16th Anniversary of Enthronement of the Pontiff of All Armenians

On November 8th, the 16th Anniversary of the Enthronement of His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians; was celebrated in the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin.

The celebrant was His Eminence Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, Primate of the Eastern Diocese of the Armenian Church of North America.

During the Divine Liturgy, the Catholicos of All Armenians, accompanied by His Eminence Cardinal Dominik Duka, Catholic Archbishop of Prague; the Supreme Spiritual Council members; Diocesan primates; and benefactors of the Armenian Church; were led by solemn procession to the Mother Cathedral.

On the joyous occasion of the 16th Anniversary of the Enthronement of His Holiness, the famous Reliquary of Skevra was brought into the cathedral which contains the relics of 15 Pan-Christian and Armenian Saints.

At the conclusion of the Divine Liturgy, Archbishop Khajag, in front of the Holy Altar of Descent, offered his remarks and reflected on the acumen of the day. ‘With our participation in the Divine Liturgy, we have the opportunity to express our gratitude and appreciation to our Lord, for all his granted goodness. Being in the Mother See, we express our gratitude to God that He offered us the opportunity to pray on the occasion of the 16th anniversary of the enthronement of His Holiness Karekin II. Not only to pray but to express our appreciation, gratitude and congratulations to His Holiness for the numerous accomplishments recorded over the past 16 years, due to which the Armenian Apostolic Holy Church continues her mission in Armenia and the Diaspora. 1714 years ago when Christ appeared in the spiritual center of All Armenians through the Illuminator’s vision, Armenians vowed to believe and follow Christ as Lord and Savior, the way and the truth. The union and unity of the nation’s faith in Christ, gave birth to the Christian culture, that we enjoy to this day.

In our tradition, we proclaim October as the month of culture, as according to the Armenian Church Calendar, in October we celebrate one of the most important feasts of our Church, the Feast of the Holy Translators. We remember St. Mesrop Mashtots, who through the efforts of the Catholicos St. Sahak, made the most important invention in Armenian history, the creation of the Armenian alphabet. St. Mesrop Mashtots gathered young Armenian clergymen and teachers around him; a talented group of translators. And it was this generation that turned the word of God, the Bible, into Armenian. Armenia was divided, and the Armenian people did not have a unified force to struggle against external forces. In such a fateful moment, Mesrop Mashtots gathering translator archimandrites around him, and established the most important period of Armenian history, the Golden Age, through which the Armenians could feel a sense of unity. Christ, faith, Homeland, nation and national consciousness uniting together, formed the Armenian identity. It is this spirit that in the 5th century gave strength to St. Vartan the Commander, Father Ghevond and the Armenian sons following them, to say to the Persian huge Army: “not any power can separate us from our faith”. The basis of this statement stems from the identified consciousness of the Armenian people, and the mission of the Golden Age continued inside the life of our people, in Armenia and the Diaspora. But the Armenian Church, under the leadership and guidance of the Catholicosate of All Armenians, remained the leader, to maintain and preserve the spirit”, stated the celebrant in his remarks.

On behalf of the Brotherhood of the Mother See, expressing his congratulation to the 132nd Supreme Patriarch, Archbishop Khajag added: “Your Holiness, we offer glory to God that you, the deserving follower of Gregory the Illuminator and our late Pontiffs, continue that mission over these last 16 years.

Certainly, we know that as in the past and today our people are also facing numerous difficulties and challenges. And with your deep wisdom and your resoluteness, you seek to show us, the servants of the Armenian Church, how to overcome the current difficulties.

You Holiness, on the occasion of your 16th Anniversary of your Enthronement, we all pray for you, that the Lord keeps you strong and powerful and that your endurance will always remain and continue to guide the Armenian Church”.

Afterwards, in front of the Holy Altar of Descent, His Eminence Archbisop Voskan Galpakyan presided over the Pontifical Prayer of Blessing, during which the attendees prayed for the vibrancy and strength of the Catholicosate of All Armenians and for the fruitful pastorate and longevity of His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians.

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