When the Catholicos votes

Vaհe  H Apelian

I was surprised to read that the Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II voted in the Vagharshabad city’s municipal election. I spent almost the first three decades of my life in Lebanon and I know that the Catholicos of Cilician See and its bishops did not vote in the Lebanese elections. The one-time historic Seat in Sis in Turkey is now in the city of Antelias, in Lebanon. There is a lot to write about Cilician See Catholicosate’s bishops participation, in the Lebanese elections. Or for that matter the Cilician See participating in the secular elections of their host countries, such as in Syria. But that is altogether a different matter.

The picture of Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II voting in the Vagharshabad city’s election is a momentous depiction, as far as I am concerned.

Vagharshapat is the fourth-largest city in Armenia. It is where the religious center of the Armenian Apostolic Church, we know as Etchmiadzin is located. Vagharshapat/Vagharshabad is an ancient city and was the capital of Armenia at one time in our ancient history. The city is named after the king who founded it.

The picture I posted above is from Panorama.am online journal.The caption reads as follows: “His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, voted in the Vagharshapat municipal elections on Sunday morning. He was accompanied by Archbishop Arshak Khachatryan and other clergymen at polling station 14/46. After casting his ballot, Karekin II said they had “voted with prayer”, expressing hope that the elections would proceed fairly and that Vagharshapat would “prosper and flourish”, bringing a better and more secure future for its residents.”

Given the constitutional provision of separation of State and the Church in Armenia, I was left with the impression that the Catholicos of All Armenians seating in Etchmiadzin, does not take part in secular political elections, and does not cast his vote. Hence the bishops and the ecclesiastical fathers of the Apostolic Church do the same. They do not take part in the political process.  But obviously I was wrong; which raises in my mind the nagging question. What does constitutional state and church separation mean if the Cathollicos of All Armenians and its bishops are constitutionally allowed to take part in election? Or for that matter, if the Catholicos and the ecclesiastical fathers of the Armenian Apostolic Church, out of their free will and conviction, do not take part in elections in observance of Armenia's constitution. 

Politics by its nature is not All Armenian. It is partisan Armenian, contrary to what the Armenian Apostolic Church proclaims  it is.

Negotiation and compromise, or negotiating and compromising, are viewed as the hallmarks of any political process. In fact, the ability to compromise through negotiation is viewed as positive and progressive in any political process, to achieve unity and to resolve dispute.

But the Armenian Apostolic Church compromising on matters of Christian faith or on matters of Christian biblical standards is all together a different matter. 

Therein is the wisdom of separating the Armenian Church and the Armenian State. Apparently, that is not the case in Armenia, even though it is spelled in its constitution. In fact, the Catholicos Karekin II attested by his participation in the political process in the city, where he resides, that the separation of the state and the church  provision in the Armenia’s constitution, has no relevance to him.  Wording it harshly, he makes a mockery of the Constitution the citizens of Armenia have adopted to govern themselves.

The Armenian people cannot and should not allow the Armenian Apostolic Church in Armenia be part of the political process, if Armenians want to uphold the All-Armenian Apostolic Church they proclaim it is and is  Holy and its head is His Holiness.