Tag Archive for: Archbishop Vatche Hovsepian

Embarrassed? Don’t be…

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Armodoxy for Today: Embarrassed? Don’t be…

Several years ago, my spiritual father, that is the bishop who ordained me, asked me to join him at an ecumenical gathering. I was a deacon at the time. Priests, ministers, preachers and lay leaders from different denominations get together in a spirit of ecumenism to celebrate their common faith in Jesus Christ. Wanting to learn more about the first Christians, the gathering had invited Archbishop Vatché to address the conference. As his deacon, they sat me next to him on the dais.

Now I should mention that Archbishop Vatché, of blessed memory (1930-2023), was a straight shooter, in other words, he spoke his mind. He was a presence in the room, and this room was filled with ministers and pastors from all the major Protestant denominations. After they introduce him, he stood behind the podium, with his black cassock, episcopal medallion hanging from his neck, and Armenian monastic hood (velar) on his head. Did I mention he was a presence in the room?

He looked out at the audience of clergy and spoke into the microphone there was no doubt it was a direct message to everyone there. He said, “You!” (emphasized) “You have a lot to learn from us!” I slowly sank into my seat, hoping no one would notice my embarrassment. Here we were at a large gathering honoring the head of the Armenian Church, and here he is talking down to them. Time just stopped for that moment for me. And then, without losing his force in his voice he continued, “And we” (emphasized) “We have a lot to learn from you!” I straighten out in my seat and felt only embarrassed and disappointed in myself that I didn’t have the faith to know he was a man who understood the church well.

Archbishop Vatché’s comment came out of a place of love for the Holy Church. In the next few minutes, he outlined the strengths of the Orthodox Church, the Catholic Church and the Protestant denominations. He spoke about life in a world where so many factors influence and affect families and people and stand in the way of peace. And he pointed to the Answer, Jesus Christ, that is the common bond between all those in attendance. He left the crowd on their feet in a standing ovation.

In the oldest Gospel, Mark writes a short narrative describing an encounter between the disciple of Jesus and a group outside of the Disciples. Now John answered Him, saying, “Teacher, we saw someone who does not follow us casting out demons in Your name, and we forbade him because he does not follow us.”

But Jesus said, “Do not forbid him, for no one who works a miracle in My name can soon afterward speak evil of Me. For he who is not against us is on our side. For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink in My name, because you belong to Christ, assuredly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward. (Mark 9:38-41)

In a world that is full of hatred, disease, inhumanity, and corruption, the Christian message of love supersedes all else as the solution and it begins with Christians displaying that respect and love toward one another.
Let swords be turned into ploughshares, fear to trust, despair to hope, oppression to freedom, starvation to prosperity, occupation to liberation, and peace and justice could be experienced by all.  (Prayer for Christian Unity, WCC)

 

The Parable of Archbishop Vatché

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Next Step #759 – December 22, 2022 – Archbishop Vatché Hovsepian (1930-2022) enters his eternal rest and leaves a legacy from 70+ years of love and devotion for the Armenian Church. Here is an intimate reflection by Fr. Vazken. Listen as he shares unheard stories of humility, strength and devotion. Including The Church under communism and Ordination of Women. Up close and personal views of the archbishop, spiritual father, and member of the “God generation.”
Links:
Archbishop Vatché Hovsepian, In Memoriam 
Reflections: Armodoxy for Today on Abp. Vatché
2018 Tribute to Archbishop Vatché
1991 International Conference of Clergy 
Fr. Vazken’s ordination 1982 
A Woman’s Ordination in the Church
Thesis: Response to the Problem of Evil
McCarthyism 
Janis Ian – Light at the end of the Line
Produced by Suzie Shatarevyan for https://epostle.net
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Abp. Vatche Servant of God

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Armodoxy for Today

Archbishop Vatché, servant of God.

“You did not choose me” said Jesus, “But I chose you. And I appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask him in my name.” (John 15:16) In his farewell discourse with the disciples, our Lord Jesus addresses them with these words.

In the Gospel of Matthew, we see Jesus beginning his public ministry at the Sea of Galilee where, “He saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.”

A few men have accepted the calling and have executed their duties such that they have realized the fruit of the harvest promised to them. One such man was Archbishop Vatché Hovsepian, who fished and caught men for the Kingdom. I am one of those who was fortunate enough to be caught in his net. Archbishop Vatché was my spiritual father, the one who ordained me into the sacred priesthood 40 years ago. Today, he passed on to be with the Lord.

Archbishop Vatché was the senior most clergyman in the entire Armenian Church. He was ordained into the priesthood in 1951 at the Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia in Lebanon. He studied in Edenborough, Scotland, and was invited to the United States to serve as a pastor of a flock in New Jersey. His personal calling took him Canada and then to the Western Diocese where he served as our primate from 1971 to 2013. During his tenure the Diocese grew from a small office to a complex. His accomplishments were many and he gave, as our Lord says, “Fruit that will last.”

We often hear about the Armenian Genocide and stand in awe of the generation that underwent and endured the atrocities. We often forget the generation that followed, the ones that picked up the broken remnants, and raised the church, like the phoenix from the ashes. This was the generation that was charged with rebuilding the church. This was the generation that, like God, had nothing and created something. Today, what we have as the Armenian Church, is thanks to this generation which put it all on the line to ensure that future generations would have a home where they could learn and live their Christian Armenian identity. Archbishop Vatché was from that next generation, and endowed with a gift of attracting people with his charismatic personality which was unsettling, uncompromising and demanded the best from all of us. He commanded the room he entered. He left a large imprint on many of our lives.

Please join me on my weekly podcast The Next Step as we spend some time with personal reflections of the life and legacy of Archbishop Vatché.

Today, we pray the requiem prayer of the Armenian Church, “O Christ, Son of God, forbearing and compassionate, have compassion, in your love as our Creator, upon the souls of your servants who are at rest, especially upon the soul your newly departed servant, official of the church and my spiritual father, Archbishop Vatché Hovsepian, for whom we offer this prayers. Be mindful of him on the great day of the coming of your kingdom. Make him worthy of mercy, of expiation and forgiveness of sins. Glorify him and reckon him with the company of your saints at your right hand. For you are Lord and creator of all, judge of the living and of the dead. And to you is befitting glory, dominion and honor, now and unto the ages of ages. Amen.