Author: Paul Hambardsumian

MESSAGE OF HIS HOLINESS KAREKIN II
SUPREME PATRIARCH AND CATHOLICOS OF ALL ARMENIANS
ON THE OCCASION OF THE GLORIOUS RESURRECTION
OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST
Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, March 27, 2016

 

In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen

O Christ, you rose from the dead,
Destroying the hell today.
And through Your Resurrection
You granted life to Your creatures
(Hymn)

Our Beloved Faithful in Armenia, Artsakh and in the Diaspora,

Today, on this joyous feast of Holy Easter, with the words of the hymnist we praise our Lord and Savior, who is risen from the dead, destroyed hell, and with His resurrection gave life to His creatures.

Christ’s resurrection shined onto the darkness of death the light of eternity, bestowing on mankind the blessedness of the heavenly kingdom, and the grace of a resurrected life on this earth and in the life to come.  With Christ’s resurrection, a new creation, a new mankind, which is emancipated from sin and the curse of death, lives in the grace of God and is made worthy of eternal life.  In accordance with the words of the apostle, “old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” (2 Corinthians 5:17). For the only begotten Son of God, our Lord and Savior, “who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel:” (2 Timothy 1:10). The Gospel of Jesus Christ is the gospel of resurrection, the gospel of eternity, the gospel of life; through which comes to us the understanding of God’s boundless love, the Lord’s voice, that gives life to souls; and the truth of the resurrection of Christ.

Today, in front of the mystery of the Lord’s miraculous resurrection, the question naturally arises – to what extent are we living the life that Christ has renewed for us, to what extent are we following the Savior’s words and commandments? What do we cherish in our lives?  The gospel of resurrection, or wandering teachings and deceitful ideologies?  Following the will of the Lord, or sinful, life-destroying paths? Accumulating treasures in heaven, or greedily aspiring for worldly gains?  Spiritual freedom, or shameless unrestrained living?  True righteousness and honesty or the “justice” Pilate sought?  Do we choose Jesus, or Barabas, the bandit?

Alongside the unprecedented progress in science and education, we also witness in our days the destruction of traditional values, humanity’s moral decay and evidence of bankrupt spirituality. Yet, in the state of life’s modern conveniences, fast pace, and opportunities; people, even family members, are estranged from one another.  In the midst of plentiful goodness, neither need, nor hardship is eliminated, but rather society becomes progressively polarized. While life has become easier through the advances of technology it has also facilitated new means of warfare and terrorism, which continuously shake the world, becoming a common threat against humanity.

In light of these realities, and at all times, it is imperative that we all realize and speak out about divine justice and atonement on this earth and in the life to come, which is imminent for every individual and nation. Indeed, Christ-given resurrection is not merely a gift, but also subject to judgment, as is written in the Gospels, “Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice.  And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.” (John 5:28-29).  The journey of resurrection and life is the rejection of everything that makes us slaves to sin, for: “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life” (Romans 6:23). It is with this understanding that the Apostle emphasizes putting on the heavenly, “that mortality might be swallowed up of life” (2 Corinthians 5:4-5).

The life that swallows death, is a life of spiritual fullness, longing, and an effort to live in God; in mind, heart and the entire strength of soul; and, in accordance with the commandments of the Gospel which injects the strength of the resurrected life into the individuals and people who have put their trust in Christ.

The world filled with anxiety and turbulence as well as our own reality, which is likewise filled with worrisome difficulties and problems, can be transformed by a life of spiritual fullness granted by Christ, conquering mankind’s pains and tragedies, and establishing the foundation of security and happiness everywhere.  Christ’s resurrection is an ever-resounding invitation for the world to rise from sin towards grace; so that all that spreads death and distraction may be swallowed by the life, led and lived by God.  Christ’s resurrection is the foundation and the reinforcement of faith, which enlightens the hearts of humanity, grants consolation and hope to those mired in hardship, imparts strength and power to rise from the sufferings of “golgothas”, bestows courage and a brave spirit in just struggles, inspires dedication, and gives joy and elation to live and create.

This spirit and path are natural and characteristic for our people, our life, and history, and illuminate our present and future.  Rising, facing difficulties undaunted, building a new life – our people testified to these through the re-establishment of our independent state, which will celebrate its twenty-fifth anniversary this year.  In our efforts of strengthening our homeland, building and empowering our national life, as well as confronting the challenges before us today, dear beloved, we have the faith and light of Christ’s resurrection leading us.  Hereupon, let us fill our lives with the love of our Lord, mutual support, and with the good news of God-pleasing labor.

Through the mystery of Easter, our souls shine with the grace of the resurrection that Christ has bestowed upon us, which is sealed on our lives when we live with faith and Christian values, for our dear ones, our people, our homeland, and our Holy Church.

In this Cathedral of the descent of the only-begotten Son, we pray and wish that every child of our nation accept with renewed faith the good news of the resurrection of Christ, and we as a nation with love towards Christ our Lord, may always proceed through our just and worthy deeds in the path of progress, having on our lips the everlasting praise:

O Christ, you rose from the dead,
Destroying the hell today.
And through Your Resurrection
You granted life to Your creatures.
(Hymn)

With the joy of the Holy Resurrection of Christ in Our heart, we greet the incumbents of the hierarchical sees of our Apostolic Holy Church; His Holiness, Aram I, Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia; the Armenian Patriarch of Jersualem, Archbishop Nurhan Manoogian; Armenian Patriarch of Constantinople, Archbishop Mesrop Mutafian; and to all the oath-bound clergy of our Church. We convey our greetings in the love of Christ to the heads of our Sister Churches, beseeching the Lord for His abundant grace to be poured from heaven upon their God-protected flocks.

With the good news of the resurrection we greet and bring our best wishes to the President of Armenia, His Excellency Serzh Sargsyan. We extend our greetings to President Bako Sahakyan of the Republic of Nagorno Karabakh; Armenia’s state officials, and the representatives of diplomatic missions accredited in Armenia. We bring our love and blessings to all our people, in Armenia and in the Diaspora.

On this day of Easter, filled with hope and grace, it is our plea that the graces of the risen Christ be widely spread all over the world and in our homeland, that peace reign everywhere, and humanity, raised out of the caverns of tragedies and sorrows and hardships, build its life with hope and faith, full of love, brotherhood and solidarity.

May the love of Our Lord Jesus Christ and the mercy of God remain with us and all, today and forever. Amen.

Christ is Risen from the dead.
Blessed is the Resurrection of Christ.

 

 

 

The last sitting of the fifth plenary session of the Euronest Parliamentary Assembly in Brussels has been cancelled, member of the Armenian delegation to Euronest PA Karine Achemyan told Public Radio of Armenia.

She said that after consultations with the Armenian Ambassador to Belgium, head of the Armenian delegation Artak Zakaryan decided that the Armenian delegates would not leave the hotel at all.

The date of the Armenian lawmakers’ return is not unclear, either, as the airport remains closed.

On March 22, 2016 Komitas Museum-Institute will host an internationally renowned Armenian pianist Hayk Melikyan, an Honored Artist of the Republic of Armenia.

The concert program covers both the Giants of the 20th Century, including Olivier Messiaen, Heitor Villa-Lobos, Henryk Gorecki, Lubos Fiser as well as the works by contemporary young composers: Klaus Lang (Austira), Bohdan Sehin and Anna Korsun (Ukraine), Anthony Green (US), Amir Tafreshipour (Iran). There will be eight Armenian and international premieres during one evening.

“Hayk’s Yerevan audience has been waiting for a special contemporary music concert by Hayk for about a year. In addition to the classics of the 20th century, Hayk has also included a bucket of ultra-contemporary pieces, where the composers use non-traditional performing technique. It is really gladsome to see the great interest and inspiration of the Armenian audience towards the contemporary music. This is the evidence of the demand and respect towards the contemporary art in Armenia,”- noted Alexander Hakobyan, the Artistic Manager of the Pianist.

The next Concert of Hayk Melikyan will take place on March 31, 2016 in Nicosia, Cyprus with Levon Mouradian, cellist from Portugal. The program covers prominent Russian composers such as S.Taneyev, S.Rachmaninoff and A.Schnittke.

Canadians all over the country, including Niagara, are stepping forward with offers of assistance and questioning what more they can do to help.

The Syrian refugees who have started to Canada and it is expected that hundreds of additional people will resettle in the Niagara region over the coming months, making this area their new home.

Given that many of the refugees are from a Syrian-Armenian background, the Syrian-Armenian Refugee Committee (SARC), led by the Armenian Community Centre, is working with the Niagara Refugee Assistance Committee to help with the arrival, settlement and building of positive relationships for the new families settling within the community.

The Centre has privately sponsored 8 families and are in the process of welcoming additional families in the near future.

With this in mind, the Armenian Community Centre of St.Catharines is  hosting a benefit concert on March 12 featuring local bands, with all proceeds going towards the newly settled families, according to .

The entertainment blog, The Playlist is predicting that much-anticipated Genocide-themed film, “The Promise,” with its lead actors Oscar Isaac and Christian Bale, will be on a short list for Academy Award consideration in 2017.

“Right now, ’The Promise,’ from ‘Hotel Rwanda’ director Terry George, is a little under the radar, but we don’t expect that to last. Firstly, it’s a lavish period love triangle set against the Armenian genocide in the last days of the Ottoman Empire, a subject matter rarely examined on film but is long overdue for the big-budget treatment. Secondly, it has a heavyweight cast, particularly when it comes to its two male leads Christian Bale and Oscar Isaac, and we think either one could end up registering with the Academy. It’ll depend on which actor ends up campaigning for lead (assuming it’s picked up in time for an awards season release), but both are deserving: Bale earned his third nomination last year for ‘The Big Short’ (having won for ‘The Fighter,’ his first nod), while Isaac has never been recognized but is much more familiar to voters now after ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ and likely stands his best chance yet. Either could follow in the footsteps of George’s ‘Hotel Rwanda’ star Don Cheadle for a nod,” wrote Oliver Lyttelton of the Playlist Blog, published on the entertainment website,

Golden Globe-winner Issac and Oscar winner Bale were announced as leads of “The Promise” in June when Survivor Pictures, founded by late-billionaire Kirk Kerkorian revealed the long-rumored film project.

Longtime Kerkorian attorney and spokesperson , “Survival Pictures was born out of Kirk Kerkorian’s unwavering dedication to telling inspiring human stories for audiences around the world. ‘The Priomise’ will be a wonderful love story and will open the door to the championing of human rights. This film fulfills a longstanding dream for Mr. Kerkorian, who was thrilled to participate in the development and casting process.”

After shooting was completed on the film, Survival Pictures co-manager and a producer of the film, Eric Esrailian told  in an email that “Kirk will be proud,” referring to Kerkorian. “That makes all of the hard work even more special.”The film is slated for release in 2016.

President Serzh Sargsyan today held consultations on issues of Armenian-French economic cooperation. Taking into consideration that the relations between Armenia and friendly France are on a high level and are described as privileged by both countries, the discussions focused on the current state of economic ties, the perspectives of development of mutually beneficial cooperation in different spheres.

Attending the meeting were Armenia’s Ambassador to France Vigen Chitechyan, Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian, Head of the Armenia-France Deputy Friendship Group, MP Ara Babloyan, Minister of Economy Artsvik Minasyan, other officials.

The President noted that more than 140 companies with French capital are currently operating in Armenia, playing an important role in the country’s economic development.

He noted, however, that the trade-economic relations are on a high level and added that the commodity turnover between the two countries is not satisfactory.

Ambassador Vigen Chitechyan presented a detailed report on issues on the agenda of Armenian-French economic cooperation, the steps being taken in that direction, the existing problems and the future plans.  He noted that the bilateral economic ties intensified after 2007, making France Armenia’s second partner in term of foreign investments.

PHOTO: REUTERS/HAMID KHATIB

 

Kurdish-led fighters aided by Russian bombing captured a rebel-held former Syrian military airport near the border with Turkey, a monitor and rebels said on Thursday, reports.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said heavy fighting took place between Kurds and Syrian insurgents around Menagh airport and Russian warplanes staged at least 30 raids against the rebels holding out there.

Rebels say the Kurdish YPG militias have been taking advantage of their preoccupation with fending off a Syrian army ground offensive launched last week in the northern Aleppo countryside to gain ground in the area near a main border crossing with Turkey.

Kurdish fighters based in their stronghold in the city of Afrin, south of rebel-held Azaz, have grabbed a string of villages that rebels have been forced to evacuate to confront advancing Syrian troops coming from the south.

Russian bombing had allowed Syrian troops supported by Iranian-backed Shi’ite militias to reach almost 25 km  from the Turkish border, the closest they have come in more than two-and-a-half years.

This allowed them to rupture a main rebel supply line between the border and portions of the city of Aleppo which insurgents control. The army with the help of its allies is now seeking to regain full control of what was once the country’s most populous city.

On 5 February in connection with the 20^th anniversary of the Republic of Armenia’s Constitutional Court Artsakh Republic President Bako Sahakyan sent a congratulatory address to the president of the court Gagik Haroutyunyan, Central Information Department of the Office of the Artsakh Republic President reports.

The address runs as follows:

“On behalf of the Artsakh people, authorities and myself personally I convey my cordial congratulations in connection with the 20^th anniversary of the Republic of Armenia Constitutional Court.

The necessity of establishing the Armenian Constitutional Court as an instance securing the supremacy of the country’s Mother Law and its immediate operation, defending human rights and freedoms has been confirmed during these 20 years.

Since the very day of its formation the court being the only instance executing constitutional justice has been working towards establishing constitutionalism, forming civil society, legal culture in the country and cooperating with different international and foreign legal institutions has been bringing the state’s legislation in compliance with the international standards.

I once again congratulate You and judges of the Constitutional Court on this memorable day wishing peace, robust health, new professional accomplishments and successes for the glory of the Republic of Armenia and our people”.

Ukrainian Economy Minister Aivaras Abromavicius quit on Wednesday saying his ministry was being hijacked by corrupt vested interests, dealing another blow to Western hopes that the country can reform itself, Reuters reports.

In his resignation statement, Abromavicius singled out a close ally of billionaire President Petro Poroshenko, accusing him of blocking his ministry’s work and trying to control its revenue streams.

“My team and I have no wish to be a cover for open corruption or puppets under the control of those who want to establish control over state money in the style of the old authorities,” Abromavicius said in a statement to reporters.

“I can’t be effective under such a system. It is impossible for technocrats to work with guys that want to usurp power, and make processes un-transparent,” he added.

On January 26, Edward Nalbandian, Minister of Foreign Affairs, received Nikolay Bordyuzha, Secretary-General of Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO).

During the meeting, the interlocutors discussed the decisions of the session of CSTO Collective Security Council held in Moscow, the process of implementation of priorities of the Armenian chairmanship in the Organization.

Expressing gratitude for the reception, Nikolay Bordyuzha presented to the Foreign Minister of Armenia the ongoing activity of the Organization, commended the extensive work undertaken by the Armenian chairmanship in the CSTO.

Edward Nalbandian and Nikolay Bordyuzha discussed issues on the agenda of Organization, touched upon preparatory works of the sessions of CSTO statutory bodies.