“The last day and the last days of Catholicos Karekin” is the poignant narration by Archbishop Mesrob Ashjian. The write-up was placed in the testimonial book about the archbishop. The book is titled “Living Faith, the Life & Service of Archbishop Mesrob Ashjian.” (see the link below). His narration about the life and death of Karekin I Catholicos of All Armenians is for history. Attached is my translation of the archbishop’s narration. Catholicos Karekin Sarkissian is the only Armenian supreme patriarch of the Apostolic Church that occupied two pontifical seats, that of Cilician Catholicosate in Antelias and in Etchmiadzin. Vahe H Apelian
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| Catholicos Karekin Sarkissian, on the left as Catholicos of Greater House of Cilicia, in Antelias, on the right as Catholicos of All Armenians |
It’s June 1. I will leave for America for two weeks. I wanted to present myself to His Holiness Vehapar to receive his blessing. There were urgent matters, issues related to the 1700th anniversary (celebration of Armenian Christendom). There were also issues related to the "Biblical Armenia" conference. I know that something could happen at any time. He knew it too. A taxing exchange followed. "I don't know what could happen to me," he wrote on the board. It seemed that he did not dare use the word death. I had a request from him, to free me from some responsibilities that he had put on my shoulders. His answer was, "not while I'm alive." I tried to make my point in another way. I said, "Vehapar, I want to move to the Saint Kevork (George) Monastery in Moughni." His answer was abrupt. He said "I also want to move to Oshakan (St. Mesrob Mashdot's gravesite)." I was disarmed. I took his right hand and left. I only wished that he continued to write and pray. I wanted him to read Chicago's Cardinal Bernardin's book, the cardinal wrote in the last days of his life, when he was also struck with cancer. When I had given that book to His Holiness Karekin, I had said, to him "Vehapar, I don't know if anyone else would give you such a gift. I gifted it so that you would know that you are not alone." I did not tell him, but it was my earnest wish that Vehapar would also write a book of prayer, farewell and love at the end of his life. Did he write?
On June 18, I returned to the Mother See. There was confusion in the monastery. Vehapar's condition had worsened on the previous day, on the 17th of the month. The doctors had stayed awake all night, and now, on Friday morning, they gave him Holy Communion, and he was eager to see all the monks and bid them his final farewell.
We gathered around him. Bishop KareKin read the last words of Vehapar in which His Holiness blessed the congregants at the Holy See, revealed to then that he was going to his resurrected Savior, urged the congregants to continue on relying on God, love the church, and love each other. Those present sang "Der Ketso-Տէր Կեցոյ". Vehapar probably loved that song, but he took a pen and wrote, "Echmiadzin e Hore – Էջմիածին ի Հօրէ". We sang that hymn, which for Vehapar was not just a hymn. IIt was not just a prayer. It was a dream. It was a vision, a march for the union of the united Armenian Church. Then we approached him one by one, received his blessing, kissed him and left. There was something unreal in the air. It was unbelievable. Why did that deadly illness came so soon? Was this going to be the day?
The alarm turned out to be false. Vehapar was still in good health. Father Ardak was with us. We read the letters. The Catholicos made some arrangement. I gestured Father Ardak to leave us alone. It was as if nothing had happened. He was not in the pangs of death. We started to «converse» about the programs. Unlike before, he did not erase his writing on the board immediately. He probably wanted to formulate his thoughts. Once he even got angry when I quickly deleted what he had written, but I felt that his eyes were closing, his writing was slowing down. The last thing he wrote was "you will have a wonderful collaboration". He stoppped there. He could not continue. I quietly left the room. It was our last meeting.
In the following days, an atmosphere of strange anticipation reigned inside the Veharan (the residence of the Catholicos). There was the breath of death, but His Holiness lived and fought. There was an order for the monks and deacons to read the Gospel and the Psalms around the clock, at his door. But when we realized he could notice us, we started reading the Bible and Narek in his room. As always, Narek is timeless.
There were his relatives, there were monks, I should say the last faithfuls. I was reading Job, chapters 14-17 of the Gospel of John. On one occasion, I picked up the editorial "The Great Spirit" by Patriarch Torgom Koushagian of Jerusalem ("Zion" magazine, 1937). Vehapar had given it to me and I went to the sanctuary and read it there. His Holiness had a great admiration for Patriarch Kouskagian..
It seemed that everyone in the monastery was waiting for the arrival of death. It was June 21, the anniversay of Catholicos Karekin I Hovsepian's death in Antelian, in 1952. Will Vehapar choose this day and join God on the same day as his famous namesake? The day passed uneventfully. On the morning of the 22nd, the "Biblical Armenia" conference opened in Oshagan. The conference was organized at Vehapar's initiative and had his blessings. But he was absent. The people at his beside said that he hears and feels.
On the morning of the 23rd, I approached him, held his right hand, and said, "Vehapar, the meeting started yesterday, there are ninety presenters. One hundred and fifty are participanting. We conveyed your greetings and love to all the participants. Then we went to the grave of Saint Mashtots, laid flowers and prayed. And I bowed to the Holy Tomb and kissed the cold marble on your behalf for a long time. Asdvants Ognagan."
The next day, June 24, was the feast of The Saint Translators, of Saint Sahak Partev and Saint Mesrop. We were afraid that His Holiness would suddenly die. We had plans to cancel the conference, if that were to happen. But, would it not have been significant that Vehapar, who had lived in the spirit of the Holy Translators for almost 50 years and bore God's message, would join their memory on that day? His Holiness did not allow us to interrupt the conference. He lived for several more days.
On Monday, June 28, an alarm alerted us. His blood pressure had dipped very low. The day turned into a waiting, minute by minute, at any moment.
The morning of June 29 opened in the same way. Vehapar was weak, lethargic. His blood pressure varied, between 70 and 40, but he lived and he made us live with faith. Several monks, his sister and brother regularly approached his bed, took his right and left hands, caressed him, and wanted him to know that there are people who loved him. The day passed like that. The doctor and the nurse were with him every minute of the day and attended him. I do not know why but they kept measuring his blood pressure.
It was around 3 o'clock in the afternoon. Esther, his sister, and Nora, his sister-in-law, and I were alone with the Vehapar. Nora suddenly, thinking out loud said: "You know, I have heard that if a person who is on the verge of dying but hangs to dear life, means that he is waiting for someone special to visit him and keeps on waiting and waiting for that special person. Who is Vehapar waiting for? There was a picture of him with his mother next to his bed. Was Vehapar waiting for his mother to visit him? But he knew that his mother was 96 years old, frail and lived in Toronto. "Esther», I said, «go tand talk to the Vehapar, about your mother, say that mother is in good health and is praying for his health." Esther answered, "I cannot do that." Mustering all my courage, I approached Vehapar and whispered in his ear. I felt that he heard me.
- "Vehapar, Vehapar, your mother made a phone call from Toronto. She said that she heard about your recent health troubles. She is very concerned and prays for you...."
And I remembered that Vehapar addressed his mother mume՛ in his native Kessab dialect. Suddenly I remembered the native Kessab song. Whenever the Vehapar was in a happy mood, he assumed the posture of a choir leader, a la Ganachian, and led an invisible choir, singing the popular Kessab folk song.
Suddenly and unexpectadly, I said to him."Vehapar, Archhbishop Ardavast (Terterian) called from Antilias. He has heard that your condition has worsened. He said he will come to see you, as soon as a flight is available from Beirut."
May God spare me. My last words to Vehapar were a lie. It was true that Catholicos Karekin had a special love for his friend of 55 years. They were compatriotic friends from Kessab, They were classmates in the seminary. They took their vows for monastic celibacy together.
Was Vehapar waiting for his friend's visit? I didn't know. I took leave of him and left for Yerevan. Hardly three hours had passed when the telephone rang.
- Srpazan, we lost Vehapar.
July, 1999
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Link: Cilicia song by Stepan Frounjian
http://vhapelian.blogspot.com/search?q=Cilicia+
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Link: “Living Faith, the Life & Service of Archbishop Mesrob Ashjian"
http://vhapelian.blogspot.com/2024/02/archbishop-mesrob-ashjian-and-mughni.html
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Հաերէն բնագիրը
http://vhapelian.blogspot.com/2024/02/22.html
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