Statement by the Clergy Assembly at the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin
10.02.2026
With the paternal blessing of His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, on the occasion of the sacred feast of the Holy Ghevondian Priests, we have gathered at the spiritual center of the Armenian people—the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin—to renew our sacred vow of service to the Most High and to our faithful people, and to reaffirm our fidelity and love toward Holy Etchmiadzin and the Catholicos of All Armenians.
The example of the holy Ghevondian martyrs has always been an enduring call to Armenian clergy—an exhortation to zealous devotion to the faith and vigilant care for our spiritual heritage, to selfless service and steadfast love for the Homeland.
Amid the rapid changes of the modern world and the challenges of our national life, inspired by the heroic witness of the Ghevondians, we are called to safeguard the national and spiritual identity of our people dispersed throughout the world, to preserve the values sanctified through the centuries, and to strengthen in the hearts of our faithful children a spirit of patriotism and devoted love for the Holy Church.
Our Apostolic Holy Church is the unshakable foundation of our national identity and one of the firm pillars of our state’s stability, which must be preserved and strengthened.
In recent months, the national and ecclesiastical life of our people has undergone serious trials due to the targeting and persecution of the Church and the clergy by the authorities of Armenia. The resulting situation has brought tension and adverse consequences into the life of our communities. Regrettably, the unacceptable conduct of certain clergymen has also contributed to this state of affairs.
In order to avoid new divisions, it is imperative that we, the clergy—remaining faithful to our vow and calling—strictly adhere to the statutes and canons of our Apostolic Holy Church, strive to restore unity in a spirit of brotherly love, and, placing our trust in God, render our sacred ministry fruitful through works of faith.
We call upon the children of our people, in this time of trial, to steadfastly and unwaveringly preserve the faith of our forefathers, to remain firmly attached to our Holy Church and to the spiritual center of the Armenian people—the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin—so that, through mutual support, we may guide the Armenian Ark toward a safe and radiant harbor.
It is our unceasing prayer that the Heavenly Lord keep the whole world in peace, preserve our Homeland secure and steadfast, grant our people harmony and tranquility, and cause the Armenian Apostolic Holy Church to shine in eternal splendor.
“I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment” (1 Corinthians 1:10).
