HH Karekin II interview

[Boghos]

The following are excerpts of an exclusive interview with United

Press International's Life & Mind Editor Claude Salhani.

 

UPI: In your opinion, the Armenian church, which is the oldest state

church in the world, has survived seven decades of Communism. How is

it growing and is it appealing to the young people?

 

Karekin II: For 70 years the church was tolerated and the activities

were very limited. After the collapse of the U.S.S.R., the church got

freedom to act, but the Armenian church was not prepared for the

transition from one set of realities, to this new one.

 

That vacuum which was created over 70 years when the walls of

Communism came down, ... there was this hunger and the people embraced

the church very strongly. For example, when this happened, the church

did not have enough clergy -- remember 70 years of Communism had

curtailed that, we did not have churches, we did not have the

means. So one of the first things to do was to prepare to meet the

needs of the people. The church suddenly found itself in a position

where it had to meet all these needs.

 

First we had to deal with preparing new clergy, new teachers,

religious education classes, and to revitalize the preaching.

 

All this was part of the reorganization which was all destroyed under

Communism. One of the other important things we needed to do, which we

are doing, is to build new churches in various cities and towns which

were lost over the years. To reopen and repair old historical churches

across the country.

 

One thing we must stress is despite Communism and atheism that came

with it, the Armenians never lost their faith deep in their

hearts. That was always there. The faith was in the heart of our

people, because in all the history, the church played a great role in

keeping the identity of the nation. In that way the church was taken

as a national church.

 

 

UPI: Do you have trouble attracting young people to the church?

 

Karekin II: No, in fact it is surprising to note that for every

available place in the seminary, we are getting four applications. We

have a shortage of priests because we don't have enough

seminaries. From 40 students that we were allowed to have during the

Communist period, we have 250 now. But it is not enough.

 

 

UPI: What are your relations with Rome?

 

Karekin II: We have very warm and brotherly relations not only with

the Catholic church and the pope as such, but also with all other

Christian churches. I was in the Vatican last November and met with

Pope John Paul II. I invited the pope to come to Yerevan (the capital

of Armenia) and he said he would come to visit.

 

 

UPI: The relationships between Rome and some Orthodox churches are

somewhat tense. How are you getting along with the Western church?

 

Karekin II: This ecumenical spirit that we have has opened us to other

churches and has allowed us to have good working relations with the

others. We have good contacts throughout existing dioceses and

communities. The very fact that we have these diaspora communities in

the West and elsewhere ... all these are a bridge between the mother

See and the other churches.

 

 

UPI: Are you happy with the World Council of Churches?

 

Karekin II: We are members of that, we are actively participating, and

the moderator is one of our clergy. We have no reason to leave the

WCC. We are convinced that in this millennium, the only way to

improve everything for mankind in this case is by cooperation and

coordination and understanding of all churches. And the WCC is a forum

for cooperation and understanding

 

 

UPI: What is your position on Jerusalem?

 

Karekin II: Our position is that it should have a special status. And

any solution should not jeopardize the sanctity of the holy places

there, and not jeopardize the free expression and activities of the

churches that exist there.

 

 

UPI: What kind of special status?

 

Karekin II: An open city status. So we are not saying that it should

belong under this or that administration. That is not the major

concern. Whatever administration it may be, joint administration, or

single, the important thing is that whoever manages or administers

should not jeopardize the status of Jerusalem as a holy city and the

free expression and the free movement (for all faiths). That kind of

open city. We are saying internationalization, we are not saying

United Nations.

 

 

UPI: Do you see yourself and the Armenian church negotiating in the

dispute with Azerbaijan over Nagorno Artsax?

 

Karekin II: What we are trying to do is to create an atmosphere to

facilitate the ground in which the two heads of states (of Armenia and

Azerbaijan) can operate towards a peaceful end to this conflict.

Along those lines, through the mediation of the head of the Russian

Church, Alexiy II (patriarch of Moscow and all Russia) we had a

meeting a few months ago with Sheikh ul-Islam ***** Zadeh of

Azerbaijan (the spiritual head of the Azeri-Turkic Muslims and

chairman of the Baku-based Muslim Spiritual Board of Transcaucasia).

 

We expressed our willingness, all three of us, to stand behind

through our work to create a positive atmosphere so that the peace

process can go ahead.

 

 

UPI: Do you see any trends towards unification between the Armenian

church, Rome and the Orthodox church?

 

Karekin II: Of course that is the final objective of every Christian

and it is a lot of work. We pray that it will be a reality one day.

 

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Copyright 2001 by United Press International.