Prelacy News, Prelacy News

IN THE NAME OF A DESIRABLE FUTURE

Since Sunday, September 27, the Armenian people worldwide have been fulfilling the national unity that we dreamed of for so long, alarmed over the attack that threatened the existence of Artsakh by Azerbaijan, endowed with superior forces and weaponry. On Monday, November 9, the loyal unity of the Armenian nation unfortunately unraveled following the news of the agreement signed by the present government to stop the current Artsakh war, which went beyond the concessions that had been expected over the past three decades.

The architect of the war was obvious: the executioner nation of the Armenian people, which was prepared for this day to complete its unfulfilled plan. Departing from the current political and military conditions and leaving aside Armenia, it had created the illusion that a dawn of good neighborhood was about to open if the issue of Artsakh was solved. History confirms that trusting the vision of a prosperous Armenia to the “benign” executioner nation would only pave the Yerevan-Der Zor highway.   

Hard as it is to accept the imposed reality, the many aspects of which are still unknown, dear fellow Armenians, without accusing, hurting, threatening each other as individuals who follow different ideologies, creeds or conceptions, with broken hearts but unbreakable will, let us listen and understand each other as members of the Armenian family scattered throughout the world and, perhaps profiting from our errors, we may build the future we all wish. 

If we collectively review the Armenian History of the last 45 days, if we may call it such, our all-Armenian experience following September 27 proved what a great people we are when Artsakh, Armenia and the Diaspora collaborate, earning the admiration of all those nations that silently witnessed the present-day odyssey of our martyred people. The firm support of the people in our homeland to the government and the troops, while in the Diaspora, outside of fundraisers, the volcanic eruption of patriotic spirit in our new generation, the demonstrations and gatherings organized enthusiastically, the prayers and the lighting of candles, the effective work in different countries to prevent foreign companies from supplying armaments and weapon components to our executioner nation; in one word, the realization of “Armenia above everything” was an unprecedented development that amounts to a miracle, which confirms the particular character of our people’s existential struggle and sacred peregrination.

TODAY more than ever, the badly wounded heart of the Motherland and the Diaspora needs the continuation of this new collective life and its further development. The fire that is burning the house will not be put away with criticism and self-justification, but with selfless responsibility to first prevent the calamity from spreading and then to rebuild what was destroyed in a more robust and imposing manner.

The people are masters and servants of the past, the present and the future of the homeland. The farmer, the leader and the epic hero are born of the people. Therefore, every church and lay organization, even when in a leading position, are accountable to God and the people. More than in any other generation, the inner supreme force of the current government lies in the expression of the people, which was fulfilled two and a half years ago with the Velvet Revolution, without spilling blood, earning the admiration of the entire world. If there is anything exemplary in the legacy the previous “corrupted” government left, it would be its acquiescence of the people’s will without any violence. The present, fateful national crisis requires that the government, endowed with the people’s support, accept the people’s will and trust the mobilization for a new collective force.      

The sacred reconstruction mission has been an unabated principle for the Armenian Prelacy of the Eastern United States especially since the tragic earthquake of 1988, through the Nerses the Great benevolent organization set up in Yerevan. Following the way of the Cross to the vision of the Resurrection, we continue that mission with same and even more dedication to make Armenia, the land of Eden, desirable to the entire humankind. 

Archbishop Anoushavan

Prelate, Eastern United States