Russian Orthodox Church considers opening of laity of Azerbaijan in Nagorno Karabakh as contribution to cause of Peace

15/1/2010

Baku, Fineko/abc.az. Russian Orthodox Church of Moscow patriarchy opened the second laity in territory of Azerbaijan, located in the territories occupied by Armenia – in Nagorno Karabakh.
In this connection, deputy head of Department of External Church Relations of  Moscow patriarchy hieromonch Philip (Ryabikh) declared that Russian Orthodox Church does not consider possible to evaluate the status of Nagorno Karabakh and stand for  peaceful solution of Karabakh conflict.

“Russian Orthodox Church always perceived with pain Karabakh conflict and undertook efforts that jointly with Moslems of Azerbaijan and Christians of Armenia to find and offer to politicians ways of its peaceful settlement. Final solution of the conflict is within political leaders’ cognizance, their direct challenge – to find peaceful solution  of development of life of the Transcaucasia people,”  Philip said.

At that, he noted that Russian Orthodox Church never tried to take upon itself these challenges and intervene into this political conflict.
He explained opening of the laity in spite of established practice in Azerbaijan that inquiries started coming to Moscow from the local Russian-speaking population of the self-proclaimed Nagorno-Karabakh republic with appeal to settle their church life.

“Today the community of Nagorno Karabakh numbers about 600 persons. In spite of pendency of the status of Nagorno Karabakh at the international level, Russian Orthodox helped orthodox people, and the laity of Moscow patriarchy was registered in Khankandi in summer, 2009, as well as a plot was given for construction of a church,” Philip said.

Registration of the laity was delayed and was carried out only after assistance of Artsakh eparchy of Armenian Apostolic Church.
“I meant exactly it saying that there are three laities of Russian Church  in Armenia, including a laity to Nagorno Karabakh. We in our church laities, first of all, we do not have in view the state boundaries, we meant borders of responsibility of Churches for Christian people, residing living in this or that territory.

Development of laity in Nagorno Karabakh was always considered by Russian church not as means to support one of conflicting parties, on the contrary, means to introduce another factor of peace in long-suffering Nagorno Karabakh. We hope that the life of this laity will promote that Armenians, Azerbaijanis, and Russian-speaking people can live in peace in this region as had been living over the certain periods of history.
Russian Orthodox Church believes that its presence in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Nagorn Karabakh will contribute to the fastest peaceful settlement in this region. So and in no other way we consider the challenges of Russian Church  in Nagorno Karabakh,” Philip noted.

Source: