Divine Liturgy at the Mother Cathedral of Etchmiadzin
02.07.2025
On July 1, at the Mother Cathedral of Etchmiadzin, Reverend Bishop Krikor Khachatryan, Primate of the Armenian Diocese of France, celebrated the Holy and Immortal Divine Liturgy for the peace of the homeland, the liberation of captives, and the consolation of the afflicted.
In his homily, the Bishop recalled the biblical question, “Where have you come from, and where are you going?” (Genesis 16:8), emphasizing that this question is addressed to each individual and all humanity. His Grace Krikor Khachatryan stressed that to find the answer, one must walk toward Jesus Christ, so that by recognizing divine truth, through repentance and contrition, we may rediscover our true calling and mission.
The celebrant noted that this question remains deeply relevant today, especially amid the turbulent times facing our nation.
“Every Armenian who is familiar with the history of their homeland and Church can confidently say where they have come from and where they are going. But someone who knows only fragments of that history has no future—for it is by knowing the past that one builds the future; it is by recognizing the errors of the past that we transform the present and avoid repeating them in the future. So, where are we today? As a nation, we seem to be in a state where we do not know where we came from, how we came to dwell on this grace-bearing land, or where we are heading,” said the Primate of the Armenian Diocese of France, urging the faithful to walk a path illuminated by the awareness of their identity.
During the singing of “Lord, have mercy” in the Divine Liturgy, the clergy and assembled faithful offered special prayers for the release of the unlawfully imprisoned Archbishops Mikayel and Bagrat, national benefactor Mr. Samvel Karapetyan, all those in distress or captivity, and for a peaceful and prosperous life in the homeland.
