Supreme Spiritual Council finishes work at Holy Etchmiadzin

ArmInfo. A meeting of the Supreme Spiritual Council was held in the Mother See of Holy  Etchmiadzin under the chairmanship of the Supreme Patriarch,  Catholicos of All Armenians Garegin II.

As reported by the press office of the Mother See of Holy  Etchmiadzin, the meeting was held under the coordination of the  Armenian Patriarch of Constantinople, Archbishop Sahak Mashalyan, and  the meeting was chaired by the Archbishop of the Mother See of Holy  Etchmiadzin Arshak Khachatryan.

The Supreme Spiritual Council, among other things, heard a report by  Arman Tatoyan, Director of the Tatoyan Center for Law and Justice, on  prisoners illegally held in Azerbaijan.

The Council issued a separate statement in connection with the sham  trials being conducted in Azerbaijan against the political  leadership, military personnel and civilians of Artsakh.

Doctor of Political Sciences Artur Khachikyan spoke about the  external and internal challenges of the homeland, emphasizing the  need for diplomatic efforts aimed at managing national interests and  maintaining regional balance.

Thinking with concern about the challenges facing Armenia and the  Armenian people, the members of the Supreme Spiritual Council  emphasized the important mission of the Armenian Church in overcoming  existing problems, strengthening national unity and solidarity,  Armenia-Diaspora cooperation, and the effective implementation of the  pan-Armenian potential.

A separate report was presented on the demographic problems of  Armenia. Candidate of Historical Sciences, demography specialist  Mikael Malkhasyan presented the modern demographic picture of  Armenia, statistics of natural population growth and migration during  the years of independence in a chronological and comparative context.

The members of the Supreme Spiritual Council expressed concern about  the alarming demographic indicators, while noting the fact that not  enough initiatives are being implemented in this direction. The  important role of the Church in this area was also emphasized in  terms of increasing efforts in the framework of pastoral care and  spiritual preaching to strengthen Armenian families and encourage  childbearing.

Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Jerusalem Patriarchate  Bishop Theodoros Zakarian informed the parishioners about issues  related to the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem, mentioning the  lease deal of the Cow Garden estate, the property tax issues brought  against the estates of the Patriarchate and the steps taken in this  direction.

The Supreme Spiritual Council expressed its support for the Order of  St. James of Jerusalem and the Armenian community, emphasizing the  importance of a fair solution to the above-mentioned issues and the  consistent efforts being made in this direction. The Primate of the  Armenian Diocese of Damascus, Bishop Armash Nalbandian, provided  comprehensive information on the situation in Syria, the ongoing  changes in the country's political system, as well as the current  security and economic problems and challenges facing the Armenian  community.

During the meeting, they also spoke about the humanitarian programs  implemented by the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin in 2024, aimed at  socially vulnerable groups of the population displaced from Artsakh,  the families of fallen servicemen, large families and Diaspora  communities.

In total, the Mother See and the dioceses provided assistance in the  amount equivalent to 1,551,115 US dollars (608,037,073 Armenian  drams).

The Supreme Spiritual Council received with gratitude the report  reflecting the extensive activities of the Armenian Apostolic Church.