Member of Parliament for Papineau

Leader of the Liberal Party of Canada

From: A. Papazian

THE COMMEMORATION OF ARMENIAN TRAGEDY…THE DAY AFTER

Hurriyet Daily News
April 23 2015

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By the weekend, we will have left the big day behind; the 100th
anniversary of the World War I killings of Armenians at the hands of
the Ottomans will have been marked.

By the weekend, both Turks and Armenians will be looking at a balance
sheet. How many countries have called it genocide, or refrained from
using the term? How many world leaders attended the commemorations
in Armenia? How many abstained?

Suppose Armenians end up tremendously happy about the result or
disappointed about it. Suppose Turks end up satisfied about their
damage control efforts or frustrated and angry about the end result.

What exactly will have changed?

“Our biggest problem is to have structured our policies with Armenia
upon claims of genocide. There is just one date we wait for the whole
year: April 24. Which countries will use the word genocide? What
will the U.S. president say? At the end of December [each year] the
Turkish foreign ministry starts focusing on that. Initiatives take
place to stop resolutions that will recognize it as genocide. All
of this stops on April 24,” Unal Cevikoz, a former ambassador, told
daily Hurriyet last week.

“If the word is not used and there are no reasons to react to certain
countries, we relax by April 25 and we do nothing until next January,”
said Cevikoz who was previously Turkey’s envoy to London.

He suggests Turkey needs to endorse a healthy policy towards Armenia
as of April 25, 2015, to avoid experiencing similar stress each year.

Indeed, both Turkey and Armenia should start thinking about “what
now?” as of April 25. Armenia can opt to continue on capitalizing
on its gains. But the hope of an increase in the number of countries
who recognize the Armenian tragedy as genocide leading to a radical
change in Turkey’s policies will prove futile.

Similarly, on the part of Turks counting on Turkey’s clout as a
regional and international actor to counter Armenian efforts is not
going to make this problem go away.

April 25 should not be a day where, after looking at the balance sheet,
both sides close the dossier until next year.

It would have been unrealistic to expect a new initiative for
reconciliation between Armenia and Turkey while the former was
preparing for the 100th anniversary and the latter for general
elections.

After leaving the commemorations behind, the formation of a new
government in Turkey following the June 7 elections should provide
a new fresh start of negotiations between the two sides. This time
though, past mistakes should be avoided and a formula found to include
indirectly both the Azerbaijan and Armenian diaspora in the picture.

Meanwhile, independent of the process with Armenia, the Turkish
government should continue to take all the necessary steps to improve
the conditions of the Armenian community in Turkey, while contact
with the Armenian diaspora should be intensified.

Despite some highly irritating individual statements from Turkish
officials recently, the Turkish government officially accepted the
sufferings of the Armenians last year, and this year it will be
represented in the commemoration at the Armenian patriarchate.

This might appear as insufficient for certain circles. But it should
not be underestimated. The genie is out to push Turkey to face some
of the dark pages of its history. It will be impossible to push the
genie back.

April/23/2015

From: A. Papazian

ARAM I: OUR MARTYRS EMPOWER US WITH RENEWED FAITH

18:50, 23.04.2015
Region:World News, Armenia, Turkey
Theme: Politics, Society

The message by Catholicos Aram I of the Holy See of Cilicia during
the Canonization Service for the Martyrs of the Armenian Genocide.

“Today the church celebrates the sacred memory of saints who in the
power of the Holy Spirit won the war against evil. These simple yet
deeply penetrating words of prayer, said at the celebration of saints
in the Armenian Church, depict the particular importance of saints
in the life and witness of the church.

In fact, empowered by the committed engagement of the saints in the
witness, evangelism and mission of the church, the church courageously
faced the evils of all times and indeed it won the war against evil.

Saints are those persons who, being endowed with spiritual and moral
virtues, live their life according to the Gospel values and sacrifice
their lives for their Christian faith.

Saints transform our life with eternal truths and lead us to
Christ-centered “way, truth and life” (John 14: 6). Saints are the
beams of divine holiness, keeping us away from the corruption of life.

They are the radiation of heavenly light, illumining the darkness of
our life. They are ladders extended from the earth to heaven, lifting
us up from the domination of worldliness. Saints are, in the words
of Armenian hymn , “strong armour against the invasion of the enemy”.

Indeed, with their profound faith and saintly life, the saints
challenge us to live heaven on earth, to imbue our life with the
message of Bethlehem, to profess Christ as the true way of life,
and affirm His Gospel as the absolute truth against the “truths”
offered by the world. With their confession of faith and martyrdom
in life and in death, and as mediators before Christ, saints inspire
and lead us to fulfill our God-given vocation in the world as the
ambassadors of the Son of God.

Therefore, without the transforming presence of saints, our life has
no purpose; without the empowering presence of saints our life has
no meaning.

It is highly significant that the saints in the Armenian Church were
not canonized by strictly following church procedures. Their saintly
life and dedicated witness have led the people to consider them as
saints even in their life-time and then, only then, the church has
canonized them.

Our saints are not confined to liturgy; they are not regarded mere
outstanding figures in the annals of church history. They have been
transformed into an existential reality permeating all aspects of our
life, touching in one way or another every individual in and making
difference in our personal and community life.

Today as the two Catholicoi, together with our bishops, canonize
collectively the one-and-a-half-million martyrs of the Armenian
Genocide, we should remind ourselves that for the past hundred years,
our martyrs have become a living and life-giving reality in our life.

With their martyrdom they deepened our faith, strengthened our resolve,
increased our hope, and sustained our struggle aimed at the restoration
of justice.

Today the Armenian Church is in joy because it is being spiritually
enriched with new saints who will certainly give a new vitality to
the life and witness of church, in general and the Armenian Church,
in particular.

Today our people in Armenia and in Diaspora are in joy because their
forefathers and foremothers, who were the victims of the genocide
planned and executed by the Ottoman government in 1915, join the
multitude of saints and martyrs who sacrificed their lives for Christ.

Our martyrs, who, empowered by the Holy Spirit overcame the “war
against evil”, empower us with renewed faith to face boldly the new
evils of new times.

Our martyrs, who shed their blood for their Christian faith, undergird
our life, thought and action by spiritual and moral values and ideals.

This is a unique moment in our modern history; a moment marked by
profound meaning and message. This moment calls us not only to look
backward by remembering our martyrs, but also to look forward by
reaffirming our commitment to carry on, with renewed vigor and sense
of responsibility, the cause of our martyrs. Indeed, the cause of the
martyrs is a cause of justice and human dignity. We do believe that
truth must be accepted and the human rights of our people restored.

Only the acceptance of the truth will lead to reconciliation.”

From: A. Papazian

GERMAN PRESIDENT SAYS THE MASSACRE OF ARMENIANS IN 1915 WAS ‘GENOCIDE’

19:55, 23 Apr 2015
Siranush Ghazanchyan

German President Joachim Gauck has described the mass murder of
Armenians in the Ottoman Empire as genocide and also asked the question
of German guilt.

In a speech by an ecumenical service in Berlin Cathedral Gauck went
on Thursday, according to the transcript so that a formulation of
government coalitions beyond that which will be resolved on Friday,
the Bundestag. “In this case we German must provide a total of us
still working up when it namely a shared responsibility, perhaps even
complicity in the genocide of the Armenians goes,” he said, referring
to military representatives of the German Empire, who participated
in the deportations were.

But gauck took over verbatim also a phrase that is to decide on the
request of the factions of the CDU and SPD on Friday Parliament:
“With our present knowledge and against the background of political
and humanitarian horrors of the past decades is today clearly in mind:
The fate of the Armenians exemplifies the history of mass destruction,
ethnic cleansing, the deportation, the genocide of the 20th century
is marked on the so horribly. ”

Turkey acknowledges that Ottoman troops killed 1915 and 1916 Armenian
Christians in massacres and deportations. The government denies,
however, that there were hundreds of thousands and that it should have
been a genocide. According to estimates, up to one and a half million
people were killed then possibly. In protest against the genocide
resolution of the Austrian Parliament, the Turkish government moved
Wednesday night from their ambassador from Vienna.

From: A. Papazian

VESTI: BELLS OF CHRISTIAN CHURCHES CHIMED IN MEMORY OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE VICTIMS

23:30, 23.04.2015
Region:Armenia, Turkey
Theme: Politics

All-Russian State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company (ASTRBC)
gives detailed coverage of the Ceremony of Canonization of the
Armenian Genocide Martyrs who died in the Ottoman Empire. A special
correspondent of the round-clock state informational TV channel
“Russia 24” reported livestream from Armenia several times during
Thursday evening, presenting in detail the history of Armenian
church’s decision to canonize the Armenian Genocide victims, as well
as tomorrow’s events.

The detailed plotting from Armenia was also shown during the news of
the program Vesti on state TV channel “Russia 1” and its international
version “RTR-Planeta,” which goes on air at 21:00 Yerevan time (20:00
Moscow time).

In all the ASTRBC materials, the Armenian Genocide is presented as
an undeniable fact, acknowledged by Russia at state level. Turkey’s
position is not mentioned in any way.

From: A. Papazian

DAILY SABAH: NEW YORK TIMES DECLINES TO RUN PRO-RECONCILIATION 1915 ADS

19:30 23/04/2015 ” SOCIETY

The New York Times refused to run a pro-peace and reconciliation
advertisement over the 1915 Armenian atrocities because it did not
recognize the Armenian genocide, an e-mail correspondence between the
newspaper’s advertising department and the Turkish-American Steering
Committee revealed yesterday, Daily Sabah reports.

The ad, which was published by the Washington Post today instead,
is written as an open letter addressing President Barack Obama and
members of Congress, informing them that the Turkish-American community
would march through downtown D.C. on April 24, beginning at the White
House and ending in front of the Turkish Embassy to commemorate the
100th anniversary of the 1915 atrocities. “Our most sincere hope is
that Armenian Americans will join us on this walk. We will walk to
pay our respects to the lives lost from all ethnicities and creeds,
and to kindle a spark for what we believe should be our shared future”
the letter reads.

However the e-mails obtained by Daily Sabah revealed that The New
York Times asked the Steering Committee that represents over 145
Turkish-American associations to remove three out of five paragraphs of
the letter, which depicts the 1915 incidents as a civilian tragedy that
cost the lives of millions of Ottoman citizens including Armenians,
Turks, Kurds and Arabs. The targeted paragraphs underline the fact
that there is no academic consensus on the incidents by referencing
substantial number of international scholars who declined to label the
atrocities as genocide. “My legal team crossed out the first three
paragraphs that do not pass acceptability,” wrote Michael Hayden,
the officer responsible for Advocacy Advertising at The New York
Times. Hayden also said in the email that the legal team had wanted
to exclude the slogan “Unite Us, Not Divide us,” and this sentence
in the fifth paragraph: “One hundred years ago, a brutal war started
neither by Turks nor Armenians cost the Ottoman Armenians, the Ottoman
Turks and many other groups so dearly.”

The newspaper made it clear that the letter must be changed before it
could be published. Subsequently, emails from the Steering Committee
asking for an explanation, Mr. Hayden had explained that as a matter of
policy, they do not accept ads that deny great historical events that
are generally accepted as facts, including the Armenian “genocide,”
the Holocaust, and the World Trade Center bombing.

From: A. Papazian

** TOP STORY April 23, 2015
————————————————————
Holy Martyrs of the Armenian Genocide
Faithful venerate the new icon of the sainted martyrs of the Armenian
Genocide.

** Sainted!
————————————————————
Armenian Church history was made today, when the martyrs of the
Armenian Genocide were ceremonially recognized as holy saints. The
splendid service took place at the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin,
under the leadership of His Holiness Karekin II, the Supreme Patriarch
and Catholicos of All Armenians, and His Holiness Aram I, the
Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia.

Heads of sister churches, dignitaries of state, as well as the
episcopal authorities of the Armenian Church also took part in the
historic service. Among the latter were Diocesan Primate Archbishop
Khajag Barsamian, and Diocesan Legate and Ecumenical Director
Archbishop Vicken Aykazian.

This ceremony marked the first time in centuries that new saints have
been designated in the Armenian Church. With their canonization, the
Genocide martyrs will now join other great exemplars of holiness,
virtue, and sacrifice, in the `canon’ of revered saints from church
history.

People throughout the world were able to watch the ceremony thanks to
a livestream broadcast sponsored by the Armenian General Benevolent
Union. At the conclusion of the broadcast, as bells rang out at Holy
Etchmiadzin, footage of church bells ringing across the globe
(including footage from New York’s St. Vartan Cathedral) was intercut
with the live footage, in a breathtaking montage of worldwide
celebration for the newly-recognized saints.

Click on the following links to view photos
()
and a video of the service
()
.

New York City

** Genocide Centennial Observance in New York
————————————————————
Every Armenian in the greater New York region needs to be a part of
the centennial observance of the Armenian Genocide in New York City on
Sunday, April 26.

An Episcopal Divine Liturgy will be celebrated at St. Vartan Armenian
Cathedral, beginning at 10 a.m. Archbishop Khajag Barsamian will
celebrate the Divine Liturgy; Archbishop Oshagan Choloyan will deliver
the sermon. For Armenian communities in other parts of the country, a
live broadcast of the April 26 service will be available online here
()
.

A procession to Times Square will depart St. Vartan Cathedral at 12
noon. The program in Times Square will begin at 1:45 p.m. The 2015
Genocide Commemoration in Times Square is organized by the
Mid-Atlantic Knights and Daughters of Vartan, in affiliation with the
Armenian Genocide Centennial Committee of America (Eastern
Region). Click here
()
to view a flyer for information on the April 26 events.

** Scripture of the Week
————————————————————

Acts 13:16-43
1 Pt 5:1-14
Jn 5:19-30

** Prayer of the Week
————————————————————

Christ our God, you crown your saints with triumph and you do the will
of all who fear you, looking after your creatures with love and
kindness. Hear us from your holy and heavenly realm by the
intercession of the Holy Mother of God and by the prayers of all your
saints, especially the holy martyrs who gave their lives during
the Armenian Genocide for faith and for the homeland, whom we
commemorate today. Hear us Lord, and show us your mercy. Amen.

** Upcoming Saints & Feasts
————————————————————

24 April: Armenian Martyrs Day

26 April: 47th Anniversary of the Consecration of St. Vartan Armenian
Cathedral

** CHURCH NEWS FROM AROUND THE GLOBE
————————————————————

** Watch, Learn, and Never Forget
————————————————————
This weekend marks the worldwide commemoration of the 100th
anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. In preparation for the occasion,
take 12 minutes to view this brief documentary clip.

Professor Richard Hovannisian, the world’s leading authority on modern
Armenian history, narrates the history of the Genocide in a compact,
spellbinding manner. The Armenian community of Philadelphia
commissioned and produced the clip, and is graciously sharing it with
the community. It’s only part of a longer documentary which can be
obtained from the Philadelphia community (see the end of the video
clip for details).

Click here
()
to view the short clip of `From Horror to Hope: Memories of the
Armenian Genocide.’ Professor Hovannisian was also featured this week
in a Los Angeles Times Q&A: click here
()
to read it.

Ethiopians
Mourners remember loved ones in Ethiopia.

** Prayers for the Suffering
————————————————————
In a story that has become heartbreakingly familiar in recent months,
innocent Christians have been brutally killed for adhering to their
faith. Grotesque video footage released this week by the terror
organization calling itself the Islamic State showed 30 Ethiopian
Christians being shot and beheaded in Libya.

These are the world’s latest martyrs for Christ, joining the 21
Christian Copts slain in February by the same terror group. His
Holiness Karekin II, the Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All
Armenians, sent a note of condolence to Patriarch Abuna Matthias of
the Ethiopian Tewahedo Orthodox Church-joining other world religious
leaders such as Pope Francis in expressing solidarity with the
persecuted, and condemnation of the continuing martyrdom of
Christians.

This Sunday, April 26, at 3:30 p.m., a memorial service for the
Ethiopian martyrs will be held at the Christ Our Savior Ethiopian
Orthodox Tewahedo Church in the Bronx, NY. Diocesan Vicar the Very
Rev. Fr. Simeon Odabashian will represent Diocesan Primate Archbishop
Khajag Barsamian at the service.

** DIOCESAN NEWS
————————————————————
April 24 in New York City

** April 24 Events in New York City
————————————————————
On Friday, April 24, the Divine Liturgy will be celebrated at
St. Vartan Armenian Cathedral and St. Illuminator’s Armenian
Cathedral.

A march to the Turkish Consulate (at Third Avenue and 50th Street),
jointly organized by ARF and ADL, will depart from St. Vartan Armenian
Cathedral and St. Illuminator’s Armenian Cathedral at 12 noon. Click
here
()
to view a flyer for information.

In the afternoon, a vigil will be held at the United Nation’s Dag
Hammarskjold Plaza (East 47th Street at Second Avenue). The program
will include traditional Armenian songs, poetry readings, and
remarks. It is scheduled to begin at 4 p.m. Click here
()
to view a flyer for information.

FAR
Armen Haratunian engages in a game of chess with children at the FAR
Children’s Center in Yerevan.

** FAR Children’s Center Welcomes Special Visitors
————————————————————
When Kenar and Armen Haratunian of Manhasset, NY, visited the FAR
Children’s Center in Yerevan last week, they brought with them bags of
games and supplies for arts and crafts projects.

Teenagers Kenar and Armen have a personal connection to the
center. Together with their parents, Stephen and Arda Haratunian, they
renovated the Children’s Center’s three art therapy rooms last year in
memory of their great-aunt and uncle, Grace and Antranig Krikorian.

`We loved how bright and uplifting the art therapy rooms were, and it
was great to see them full of smiling kids and busy activity,’ Armen
said. `We also loved seeing the children enthusiastically opening and
using the crafts we brought with us. We went back a few times and we
loved having more time to play with them.’

FAR Children’s Center is the only facility in Armenia providing
rehabilitation and counseling to vulnerable and at-risk youth. Its art
therapy program-which includes activities such as ceramics, painting,
and jewelry-making-is a crucial part of the center’s mission. Click
here
()
to read more on FAR’s blog.

** PARISH NEWS
————————————————————
Ecummenical Service in Minnesota
An ecumenical prayer service in observance of the Armenian Genocide
centennial at St. Paul Cathedral.

** Ecumenical Service in St. Paul
————————————————————
On Saturday, April 18, St. Sahag Church of St. Paul, MN, co-hosted an
ecumenical prayer service in observance of the 100th year of
remembrance of the Armenian Genocide, and in memory of all martyrs of
faith. The service was held at the Roman Catholic Cathedral of
St. Paul in Minnesota’s capital.

Archbishop John Nienstedt, of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of
St. Paul and Minneapolis, presided. The Very Rev. Fr. Aren Jebejian,
pastor of St. Gregory the Illuminator Church of Chicago, and the
Rev. Fr. Tadeos Barseghyan, pastor of St. Sahag Church, took part in
the service. Also participating were representatives of the Minnesota
Council of Churches.

Click on the following links to view photos
()
, and to read articles in the Star Tribune
()
and on TwinCities.com
()
.

March in Texas
A march down Congress Avenue in Austin to the Texas State Capitol.

** Genocide Commemoration in Austin
————————————————————
On Saturday, April 18, Armenians from Houston, Dallas, San Antonio,
and Austin gathered at the Texas State Capitol to commemorate the
centennial of the Armenian Genocide.

An estimated 750 participants marched down Congress Avenue to the
capitol. The Armenian community was joined by clergy and members from
local Presbyterian, Maronite, Lutheran, and Catholic parishes.

Keynote speakers included Emily Sample from the Houston Holocaust
Museum and Khatchig Mouradian, coordinator of the Armenian Genocide
Program at Rutgers University. Participants spilled 1.5 million
sunflower seeds on the steps of the capitol building to symbolize
Armenian lives that `were sown but denied the opportunity to blossom.’
They read aloud the names of known Armenians who perished in the
Genocide. Click here
()
to view photos.

Click on the following links to view a letter from U.S. Senator Ted
Cruz
()
, a resolution from the Texas House of Representatives
()
, a City of Austin proclamation
()
, and a statement from Rabbi Neil F. Blumofe
()
.

Armenian Church in Orlando, FL
A parishioner receives Fr. Daniel Findikyan’s blessing at the
conclusion of services on Sunday.

** Armenians in Orlando Remember Martyrs of 1915
————————————————————
On Sunday, April 19, the Very Rev. Fr. Daniel Findikyan celebrated the
Divine Liturgy at Soorp Haroutiun Church of Orlando, FL. He gave a
sermon on the significance of the canonization of the martyrs of the
Armenian Genocide.

`For the first time in centuries, the entire Armenian Church will come
together and canonize those Christians who were massacred in the
Genocide,” he said. `As we battle these conflicting feelings =80′
sadness over the loss of ancestors, anger at the injustice and the
denial of truth – there is also some sense of hope that God is with
us.’

Click here
()
to read an article and to view a video on the Orlando Sentinel
website.

St. Garabed Church, Baton Rouge, LA
Parishioners at the St. Garabed Church khatchkar memorial.

** Requiem Service Held in Baton Rouge
————————————————————
On Sunday, April 19, St. Garabed Church of Baton Rouge, LA, observed
the 100th year of remembrance of the Armenian Genocide. The
Rev. Fr. Tateos Abdalian, the Diocese’s director of Mission Parishes,
celebrated the Divine Liturgy and performed a requiem service; the
latter was held at the
khatchkar on church grounds dedicated to the martyrs of 1915.

Guest speaker Krikor Khodanian made remarks at a luncheon following
services. Click here
()
to view photos.

Robert Deranian and Fr. Yeprem Kelegian
Fr. Yeprem Kelegian with film director Robert Deranian.

** Komitas Film Screened in Racine
————————————————————
On Sunday, April 19, the Heritage Committee of St. Mesrob Church of
Racine, WI, sponsored the showing of the movie, “Music to Madness: The
Story of Komitas,” a documentary on the Armenian Genocide.

Director Robert Deranian was on hand to present the movie and answer
questions.

Upcoming events

** Upcoming Parish Events
————————————————————

Holy Martyrs Church | Bayside, NY
Holy Martyrs Church of Bayside, NY, will host `An Evening of
Remembrance’ on Friday, April 24, beginning at 7 p.m. A khatchkar
blessing will follow the evening service. Local students will give a
special performance.

The Divine Liturgy will be celebrated at Holy Martyrs Church on
Saturday, April 25, beginning at 10 a.m. A luncheon and program by the
students of the Holy Martyrs Armenian Language School will follow.

St. Sahag Church | St. Paul, MN
On April 24, St. Sahag Church of St. Paul, MN, will host an
=80=9CArmenian Genocide Remembrance Day.’ The day will include a
prayer service, remarks, and a musical performance. For additional
events planned in Minnesota, click here
()
.

Church of Our Saviour | Worcester, MA
On April 24, the Divine Liturgy will be celebrated at the Church of
Our Saviour of Worcester, MA, beginning at 6 p.m. The Rev. Fr. Aved
Terzian will be the celebrant; the Very Rev. Fr. Sahag Yemishian, of
Holy Trinity Armenian Church, will be the homilist. Click here
()
to view a flyer for information.

St. James Church | Richmond, VA
St. Johns United Church of Christ of Richmond, VA, will offer a prayer
in remembrance of the martyrs of the Armenian Genocide on Sunday,
April 26. A parishioner of the St. James Armenian Church of Richmond
will give an overview of the Armenian Genocide of 1915. A St. James
choir member will sing the “Hayr Mer.” For information, contact
St. Johns United Church of Christ at (804) 358-9291.

St. Gregory the Enlightener Church | White Plains, NY
On Friday, April 24, St. Gregory the Enlightener Church of White
Plains, NY, will observe Armenian Martyrs Day, starting at 4
p.m. Events include a lesson for children, Scripture readings, an
ecumenical prayer service, and a program with Armenian and Sunday
School students. Click here
()
for information.

Earlier that morning a flag-raising ceremony will be held at Greenwich
City Hall in Greenwich, CT. A proclamation will be presented by the
First Selectman of Greenwich Peter J. Tesei.

Armenian Churches of Boston
On Friday, April 24, a joint Divine Liturgy by all New England
Armenian churches will be held at Holy Trinity Armenian Church of
Cambridge, MA, at 10 a.m. A procession to the Massachusetts State
House and a vigil at Armenian Heritage Park will follow. Click here
()
to view a flyer for information.

Armenian Churches of Connecticut
The Armenian community of Connecticut will gather at the State Capitol
in Hartford on Saturday, April 25. Author Chris Bohjalian will be the
keynote speaker. Click here
()
to view a flyer for information.

St. John Church | Detroit, MI
St. John Church of Detroit, MI, will co-host an ecumenical prayer
service on Friday, April 24. The service will be held at St. Mary
Antiochian Orthodox Basilica in Livonia, MI, beginning at 7:30
p.m. Click here
()
to view a flyer for information.

St. Hagop Church | Pinellas Park, FL
St. Hagop Church of Pinellas Park, FL, will host `An Evening of
Remembrance’ on Friday, April 24, beginning at 7 p.m. The parish will
remember the martyrs of the Armenian Genocide and celebrate their
ongoing legacy through prayer and musical performances. For
information, e-mail [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]) .

Historian Garabet Moumdjian will give a talk titled “Rising from the
Ashes of Tragedy: Armenia’s Triumph Over Its Genocide” at St. Hagop
Church on Saturday, April 25, at 7 p.m.

St. Sarkis Church | Dallas, TX
St. Sarkis Church of Dallas, TX, will sponsor a “Candlelight Peace
Gathering” at the Dallas City Hall on Friday, April 24, from 5 to 8
p.m. The vigil is organized in remembrance of the martyrs of the
Armenian Genocide. For information, contact Hamlet Sarokhanian at
[email protected] (mailto:[email protected]) .

The Dallas Holocaust Museum will screen Andrew Goldberg’s PBS
documentary `The Armenian Genocide’ on Thursday, April 30, from 6:30
to 8:30 p.m. The Rev. Fr. Ghevond Ajamian, pastor of St. Sarkis
Church, and Robert Barsamian will make remarks.

St Gregory the Illuminator Church | Binghamton, NY
St Gregory the Illuminator Church of Binghamton, NY, will commemorate
the Armenian Genocide centennial on Saturday, April 25. A proclamation
ceremony will be held at 11 a.m. on Conklin Ave. by the South
Washington St. bridge. An ecumenical service will follow at the church
at 12 p.m. A video recording of the `Responsibility 2015′ conference
held in March in New York City will be shown after the service.

St. Gregory of Narek Church | Cleveland, OH
On Friday, April 24, St. Gregory of Narek Church of Cleveland, OH,
will host an Armenian Genocide program at Cleveland City Hall
beginning at 5:30 p.m. Click here
()
to view a flyer for information.

On Saturday, April 25, an Oriental Orthodox Con-Celebration of the
Divine Liturgy will be held at St. Mark Coptic Orthodox Church in
Seven Hills, OH. The service will begin at 9:30 a.m. Click here
()
to view a flyer for information.

On Sunday, April 26, the Divine Liturgy will be celebrated at
St. Gregory of Narek Church. School children will plant flowers on
church grounds in honor of the martyrs of 1915.

St. Stepanos Church | Elberon, NJ
St. Stepanos Church of Elberon, NJ, will host the following events in
observance of the centennial of the Armenian Genocide: The Center for
Holocaust, Human Rights and Genocide Education at Brookdale Community
College in Lincroft, NJ, will showcase `A Journey to Life: Armenia,’
an interactive exhibit, which features the personal histories of local
Armenian survivors and their families. Click here
()
for information.

On Friday, April 24, St. Stepanos Church will hold a flag-raising
ceremony. Haroutune Misserlian will give a talk titled `Our 100th
April 24,’ which will be followed by a prayer service and a classical
concert.

St. Thomas Church | Tenafly, NJ
The Divine Liturgy will be celebrated at St. Thomas Church of Tenafly,
NJ, on Friday, April 24, beginning at 10:15 a.m. The church bells will
ring 100 times following services in remembrance of the centennial
year of the Armenian Genocide of 1915. Click here
()
to view a flyer for information, or call (201) 567-5446.

St. Thomas Church will hold a special program at Ellis Island on
Saturday, April 25, which will include a prayer service and laying of
flowers ceremony. Click here
()
to view a flyer for information.

On Friday, May 1, the church will host an evening with Dr. Herand
Markarian author of The Martyred Armenian Writers: 1915-1922. The
anthology includes the works of 13 Armenian writers martyred in the
Armenian Genocide. Click here
()
to view a flyer for information.

Sts. Vartanantz Church | Chelmsford, MA
Sts. Vartanantz Church of Chelmsford, MA, will hold a Martyrs Vigil on
April 24, from 7 to 8 p.m. The evening will include prayer, as well as
readings from Scripture, newspaper articles, and eye-witness accounts
of the Armenian Genocide. The church bells will be rung 100
times. Click here
()
to view a flyer.

Armenian Church of Rochester | Rochester, NY
The Armenian Church of Rochester mission parish will observe the
centennial of the Armenian Genocide on Sunday, April 26, beginning at
2 p.m., at the Episcopal Church of the Incarnation (1957 Five Mile
Line Rd., Penfield, NY).

Vincent Lima, former editor of the `Armenian Reporter’ and former
director of the Gomidas Institute, will be the keynote speaker. He
will speak about the observance of the Genocide centennial in
Turkey. The day’s program also will include poetry readings,
reflections, and performances by Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra
violinist Tigran Vardanyan and pianist Suren Barry; vocalists Liliana
Natalie Buickians and Varduhi Pchakchyan.

St. Mary Church | Livingston, NJ
On Monday, April 27, St. Mary Church of Livingston, NJ, will
co-sponsor a lecture and concert in commemoration of the 100th year of
remembrance of the Armenian Genocide at the Center for Holocaust and
Genocide Studies at Drew University of Madison, NJ. Click here
()
to view a flyer for information.

St. Mary Church is co-hosting an evening of awareness centered on the
Armenian Genocide on Thursday, April 30, at the College of Saint
Elizabeth in Morristown, NJ. The program will begin at 4:30 p.m. and
include lectures, a film screening, and musical performances. In
addition, free professional development will be offered to school
teachers on teaching the Armenian Genocide. Click here
()
to view a flyer for information.

Sts. Sahag and Mesrob Church | Providence, RI
Sts. Sahag and Mesrob Church of Providence, RI, will host a concert in
memory of the martyrs of 1915 on Saturday May 2, beginning at 7
p.m. Click here
()
to view a flyer for information.

Armenian Community of Albany
Christian Arts International will host Handel’s “Messiah” concert in
honor of the centennial of the Armenian Genocide on Sunday, May 3, at
3 p.m. The concert will be held at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church in
Albany, NY.

The program will feature mezzo soprano Solange Merdinian; the
Rev. Fr. Stepanos Doudoukjian, pastor of St. Peter Armenian Church of
Watervliet, NY; and members of the Albany and Schenectady Symphony
orchestras.

Click here
()
to view a flyer with more information and sponsorship opportunities.

** YOUTH NEWS
————————————————————
Sport Weekend

** ACYOA General Assembly and Sports Weekend
————————————————————
The ACYOA Seniors of St. John Church of Southfield, MI, are hosting
this year’s ACYOA General Assembly and Sports Weekend, scheduled for
May 21 to 25. The weekend will include worship, discussion of the
organization’s activities, athletic and social events, and service
projects.

Registration for the annual youth gathering is now open; the
registration deadline is May 1. Click here
()
for event information and registration materials, or contact
[email protected] (mailto:[email protected]) .

The committee is looking for support of its ad booklet; click here
()
for information on how you can help.

** EVENTS
————————————————————
St. Nersess Seminary

** A Retreat at St. Nersess Seminary
————————————————————
St. Nersess Armenian Seminary will host a daylong retreat focusing on
the canonization of the martyrs of the Armenian Genocide. The retreat
will be held at the seminary in New Rochelle, NY, on Saturday, April
25, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Presenters include Dr. Roberta Ervine, Professor of Armenian Studies
at St. Nersess Seminary, and seminarian Arpi Nakashian.

The retreat is free and open to the public. Click here
()
to view a flyer for information.

1915: The Movie

** “1915: The Movie” Being Screened in New York City
————————————————————
`1915: The Movie’-a drama and psychological thriller co-written and
directed by Garin Hovannisian in anticipation of the100th anniversary
of the Armenian Genocide-is playing at Quad Cinema in New York City
through Thursday, April 30.

Click on the following links to visit the film’s official site
()
and to purchase tickets
()
.

Kardash Onig

** Kardash Onnig Exhibit to Open in Upstate New York
————————————————————
Artist Kardash Onnig has created a multimedia installation in
observance of the centennial of the Armenian Genocide. Titled
“Transfourming Sorrow,” the exhibition will open on Saturday, April
25, in Stanfordville, NY.

It is free and open to the public. Click here
()
for more information.

PEN

** Armenian Genocide Talk at PEN Center
————————————————————
PEN American Center will present “Armenian Genocide: A Dark
Paradigm”=80’a talk featuring Peter Balakian, Eric Bogosian, Maureen
Freely, Nancy Kricorian, Robert Jay Lifton, Ronald Grigor Suny, and
Ragip Zarakolu on Wednesday, May 6 at 7:30 p.m.

The event will be held at SVA Theatre in New York City (333 West 23rd
Street). Click here
()
to view a flyer for more information, or visit penworldvoices.org
()
to purchase tickets.

From: A. Papazian

ARMENIAN PRESIDENT: MODERN TURKEY DID NOT COMMIT GENOCIDE, BUT TAKES RESPONSIBILITY BY DENYING IT

00:36, 24 Apr 2015
Siranush Ghazanchyan

Turkey should stop covering the atrocities committed by the Ottoman
Empire, and recognize the Armenian genocide, Armenia’s president
Serzh Sargsyan said on the eve of the 100th anniversary of the start
of the mass killings.

“We want the modern Turkish authorities to shed the burden of the
actions of the Ottoman Empire,”Sargsyan told Russia Today doing a
sit-down interview in capital Yerevan. “The modern authorities did
not commit the genocide, but when they try to justify it, they take
responsibility for it.”

Despite disagreements, in 2009, Yerevan and Ankara signed a “historic”
deal, that would lead to the establishment of diplomatic relations
and opening of the borders, but neither the Armenian, nor the Turkish
parliament have ratified it.

“The Turks don’t want, from what they have shown, to establish
relations. We have demonstrated on numerous occasions that the very
moment that Turkey ratifies the document, we are ratifying it,”
said Sargsyan.

The Armenian leader, who has been in his post since 2008, accused
Turkey of imposing “preconditions” for a deal. Ankara has refused
to sign any diplomatic documents or to recognize the genocide until
Armenia officially abandons its claims for lands inside Turkey, where
Armenians lived prior to 1915. Another thorny issue is the dispute
over Nagorno-Karabakh, where Ankara has supported the Muslim Azeri
population, in its stand-off with the Christian Armenians.

“We haven’t posed any preconditions to Turks. We haven’t said to
them that we should recognize Armenian genocide to establish normal
relations with us, and I think our position was just and fair, and
constructive. But the Turkish side, the Turkish leadership, to be
precise, have always come up with this or that or that precondition,”
said the Armenian president.

Sargsyan additionally accused Turkey of “expanding its denial toolbox”
after it moved its centennial anniversary of the Gallipoli victory
of the Allies to April 24, to coincide with Armenia’s Genocide
Remembrance Day.

“It is not acceptable if they violate the chronology and adapt it to
another date in order to divert the tension from another date. That’s
where the problem is. We don’t want to have a competition of dates,
and we don’t want to make April 24, a Remembrance Day for Armenian
genocide victims to be in competition with Turkey, either in terms
of counting the numbers of heads of states that come here, or the
number of delegations that arrive here.”

While the European parliament had a symbolic vote to recognize the
genocide, Barack Obama, who had liberally used the term prior to his
election as US President in 2008, has shied away from it in office,
presumably to avoid upsetting longtime NATO ally Turkey.

Sargsyan said the White House stance was insincere.

“I’ve spoken with US officials. No one there denies the genocide,
but it is simply not in America’s national interest to recognize
it officially.”

From: A. Papazian

TURKEY PM SAYS THOSE SPEAKING ABOUT GENOCIDE COMMIT CRIME AGAINST HUMANITY

20:21, 23.04.2015
Region:World News, Armenia, Turkey
Theme: Politics

Turkey’s Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu voiced criticism against the
countries and international organizations that have recognized the
Armenian Genocide.

Prime Minister said those who are trying to open the wounds of the
tragedy that occurred 100 years ago, are committing a crime against
humanity.

“As a nation that suffered great losses as a result of wars in the
beginning of the twentieth century, we reject slander directed against
us,” Davutoglu said.

From: A. Papazian