Moscow Patriarchate explains attributing Orthodox Church in Karabakh to Armenia
Philip Ryabikh
13/1/2010
“We already avoid evaluation of existed realities”, spokesman for the Russian Patriarchy Philip Ryabikh.
“Russian Orthodox Church doesn’t value political borders between different countries, we take today’s realities into consideration”, Spokesman for the Russian Patriarchy Philip Ryabikh told commenting on his statement at a press conference in Moscow on Wednesday about belonging the Nagorno Karabakh Orthodox Church to Armenia.
“We create our laities to support our Russian-speaking compatriots spiritually. Our efforts are only for care and spiritual support to the people. The Nagorno Karabakh laity was established through the Armenian Apostolic Church and therefore it was mentioned on the eve of Patriarch’s upcoming visit to Armenia where he will discuss relations with the Armenian Church”.
Philip Ryabikh said that church in Nagorno Karabakh was registered last year, but had no building yet. He said he didn’t know exact number of Orthodox Christians in Nagorno Karabakh.
“May be there is a little number, but we have to support them spiritually. There is a question not abut the political position of any Russian church. We have simple duty that is carried out. We support peaceful solution to Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict and we are assisting that. There were series of meetings between the Moscow Patriarch, All Caucasian Sheikh and Armenian Catholicos. We already avoid evaluation of existed realities.
Philip Ryabikh, who spoke about the upcoming visit of the Russian Patriarch Cyril to Armenian in March at a press conference in Moscow on Wednesday, said Moscow Patriarch had three churches in Armenia – in Yerevan, Gumru, the Russian military base and in Nagorno Karabakh”.
