Karekin II... A response from the Editor of Seta's Armenian Blogspot

Dear Reader 

Of course, I am in no position to pass judgement over our Archbishop, it is a matter for him and his conscience to make the right decision. The overwhelming consensus show, he should stand down. What is the church, if not the people? In which case the people have spoken.

I know we all make mistakes, some minor, some major and one would hope we have learned from them! More so, and more over during our younger years. But, we do not walk in the accused’s shoes, so how are we to know the circumstances or the juxta position he [Karakin II] has found himself. 

We have no right to accuse! If Karakin II was elected falsely then those who implemented the untruth status should also find it in their hearts and minds to stand down from their positions.   

There is a saying, ‘Tzooge koolkhen ge hodi.’ Having elected him we find his choices and action unacceptable.‘We create the monster after which we want to destroy him!’

The listed items are so damming, no one in their right mind would take the steps to implement them or to help in seeing the actions through, the decree make the partakers a parted to these wrong doings. Karakin II is just a man! We venerate to pressurize, but do not walk in their shoes - But we can take them down a path to walk in ours!  

Christianity is about love, so how do we expect to segregate a man from love, family, children. To find the result of his love to be hidden from view. To be a sin, for the children to  carry his sin as if it were their fault or doing from such a beautiful act.

Keeping women out of such an influential and integral part of nature and life could be or may be the cause or result of the decline of our beliefs in the Holy Word. 

Or are we to continue to hold the old ways and perpetuate the belief that the son of God was celibate, or that having a woman in his life was more of a sin than having another *man? [* I refer to homosexuality.]

There are so many contradictions and confusing statements, we as Christians have accepted them as miracles or just because we are Christians, yet the whole ethos of Christ’s beginnings are from a virgin birth. Yes, it was a virgin birth as she [Mary] had a virgin womb, untouched by any other man but Joseph! Denying Mary’s partner Joseph the joy as the partaker of the joy given to a man and a woman to partake in the act of procreation. The acceptance of the above makes Mary a husbandless mother, a child without a father and Joseph redundant as the rightful father of Jesus, and out of wedlock. 

What a reflection of family life are we accepting? If this is to be our role model. 

Then why are people who are living this ancient but modern day lives looked down upon?

Those of us with high Christian moral standards have to question what we read, what we understand as right and wrong. 

Simply, our inherent upbringing is from our parents and grandparents indoctrination.

Who is to say we are right or wrong in any belief, religion or creed.

Respect, love and forgiveness...I digress, forgive me! Having read me don’t you feel calm, warm and more at ease with the frame we call our body! 

We are able to heal our selves or destroy the very being that we are...LOVE. 

We can cherish relish and give thanks to our makers, our parents, if we have belief, hope and love! 

Seta

_________________________________________________________________________

The Listing

1. Catholicos Karekin II was elected (1999) through widespread fraud, thanks to the help of former President Robert Kocharian and Armenia oligarchs. Intimidation and bribes were used to get pro-Karekin votes. The $3-million bribe came from wealthy Diaspora donors, particularly from a famed family of benefactors.

Human rights worker Ara K. Manoogian of Los Angeles has aired graphic data on how the catholicos was fraudulently elected. To summarize Manoogian’s main point, the delegations from Russia and Armenia were illegally allowed a far greater number of votes than their congregation numbers justified. Manoogian, the nephew of the late Patriarch Torkom Manoogian of Jerusalem, also says that his uncle told him about the election fraud and that he had protested to Catholicos Karekin II about the blatant chicanery but to no avail.

As well, a month prior to the election, a number of archbishops released a statement which said that Armenia authorities “at the highest level have come to a consensus in favor of one candidate and are trying to install him on the throne.” The reference was to the future Catholicos Karekin II. 

2. The catholicos has fathered two children. A photo of one of his supposed offspring is on the Internet. There’s also talk that he is too intimate with a female North American donor.

3. He lacks sound knowledge of theology; knows little of the history and traditions of the Armenian Church. Despite his studies in Armenia and in Europe, he has superficial academic grounding. He even stumbles when reciting the Lord’s Prayer. There’s doubt whether he is a believer.

4. He has no spiritual grace or dignity. He is the dictatorial manager of Echmiadzin, an oligarch in royal purple soutane.

5. He has monopolized all authority as supreme judge, as head of the legislative body, as president of the Supreme Spiritual Council and as head of the College of Bishops. Transparency and accountability are foreign concepts to him.

6. He is rude, crude, common, capricious, unjust, uncouth, intemperate, incompetent, vicious, vain, venal, abusive, authoritarian, glory- and money-seeking, lacks spirituality, and is secretive….It’s not even certain whether he was born in 1951 or 1954.

7. Under his management, Holy Echmiadzin has become a cesspool of intrigue, suspicion, fear, jealousy, intimidation, and nepotism. His Stalinist-Berian style has turned Echmiadzin into a snake-pit.

8. Under his watch, senior Armenia clergymen have fathered children and lead extravagant lives. One of them—Archbishop Navasart Kjoyan, head of the Araratian Diocese—owns a Bentley, one of the most expensive cars anywhere. Kjoyan is also accused of involvement in an off-shore financial scam.

9. Homosexuality among Armenia and Diaspora clergy is another failing the catholicos hasn’t addressed.

10. Under his watch, senior Armenia clergymen have become businessmen and owners of companies. In addition to Archbishop Kjoyan, another clergyman-businessman is Bishop Abraham Mkrchyan of Vayots Dzor. He owns several mini-hydro plants.

11. As an oligarch, the catholicos is part owner of a Yerevan minibus company.

12. He has appropriated property belonging to the Church.

13. He has neglected the restoration of crumbling historical monastic buildings while spending $309,000 to purchase seven Toyotas. To avoid VAT payments, he alleged the money was donated by oligarch Samvel Karapetyan, owner of Tashir Corp. The catholicos’ “neglect” of historic church buildings has been described as “cultural genocide against Medieval Armenian churches and monasteries.”

14. His behavior and that of his Armenia clergy have driven thousands of Armenians into the arms of cults such as the Jehovah’s Witnesses and the Mormons.

15. He has defrocked at least 160 archbishops, bishops, clergymen, and deacons. Never in the 1,700-year history of the Armenian Church have so many clergymen been dismissed for non-heretical reasons. His mass defrocking has been described as “a reign of terror” and “spiritual massacre of the Armenian Apostolic Church”. As a result of his capricious defrocking binge, he was rebuked by Patriarch Mesrob II Mutafyan of Istanbul. The Patriarch pointed out to him-- when a certain senior clergyman was defrocked peremptorily--that if the accusation is clear and evidential “a review board must be formed, the subject accused must be given the opportunity for self defense.” The patriarch also accused the catholicos of interfering in patriarchate affairs.  

16. When he defrocked Archbishop Tiran Kyoureghyan of the New Nakhichevan Diocese, for alleged disobedience, Catholicos Karekin II installed his own brother—a priest—as primate.

17. To hide his mediocrity and limited intellectual capacity, he has driven his contemporaries from Echmiadzin, according to a group of Canadian-Armenians.

18. He didn’t condemn the recent fraudulent presidential elections. Instead, he extended his blessing at Serge Sarkissian’s inauguration.

19. His crude and immature behavior during his meeting with Catholicos Elia II of Georgia embarrassed the Armenian Church, Armenia, and Georgian Armenians. As such, he is a harmful representative of the Armenian Church and Nation.

20. He blundered, for the nth time, in his ecumenical responsibilities when he treated the Jerusalem and Istanbul Patriarchates as if these august Sees were minor diocesan entities. An irritated Patriarch Nurhan Manougian of Jerusalem announced earlier this month that he would not attend an upcoming meeting of senior churchmen, organized by the catholicos. He like, the patriarch in Istanbul, expressed his displeasure with the catholicos’ inexplicable tactics to precipitate the resignation of Archbishop Norvan Zakarian, the long-time and popular Primate of France.

21.While visiting Jerusalem a few years ago, the catholicos threatened senior clergymen of the Sts. James’ Brotherhood and said: “I will strip all of you of your ranks.”

22. He attempted, in Western Europe (e.g. Switzerland) to centralize the management of the various churches. The French-Armenia community publicly condemned his heavy-handed interference in the internal administrative affairs of the French diocese.

23. He supported convicted criminal clergyman (Fr. Vatche Hayrabedian) against Archbishop Zakaryan. When Hayrabedian was the pastor of the church in Nice, his congregation pleaded with the catholicos to remove the disreputable clergyman. Their pleas were ignored.