"Fact" daily writes:
Perhaps one of the most dynamic public actions in the modern history of Armenia unfolded on the armspyurk.com platform. In support of the petition of the Armenian Apostolic Church, the number of signatories exceeded 50,000.
The fact that such a number of signatures were obtained in such a short period of time clearly demonstrates the level of public mobilization and the importance of the Church as a key national institution. The sharp increase in the number of signatories is a direct public reaction to the unprecedented measures taken against the higher clergy. For the first time in the recent history of Armenia, a situation was formed when the freedom of movement of Catholicos of All Armenians Garegin II and a number of members of the Supreme Spiritual Council was practically limited.
A travel ban imposed by the authorities prevented His Holiness from attending significant inter-church events, including the funeral of Catholicos-Patriarch Ilia II of the Church of Georgia. In society, such actions are perceived not as a legal procedure, but as an attempt to subject the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin to administrative and diplomatic isolation. The restriction of His Holiness' international activities deals a tangible blow to Armenia's ties with the Diaspora and Christendom, depriving the nation of one of its weightiest voices on the world stage.
Along with restricting the movement of the AAP leader, law enforcement agencies also initiated a series of criminal prosecutions against high-ranking clergymen. In those "cases" accusations are made against the key figures of the Church administration, who are undoubtedly perceived by the people as authorities.
Among them are Archbishop Arshak Khachatryan, the diplomat of the Mother See, Archbishop Mikael Ajapahyan, leader of Shirak Diocese, Bishop Mkrtich Proshyan, leader of Aragatsotn Diocese, Bagrat Archbishop Galstanyan. The special attention of the public was drawn to the fact that not only the clergy, but also their relatives came under attack.
The criminal prosecution against the brother and nephew of the Catholicos, investigative actions against the family members of other representatives of the clergy are considered by many as a means of psychological and political pressure. The situation, when the highest representatives of the Church and their relatives are the target of judicial prosecution, caused a strong wave of solidarity with them among the citizens of the country. Moreover, philanthropist and businessman Samvel Karapetyan was arrested for supporting the Church, he spent several months in prison and is now under house arrest.
Fifty thousand people who signed the petition posted on the armspyurk.com platform represent the most diverse layers of society. The speed of the signature collection shows that the attempts to discredit the Church and high-ranking clergy led to the opposite result. instead of being separated and divided, the people showed a readiness to act with a united front. For most of the petitioners, the protection of the Church today is the protection of the right to its own history and the values that have remained unshakable for centuries. In a situation where state institutions are criticized for inefficiency in matters of national security, the Church practically remains the last independent pillar capable of uniting Armenians all over the world.
This explains why the informational attacks on Etchmiadzin and the arrests of the clergy receive such a quick and massive response. The events of the last weeks around the Armenian Apostolic Holy Church create an important historical precedent. The exceptional speed of signature collection on the Armspyurk.com platform confirms that the Armenian society does not tend to remain in the position of an uncommunicated observer in the case of the persecution of its spiritual leaders.
Each new signature on this list is a testimony to the fact that the attempts to limit the influence of the Church or suppress the position of the archbishops of the Church with criminal cases only strengthen the bond between the believing people and the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin. The collection of signatures continues, and its scale is already impossible not to take into account both inside the country and outside its borders.
Details in today's issue of "Past" daily.
