V.H. Apelian's Blog

V.H. Apelian's Blog

Tuesday, September 29, 2026

The role played by the Armenian Missionary Association of America (AMAA) is exceptional

I attached my aided translation of the known journalist Sako Arian's posting today on his Սագօ Արեան – Լրագրողի էջը Facebook page.  The Armenian government has approved a joint program with the Armenian Missionary Association of America (AMAA) to construct and subsequently maintain an educational complex in Vardenis, Gegharkunik Province. AMAA already runs the Khoren and Shooshanig Avedisian School, named after the benefactor Edward Avedissian's genocide survived parents. The high school is tuition-free and is located in the Malatia-Sebastia district of Yerevan. The title of the blog is a quote from Sako Arian's post. Vaհe H Apelian

Courtesy Sako Arian

Sako Arian wrote:

«I cannot perceive the terms "homeland-building" and "nation-building" in any other way. Not because these words sound beautiful, but because a homeland is not built through speeches.

A homeland is built the day you construct a school for 700 children in the border town of Vardenis.

The day you build a kindergarten.

The day you tell a child: "Your future is here, and we are building something for that future."

Acknowledging the right steps taken is, therefore, not only important but essential. For we are sometimes so accustomed to criticizing, complaining, and looking for flaws in everything that we forget to even notice positive and correct actions.

And this is one of those undertakings that ought to be spoken about. Ultimately, beyond mere words, building a homeland begins at the educational hearth—the school.

And here, the role played by the Armenian Missionary Association of America (AMAA) is exceptional. For years, in various communities across Armenia, they have moved beyond rhetoric to build schools, kindergartens, and educational and community centers.

In other words, rather than simply saying "we are building the homeland," they have come and actually built something within it.

The Vardenis project is significant in this very sense.

A school with a capacity of 700, a preschool for 150 children, and a day center for 60—this is not merely a project involving new buildings.

It conveys a very simple message to the child:

You have a future here. And that is where I see the building of the homeland.

Not in loud declarations, but in the building that an Armenian child will enter tomorrow, schoolbag on their shoulder.

A homeland exists where a school is being built for children."

                                        XXX

 

Sometime ago, as I was watching PM Nikol Pashinyan touring the Avedissian School in Armenia, I came across my mother’s portrait, painted by her niece Annie Chelebian Hoglind, hanging on the wall in the School’s Library.  The Avedissian School had my mother’s portrait hang in the Western Armenian Section of the school’s library, honoring her half a century teaching of Armenian language and literature, mostly in Armenian Evangelical Schools in Kessab, Bourj Hammoud and Los Angeles My mother’s estate had made provision to donate to Armenian Evangelical School in Armenia. Thanks  to Zaven Khanjian, I had her portrait sent  from LA by Mike Apelian,  to the school. I am grateful  and thankful that the school’s board has kept her portrait on the wall in the school’s library. Underneath the portrait her career teaching Western Armenian is also framed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The rest is just talk.»

Monday, September 28, 2026

Is Armenian Diaspora marriage collapsing too?

Recently I happened to come across an article in Epoch Times, titled, “The marriage deficit is an economic catastrophe”. The article was written by Stephen Moore and is dated 9/17/2026, updated 9/22/2026. I copied the article and posted below for the interested to read before I contemplate as to why I titled this blog the way I did.    Vaհe H Apelian



 The article reads:

 

“All you need is love.” They were right, but along with love must come marriage.”

But marriage rates have plummeted, especially among young men.

A Pulitzer Prize-worthy story by Sean Salai of The Washington Times crunches all the numbers. To say they are worrisome would be a vast understatement.

In 2025, nearly twice as many men aged 18 to 39 were unmarried as were married.

There were 30.4 million unmarried men aged 18 to 39 in 2025, up by 47 percent from 20.7 million in 2000.

In the same period, married men in this age range dropped by 15 percent, to 15.4 million from 18.1 million. “Such men are more likely to be lonely, prone to deaths of despair and unhappy,” said Brad Wilcox, a University of Virginia sociologist.

Forty-two percent of working-class men are unmarried, according to educational psychologist Donna R. Turner. In 1980, 73 percent of working-class men were married.

But I believe the decline in marriage and children is a threat to the American future much more dangerous than even the national debt, man-made climate change, cancer, or foreign aggression.

Family is the essential organizing unit in America. We’re not to live in Soviet-style communes where the authority figure is “Big Brother.”

Every study shows that the decline in marriage among young men is tied to alcoholism, violent crime, drug abuse, pornography, depression, isolation, less economic success, and suicide.

Are women to blame? Certainly. A study shows that as women have become more career-oriented, they are having a harder time “marrying up.”

Generation X and millennials have become choosier in finding a mate and are more likely to have children alone, if they have them at all.”

“Women have less structural need for marriage than past generations did,” said Angelica Gianchandani, a New York University finance instructor. “Rising income and education give many women a financial independence marriage once provided, and donor sperm and fertility treatment have decoupled motherhood from a partner altogether.”

Women are much less likely to be religious today than in decades past. So holy matrimony is less of a lifetime priority or moral obligation.

We do know that when women raise children without a father in the home—for whatever reason—their kids, especially their sons, are less successful. It’s a particular problem for black women to find a suitable mate when so many young black males are incarcerated.

I’m thrashing for explanations and solutions to this deeply troubling social trend. Obviously, we are not returning to the “Father Knows Best” norms of the 1950s or 1960s.

But recovery starts with admitting we have a problem. I would suggest that President Donald Trump announce a national bipartisan commission on “Rediscovering Love, Marriage and Parenthood.”  (See the link below)

Women are much less likely to be religious today than in decades past. So holy matrimony is less of a lifetime priority or moral obligation.

We do know that when women raise children without a father in the home—for whatever reason—their kids, especially their sons, are less successful. It’s a particular problem for black women to find a suitable mate when so many young black males are incarcerated.

I’m thrashing for explanations and solutions to this deeply troubling social trend. Obviously, we are not returning to the “Father Knows Best” norms of the 1950s or 1960s.

But recovery starts with admitting we have a problem. I would suggest that President Donald Trump announce a national bipartisan commission on “Rediscovering Love, Marriage and Parenthood.”  (See the link below)

***`

It is my impression that in fact more of Diaspora Armenians between the ages of 18 to 39 are unmarried, than.in the general population, and at any time during the past century Armenian Diaspora. Surely collapse of marriage is a complex and convoluted matter to touch upon in a blog meant for easy reading and contemplating in leisure.

Needless to say, that there are many reasons for the collapse of marriage in a society, including in the Armenian Diaspora. Economy probably is the primary reason for the grim statistics in the larger society presented in the article. Surely Diaspora Armenians are not naturally immune from the larger society’s economic woes.

 However, for the Armenian Diaspora of marriage age, there are other mitigating circumstances that are Armenian Diaspora made which are furthering the collapse of Diaspora Armenian marriage.

Armenian Diaspora institutions including the Armenian Church and the Armenian Civic organizations, are the culprits because they are being ever more drawn and marred by, not domestic politics, but by Armenia politics brought onto the  Diaspora for which Armenian Diaspora has no recourse other than fragmenting itself.

Not only the Armenian Church in the Diaspora and the Armenian Diaspora organizations are being drawn into Armenia politics, but they are weighing the gravest issue, which is moral more than anything else, in terms of partisan politics, for which, I re-iterate, they have no recourse other than alienating their own constituents from each other, to come together to form a family of their own that supports Armenian causes through Armenian Diaspora institutions.


 

Link: The Marriage Deficit Is an Economic Catastrophe -     https://www.theepochtimes.com/opinion/the-marriage-deficit-is-an-economic-catastrophe 6088983?utm_source=greatreadnoe&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=gr-2026-09-26&utm_content=engage&src_src=greatreadnoe&src_cmp=gr-2026-09-26&est=52MwyI%2F3Mxy6tLxiFKPC2ec88uRm8ggFhInqAIX98IwNge3mdRw9JYUWRiDL3g%3D%3D

 

 

Sunday, September 27, 2026

A glimpse of the Turkish Media during the 44-Day War

 Six years ago today, on September 26, 2020, Azerbaijan unleashed a blitzkrieg attack on Artsakh. Much has been written and much will be written about the disastrous consequence of the war. However, not much was reported in Armenian social media as to what the Turkish media was during the war about the war that lasted 44 days and was formally halted on November 9/10 2020, with Armenia capitulating in a triparty agreement brokered by Russia. 

Courtesy Levon Sharoyan

About three weeks into the war, Levon Sharoyan from Aleppo posted on October 22, 2020, the following on his Facebook, the following. The original text is reproduced in the link below, along with the translation reposted on this blog. Vaհe H Apelian

Levon Sharoyan wrote: 

“Since the first day of this terrible Turanian war that was unleashed against Artsakh and Armenia, for more than three weeks now, I have been following dozens of Turkish stations, day by day. All of them, without exception, simply spread poison and HATRED against the ARMENIAN PEOPLE.

 These stations invite, for hours on end, university professors, high-ranking former officers, retired diplomats, journalists, analysts, party and public figures, "specialists" on Armenian affairs, etc., etc.,  who respond with an astonishing unanimity and with an effortless consistency echo the official view of the Turkish state that "Armenia is an occupier country and must return Karabakh to Azerbaijan." There is no deviation from this theme and no dissenting opinion. 

The 80 million population of Turkey listens to these stations and swallows what is presented to them day after day; surely appropriating the following without further ado:

      Throughout history, Armenia has always been an occupier and pre-emptive country.

      Yerevan is Turkish land. At the beginning of the last century, the majority of the population of Yerevan was Turkish Muslim.

      In the 1990s, Armenians carried out horrific massacres of innocent Azeri citizens in Khojaly (Azerbaijan) and went unpunished.

      Armenians not only deported the natives of Karabakh, the Azeris, but also committed a cultural genocide there.

      How dare a poor Armenia, with a population of one and a half million attack neighboring Azerbaijan? The Russians are behind the Armenians

      The state of Armenia is a bandit government. It must be taught such a lesson that it is vanished from the region. We must vanquish the thievish Armenia.

      We negotiated with them for thirty years. The knife cut to the bone. Our Azeri brothers will liberate their ancestral lands and have the red crescent flag fly over them.

      The Armenians make a wild nation. In this region, Armenia is a hotbed of instability and hostility.

      By continually hitting Armenia on the head, Karabakh will be taken away from its hands.

      “Zangezur” is Turkish land. It is necessary to take quick steps to have it as a land bridge between Nakhichevan and Azerbaijan

      It is necessary to restrain the spoiled Armenia. With the support of the West, it has become a plague for the Turkish-speaking peoples of the region.

      The Azeri army did not bomb urban settlements at all. The civilized tradition of the Turkish nation forbids us to do such a thing.  Meanwhile, Armenians continue targeting cities and their innocent residents.

      Pashinyan has become a pathetic figure. To cover up his defeat, he makes statements against Turkey using the myth of "genocide".

      Turkey is with its Azeri brothers to the last point, both on the front line and at the negotiating table.

These many quotes, I think, give an idea of the kind of enemy the Armenian army is fighting.

Has anything changed since the days of Abdul Hamid and Talaat?

Link: Levon Sharoyan, «ՊԻՏԻ ԶԳԵՏՆԵ՛ՆՔ ԱՒԱԶԱԿԱԲԱՐՈՅ ՀԱՅԱՍՏԱՆԸ», October 22, 2020, https://vhapelian.blogspot.com/2020/10/what-does-turkish-media-say.html

 

 

Friday, September 25, 2026

Frik, the last lesson

I compiled the following I had not heard before. Frik (Armenian: Ֆրիկ) was an Armenian poet of the 13th and 14th centuries. He wrote on both secular and religious topics, and many of his poems are characterized by social criticism. He was the first Armenian poet to compose almost all of his works in the vernacular language (Middle Armenian). (Wikipdia). The attached is a translation of a post in “Հեղինակային ստեղծագործություններ.” Vaհe H Apelian



“The day after Taniel Varoujan’s arrest, a chilling silence hung over the school where he taught. Teachers sat silently in the staff room, while students waited in their classrooms. Tovmas Efendi—the Turkish language teacher, an Armenian apostate who never spoke Armenian—entered the staff room.

He rang the bell and ordered everyone to go to class. The teachers picked up their registers and left. One register remained behind—the one for the class Varoujan was supposed to teach.

Tovmas Efendi picked up the register and went to Varoujan’s classroom.

When he entered, no one paid him any attention.

The students sat frozen in their seats with their heads bowed, assuming they were about to have a Turkish lesson instead of Armenian...

Suddenly, to everyone’s surprise, Tovmas Efendi spoke in pure, beautiful Armenian: - Hello, dear students.

The students spring to their feet and return the greeting.

- What is your lesson?

- Frik, — the students reply.

- The Armenian literature lesson continues, — said Tovmas Efendi, and he conducted a brilliant lesson on the works of Frik.

The next day, Tovmas Efendi was arrested.

August 25, 1915, was the final day of 31-year-old Taniel Varoujan’s earthly life.” 

A.  Nersisyan

p.s. (Note: Taniel Varoujan was also arrested on April 24,1915)


                                                      ***

 Բնագիրը՝

Դանիել Վարուժանի ձերբակալման հաջորդ օրը դպրոցում, որտեղ նա դասավանդում էր, սահմռկեցուցիչ լռություն էր։ Ուսուցիչները լուռ նստած էին ուսուցչանոցում, աշակերտները՝ դասարաններում։ Ուսուցչանոց է մտնում թուրքերենի ուսուցիչ Թովմաս էֆենդին՝ մի հայ դարձուկ, որ երբեք հայերեն չէր խոսում:

Տալիս է զանգը և պահանջում, որ դասի գնան։ Ուսուցիչները վերցնում են մատյաններն ու գնում։ Մնում է մի մատյան։ Դա այն դասարանի մատյանն էր, ուր պետք է գնար Վարուժանը․․․ 

Թովմաս էֆենդին վերցնում է մատյանը ու գնում Վարուժանի դասարանը․․․ 

Երբ ներս է մտնում, նրա վրա ոչ ոք ուշադրություն չի դարձնում։ 

Աշակերտները քարացած, գլուխները կախ մնում են տեղերում նստած՝ կարծելով, թե հայերենի տեղ թուրքերեն են անցնելու․․․ 

Հանկարծ, բոլորի համար անսպասելի Թովմաս էֆենդին մաքուր, գեղեցիկ հայերենով ասում է․

- Բարև՛ ձեզ, սիրելի՛ աշակերտներ։ 

Աշակերտները ոտքի են թռչում ու պատասխանում բարևին։

- Ո՞րն է ձեր դասը։

- Ֆրիկը, - պատասխանում են աշակերտները։

- Հայ գրականության դասը շարունակվում է, - ասում է Թովմաս էֆենդին և հրաշալի դաս է անց կացնում Ֆրիկի ստեղծագործությունների մասին։ 

Հաջորդ օրը Թովմաս էֆենդուն ձերբակալում են։ 

1915 թվականի օգոստոսի 25-ը 31-ամյա Վարուժանի երկրային կյանքի վերջին օրն էր: 

Ա. Ներսիսյան

Thursday, September 24, 2026

The National Values of the Armenian Republic

Vaհe H Apelian

Armenia celebrated the 35th anniversary of its independence on September 21 with nationwide celebrations culminating in a major concert, light show and fireworks displayed at Republic Square in Yerevan. 

The celebration was under the auspices of Hazaran Blbul (Հազարան Բլբուլ),  a mythical "Bird of a Thousand Voices" whose magical song could heal the land, restore life, and bring about peace and prosperity. I had not heard of this ancient Armenian folktale mythical bird before, of which the all-Armenian-poet Hovhannes Touanian is claimed to have captured in a poem.  Hazaran Bulbul was depicted hoovering in the sky over Yerevan during the celebration.

The  first 40 minutres of the program featured the Armenian State Symphony Orchestra under the direction of conductor Sergey Smbatyan, the Hovhannes Tchekidjian National Academic Choir and the Karen-Sevak Band. Subsequenly  popular Armenian performers  took the stage. 

In between, between 40 minutes to 43 minutes, the two masters of the ceremony, a man and a woman, took turn in reading national values they claimed the Armenian Republic upholds. 

I had not experienced such an episode before in any of the independence day celebrations I had watched. I painstakingly copied what they read. Here are the national values the Armenian Republic holds dear capped by the display of the first phrase the Armennianss translated upon coming with their own alphabet. (see link 1)

After jotting down the national values that were read at the Independence Day celebration, it occured to me  that they were the ones PM Nikol Pashinyan had outlined in his May 7, 2024 press conference. Subsequently the prime minister had posted the same on his Facebook page. (see link 2).

National Values the Republic of Armenia holds


Independence – Sovereignty – Citizenship – Democracy – and the Army. Անկախութիւնը – ինքնիշխանութիւնը – Քաղաքացիութիւնը – Ժողովրդավարութիւնը - եւ Բանակը։

 

History of Armenia – Armenian Folklore – Epics – Legends – Myths. Հայաստանի Պատմութիւնը - Հայ բանահիւսութիւնը – Էպոսները – Լեկինդները - Առասպելները։

 

The Armenian Language and Writing – Armenian Literature and Science – Knowledge. Հայոց Լեզուն եւ Գրելը - Հայ գրականութիւնն ու Գիտութիւնը -Գիտելիքը։

 

The Pan-Armenian strength—the Armenian Diaspora. Համահայկական մերուժը - Հայկական Սփիւռքը։

 

The Holy Armenian Apostolic Church – The Armenian Catholic Church – The Armenian Evangelical Church – Christianity. Հայ Առաքելական Սուրբ Եկեղեցին - Հայ Կաթողիկէ Եկեղեցին - Հայ Աւետարանական Եկեղեցին - Քրիստոնէութիւնը։

 

The Fatherland/Homeland – the Family – the Individual. Հայրենիքը – Ընտանիքը - Անհատը։

 

Armenian Ashugh, Kusan, Folk, Classical, Composed, and Pop Music. Հայ Աշուղական – Քուսանական – ժողովրդական – Դասական – Հեղինակային -  Էսդրատային Երաժշտութիւնը։

 

The Armenian Dance Art – Visual Art – Armenian Architecture – and Armenian Performing Arts. Հայկական Պարարուեստը – Կերպարուեստը - Հայկական Ճարտարուեստը - ու Հայկական Բեմարուեստը։

 

The Armenian Highland and its biodiversity. Հայկական Բնաշխարը իր կենսաբազմազանուտութեամբ։

 

Progress – Love of Learning – Liberation – Hospitality. Յառաջդիմութիւնը. Կրթասիրութիւնը – Ազատագրութիւնը -  Հիւրասիրութիւնը։

 

Compliance of the law – Humanitarianism – Respect and tolerance towards the religions of other peoples and nations. Օրինապահութիւնը – Մարդասիրութիւնը – Յարգանքն - ու  Հանդուրժողականութիւնը այլ մարդկանց եւ ժողովուրդների կրօններուն նկատմամբ։

 

Fraternal relations with the national minorities of the Republic of Armenia, expressed through Armenian citizenship. Հայաստանի Հանրապետութեան ազգային փոքրամասնութիւնների հետ եղբայրական յարաբերութիւն արտայայտուած Հայաստանի քաղաքացիութեամբ։ 

 

Armenian Heritage: the tangible and the intangible. Հայկական Ժառանգութիւնը՝ Նիւթական եւ ոչ-նիւթական։

 

The Republic of Armenia is our hearth, our home. The people are our family, our heart. We must educate ourselves and develop, and we must develop Armenia. Հայաստանի Հանրապետութիւնը մեր օճախն է, տունը։ Ժողովուրդը մեր ընտանիքնս է, մեր սիրտը։ Պէտք է կրթուիլ, զարգանայ, եւ զարգացնել Հայաստանը։

 

It does not matter where you work or what kind of specialist you are. What matters is how you work and what kind of specialist you are. Կապ չունի որտեղ ես աշխատում, եւ ինչ մասնագետ ես։ Էականը թէ ինչպիսե՞ս ես աշխատում, եւ ինչպիսի՞ մասնագետ ես։ 

 

It does not matter in which city or village you live in; what matters is the kind of citizen you are. What is essential is to be law-abiding, improve your education, not pollute your environment, and not tolerate injustice or wrongdoing—whether directed at you or at others. It is about participating in elections and being a demanding citizen, one who holds others accountable, and, why not, making your mark on the world. Կապ չունի թէ որ մէկ քաղաքում եւ կամ գիւղում ես ապրում։ Էականը թէ ինչպիսի քաղաքացի ես։ էականը լինել օրինապահ, բարելաւել կրթութիւնդ, չաղտոտել միջավայրդ, չհանդուրժել քու կամ դիմացինիդ հանդէպ անարդարութիւնը կամ հանցանքը։ Մասնակցել ընտրութիւններին, լինել պահանջատէր, պահանջուած, ինչու ոչ աշխարհում։

 

To participate in the selection process, to be a claimant—and one who is sought after—why not, on the global stage.Մասնակցիլ ընտորթեան, ըլլալ պահանջատէր, եւ պահանջուած, ինչու ոչ, աշխարհում։

 

To get educated, to work, to grow strong, and to stand firm on the land—such is Armenia. Կրթուիլ, աշխատիլ, ուժեղանալ եւ ամուռ կանգնիլ հողի վրայ՝ այսպէս է Հայաստանը։ 

***

 

Link-1: The Translators' First Phrase - https://vhapelian.blogspot.com/2019/11/the-first-phrase-mesrob-mashdots.html

Link-2: National Values: Nikol Pachinyan’s May 7 press conference - https://vhapelian.blogspot.com/2024/05/roa-pm-nikol-pachinyans-asoulis.html

 

 

Tuesday, September 22, 2026

No other picture embodies what it is all about

Vaհe H Apelian

 

Dr. Yervant Zorian and Catholicos Aram

First and foremost, let me expand on the title of this blog. I used the word picture. In fact, it is more than a mere picture. It is a snapshot because it captures a moment taken without formal setup or professional lighting by a professional photographer in a studio. But I will continue on referring to it as a picture and I would like to note that no other picture I know portrays what the Catholicos Karekin II conflict with the PM Nikol Pashinyan is all about. I know that some, who may happen to read this blog may jump to their guns claiming that the conflict between Yerevan, the seat of the Armenian state, and Etchmiadzin, the seat of the Armenian Apostolic church, is political at its core, not moral. I disagree. It is moral at its core, not political.

I admit that to catch the attention of readers, I used the picture depicting the moment Dr. Yervant Zorian is kissing the right hand of Catholicos Aram, while the Catholicos Aram appears to be withdrawing his hand also out of reverence. Mrs. Yervant Zorian was showing the same reverence to the Catholicos. These snap shots capture the moral authority the Catholicos projects, for people such as Mr. and Mrs. Dr. Yervant Zorian to bow in front of the Catholicos, with Dr. Yervant Zorian kissing the Catholicos’ right hand and placing it on his forehead as a testament of his obedience to Catholicos's moral authority.

 AGBU magazine depicted the occasion and wrote the following: 

“At a recent special ceremony in Silicon Valley, His Holiness Catholicos Aram I of the Great House of Cilicia conferred the “Saint Mesrob Mashdots” Insignia on Dr. Yervant Zorian, AGBU Vice President and Founding President of the Armenian Virtual College - AGBU, in recognition of his lifelong pioneering contributions to the fields of technology and education and his unwavering dedication to the Armenian nation. In his remarks, His Holiness highlighted Dr. Zorian’s remarkable scientific and educational legacy, noting that his distinguished career and enduring service to both Armenia and the Diaspora embody the very principles for which the Insignia was established. Upon accepting the Insignia, Dr. Zorian expressed his profound gratitude to His Holiness and reaffirmed his continued dedication to serving the nation and the homeland.”

Catholicos Karekin II is not the Catholicos Armenia needed and needs at this historic junction. His persona is the issue and it is not something that surfaced lately. It was there all along, long ago. Yes, the PM Nikol Pashinyan brought the issue of Catholikcos Karekin II’s persona to the forefront. It is regrettable that the opposition takes to Armenian Apostolic Church for a sanctuary, or a refuge in an attempt to shelter the Catholicos in that centuries old venerable institution. 

Recently Kevork Yazedjian had posted the following letter sent to  Harach Daily in France, regarding Catholicos Karekin II. This is how the letter reads in translation. 

“Esteemed Editorial Staff,

The so-called Supreme Spiritual Council of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin seems to be in permanent session for the purpose of opposing the authorities of the Republic of Armenia. In recent months, not a week goes by without it convening a meeting and issuing yet another statement. “Nor Harach” also reports on both, these meetings and statements, thereby fulfilling its duty as a media outlet. Very well.

However, I wish to clarify that it is necessary to place the words "Supreme Spiritual Council"- SSC- in quotation marks—or, as you see at the beginning of my text, i prefaced those three words with the phrase "so-called"—because the composition of the SSC has been ILLEGAL for two past decades, based on at least three legally vulnerable aspects:

1. The Patriarchs of Jerusalem and Constantinople serve as ex-officio co-chairs of the Supreme Spiritual Council. From the very first day of his enthronement to the present, Patriarch Nourhan has NOT ONCE participated in the Council's meetings, whereas Patriarch Sahak attends them only occasionally. And it is strange that NO ONE ASKS why Patriarch Nourhan consistently refuses to attend the meetings of this so-called Supreme Spiritual Council.

2. ONLY the National-Ecclesiastical Assembly holds the exclusive right to elect members of the Supreme Spiritual Council; yet, the "bold one" has changed—and continues to change—its composition at will, removing whomever he pleases and appointing whomever he pleases. The Supreme Spiritual Council is the supervisory body of the Mother See. Just imagine: its members are supposed to oversee the actions—or lack thereof—of the very Catholicos who appointed them... Furthermore, no one asks why, in the nearly 27 years since the day of his "election," the Patriarch has not convened the General Religious Assembly (GRA). Even during the days of the Soviet atheistic regime, there was never such a long hiatus.

3. Even setting aside the illegality mentioned in point 2, the sessions of the General Religious Assembly (GRA) are unlawful in yet another respect. Only members residing in Armenia participate in its sessions, with members from abroad participating only sporadically. In short, it has been transformed into yet another unlawful instrument of the Patriarch. As for this latest session, the participation of Bishops Aram Ateshyan and Theodoros is entirely unlawful, as they are not members of the GHKh. The same applies to the participation of lawyer Ara Zohrabyan in the recent session; the GRA bylaws make no provision for the status of substitute members. Therefore, esteemed editorial staff, when referring to the GRA, it is necessary to use the phrase "so-called" or to place the body's name in quotation marks. Otherwise, it would appear that “Nor Harach” is legitimizing such blatant illegalities.

With warm regards,

Gevorg Natali

Yerevan, Republic Day, September 21, 2026, morning