Next Step #816: Separation of Church and State Ignored with the First Christian Nation
For the first time since independence, the Armenian government began its new session without the blessing of His Holiness Karekin II, the Catholicos of the All Armenians. The government of Armenia, ignoring all Western protocols of separation of Church and State, is bringing the Catholicos to trial for following Church canons and laws. A case of greatest in the Oriental (Eastern) Orthodox Church – good intentions but what does it mean? With, as always, stories and adventures from Fr. Vazken.
https://epostle.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Empty-Niche-Church-State-Separation-NS816.jpg1275825Vazken Movsesianhttps://epostle.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/final_logo_large_for_epostle_web-300x189.pngVazken Movsesian2026-08-06 18:19:472026-08-06 22:18:57Church-State Separation Ignored by Armenian Government
Over the past month I have had the pleasure of sharing with you the background “deep dive” story of the Holy Muiron. This past weekend, thousands of people made the pilgrimage to Holy Etchmiadzin, Armenia to witness the blessing and the re-consecration of the Mother Cathedral which has been under renovation construction for over a decade. Thousands more watched on-line, as this seventeen-hundred-year-old tradition took place at the oldest Christian cathedral on Earth, in the shadow of Mount Ararat, where Noah and his family walked off the ark.
His Holiness Karekin II, the Catholicos of All Armenians presided and delivered a most stirring sermon which captured the essence of the Muiron of 2024 in the context of the world today. By way of an epilogue to this deep dive series, I share with you excerpts from His Holiness’ message, September 28, 2024. (The message in its entirety appears below.)
“Whoever is anointed with this shall revere God and fear not the enemy.”
Beloved Faithful,
On the eve of the Feast of the Holy Cross of Varag and the commemoration of St. George the Martyr, we give glory to Almighty God, who has granted us the grace to conduct the Blessing of the Holy Myron, a ceremony that we were unable to conduct earlier due to the calamitous events of recent years. By the merciful will of God, may the newly blessed Holy Myron bestow heavenly blessings upon our lives, granting spiritual strength and the grace of renewal to our people who have endured the ravages and losses of war.
Dear Ones, the blessing of the Holy Myron, reminds us of the sacred days of the conversion of the Armenian nation. Through the hand of Catholicos St. Gregory the Illuminator, under the majestic gaze of Biblical Mount Ararat, our people were baptized and anointed with the holy oil, blessed by our Lord and brought to Armenia by St. Thaddeus the Apostle. Thus were our people united with Christ and His Holy Church. The Armenian nation received the grace to become God’s own people and the first nation to declare Christianity as its state religion. Since that epochal moment when the nation’s faith was founded, the holy mountain of salvation, Ararat, and the Mother Cathedral of Holy Etchmiadzin have stood as sacred and indelible symbols of our enduring faith, and of the eternal existence of the Armenian people.
“Whoever is anointed with this Myron shall revere God and fear not the enemy.” Today, these stirring words from the prayer for the blessing of the Holy Myron echo resoundingly for all of us to hear. This message from our forefathers has accompanied our people throughout history, strengthening them to live with reverence for God’s love, emboldening them in the face of their enemies, and encouraging them to be defender of sacred values and our identity, and to be devoted to serving the homeland.
The Holy Myron is the visible sign of the presence of the Holy Spirit. Through the seal of the Holy Myron, a fountain of divine blessings pours out into the life of the individual and the nation. The one anointed with Holy Myron becomes the recipient of heavenly, pristine gifts, renewed to think and act in goodness, and to live in the fear of God, without fear in the presence of evil. The seal of the Holy Myron affirms our union with Christ and our membership in His Holy Church. It also confirms our national identity and the pledge of our fidelity to God.
For centuries, the Holy Myron has bound together the sons and daughters of our people scattered across the world, uniting the homeland and the diaspora. Through the Holy Myron, we are one nation and one Church. Today, the Holy Myron, distributed through the heads of the Hierarchical Sees and Diocesan Primates to our people worldwide, once again spiritually fortifies our indivisible unity. The Myron has become the blood that flows through the veins of Armenians, empowering the nation with spiritual strength to face all trials, as well as our current challenges, according to the prayerful exhortation of our forefathers: “The one anointed with the Myron fears only God and is unafraid of enemies.”
Beloved, the world today is once again troubled by conflicts and hostilities that undermine harmony in family life, human relationship, sowing enmity and intolerance, inciting war, spreading destruction and calamity. Our country and people, too, confront severe security threats, with an imperative to rise from devastation and profound losses. We believe that the world is not indifferent to pain and violence. We believe love and compassion have not evaporated from human hearts, nor have the pursuit of justice or the rule of law.
On this sacred occasion of the blessing of the Holy Myron, we once again appeal to the international community and our sister Churches, in the presence of our prayerful ecclesiastical and diplomatic representatives, to take effective measures to curb the expansionist ambitions of Azerbaijan and its incessant demands postured from a position of power, and also to return the occupied border territories of Armenia, the protection of the violated rights of the displaced people of Artsakh, the release of captured Armenians, and the preservation of the Armenian spiritual and cultural heritage of Artsakh from usurpation and destruction.
Beloved Faithful, the primary duty and responsibility for resolving this complex situation is ours. It is incumbent upon us to unite; to protect our country from new intrusions and losses; to dispel fear and concern for the future; to reassess mistaken and detrimental trajectories for the nation; to further strengthen Armenian-Diasporan relations; to promote healthy dialogue in the internal political life of the nation; and to seek ways to restore a safe and secure life for our people in the homeland. We must walk this path with justice, courage and honesty. Under these circumstances, trust and hope in God are an anchor and solid foundation upon which we can rise from the calamities that have befallen us in order to build a strong homeland.
Therefore, beloved, let this new Holy Myron be a Myron of hope and renewal, a radiant testimony to our resolve to revive our national life, and to our steadfastness in overcoming both internal and external challenges, as we shape a prosperous future.
Our pontifical appeal to our sons and daughters worldwide is to allow the course of our lives to be ever sealed with Holy Myron and to remain steadfast in protecting the interests of our state. Let no one endanger the future of our nation.
For no one who is anointed with the Holy Myron can ever renounce the dreams of his forefathers for an independent homeland, nor deny his own history.
No one who is anointed with Holy Myron may reject the heritage of his ancestors, nor diminish his sanctified values, nor distort his national identity and aspirations.
No one who is anointed with Holy Myron must ever insult or disdain his compatriots, his fellow sisters and brothers, as it is said, “He who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen” (1 John 4:20).
Anyone who is anointed with the Holy Myron is called to become a pioneer of truth, a creator of goodness, and a preacher of love.
And finally, whoever is anointed with the Holy Myron should fear only God and be fearless in the face of enemies and threats, for, as the Holy Apostle says, “The weakness of God is stronger than men” (1 Corinthians 1:25).
Our Patriarchal exhortation to you, beloved Armenians of Artsakh, is to remain steadfast and unwavering in the face of tribulations and hardships. The atrocity committed against Artsakh was not solely against you, but against our entire nation. As a nation, we must resolutely uphold and advocate for your right to live freely and with dignity in your ancestral homeland. From this holy altar, we extend our love and blessing to you, praying that the heavenly graces be poured upon your lives and your households. As the Catholicos of All Armenians, we believe in the inner strength of our nation and the resurgence of our people, in the bright and victorious future that lies ahead.
On this occasion of spiritual renewal, the Blessing of the Holy Myron, we express our love and best wishes to the participants of the ceremony: clergy, state officials, political and diplomatic figures, dedicated national benefactors of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, and faithful pilgrims. We express our high appreciation to the national benefactor, Mr. Samvel Karapetyan, who has taken up the role of godfather for the Blessing of the Holy Myron and has made significant contributions toward the prosperity of our nation and homeland, as well as to the enlightenment of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin. May God’s abundant blessings and heavenly gifts bring renewed success, our dear benefactor, Mr. Katrapetyan, to you and your pious family.
We pray to our Heavenly Father, that through the grace of the Holy Spirit, the works of faith, love, and goodness may flourish abundantly in the world, and the paths of peace and harmony may be strengthened. May our homeland be safe and steadfast through the constant outpouring of the Holy Spirit’s gifts, our people’s life adorned with virtue, and our Holy Apostolic Church remain bright and unshaken. May the life-giving light of the Holy Myron keep the Lantern of the Illuminator ever shining in the Armenian land, today, always, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
At the Blessing of the Holy Muiron, thousands of people come from throughout the world to witness this event which occurs once every seven years. For many who attend it is a once-in-a-lifetime event, something they have only heard about. Today, thanks to technology, the Blessing is streamed live and remains as a memory forever as a recording on digital platforms. With digital broadcasts, people anywhere on earth, with even humble means are able to witness this event. Today we will mark our scorecards with more hints of who’s who, based on their attire.
Not all who wear black are priests. The black cassock is the attire of the monastery. Deacons, priests and bishops – all three of the main orders – wear the black cassock. The priest – the kahana – may wear a pectoral cross if granted by his bishop, or upon passing his doctoral examine. Those wearing the hood – veghar – but without crosses are likely to be apegha-s. Those with hoods and the pectoral cross are the vartabeds. The ones with the hood, but wearing a panake – an oval medallion with the Holy Virgin and Child Jesus pictured on it are the bishops. The one with the diamond studded cross on his hood is the Catholicos of All Armenians. He may wear a panake or sometimes, the double-headed eagle as a symbol of authority.
A bishop is ordained for the purpose of overseeing a diocese. Those bishops assigned to a diocese are referred to as arachnort, Primates or Prelates. Dioceses are geographic areas that exist in Armenia and throughout the world. The Armenian Church has three other geographic areas outside of Armenia, that also have historic relevance, these have their own rules of governance. The Catholicosate of the See of Cilicia, today functioning out of Lebanon, has a Catholicos who heads it and consecrates bishops for service to the See. Jerusalem, because of its significance in Christianity, has an archbishop whose title is Patriarch. Likewise, in Istanbul, once Constantinople, the archbishop who is the ecclesiastical head of this geography is referred to as a Patriarch. Technically, use of the double-headed eagle was reserved for the Patriarch of Constantinople, because it was the “Center” of the world. The two heads of the eagle point right and left, as to signify from one end to the other end of the earth.
During the Blessing of Muiron ceremony, the Catholicos of All Armenians stands in the center, surrounded by the bishops of the church. Their order is not random. They line up according to their seniority within the Church, is based on their date of ordination. Standing next to the Catholicos are either the Catholicos of Cilicia or his representative, followed by the Patriarchs of Jerusalem and Constantinople or their representative. Bishops participate by holding many of the relics and artifacts that are held at Etchmiadzin, including the lance – the spear – which pierce the side of Jesus while he was on the Cross, and the holy relic of St. Gregory the Illuminator.
We pray today, Remember Lord, all the faithful everywhere, of men and women, old and young, who in faith and holiness come to you for strength and courage, to lead and guide your Holy Church. Amen.
Cover: Aghtamar/Holy Cross 2014 Epostle
https://epostle.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/IMG_0654.jpg10801920Vazken Movsesianhttps://epostle.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/final_logo_large_for_epostle_web-300x189.pngVazken Movsesian2024-09-05 00:01:342024-09-04 09:23:25Muiron: Through the Cassocks
Welcome to another installment of this series “Holy Muiron: From Armenia to your Home” celebrating the upcoming Blessing of the Muiron at Holy Etchmiadzin. If you’ve missed previous sessions of this series, you’ll find them on Spotify, your favorite podcatcher, or better yet, visit us at Epostle.net – where you can also sign up to receive the Daily Message directly in your inbox . Here, then, is today’s episode. Thank you for listening. May God bless you.
Armodoxy for Today… Muiron Prep: The Players
Now that we’re familiar with the uses and purpose of the Holy Muiron, our next step in our deep dive of the subject is the preparations. Today we look at the different players.
From what we know, the first official blessing of Holy Muiron was done by St. Gregory the Illuminator following the conversion of Armenia in 301 A.D. Accordingly, the chief bishop of the Armenian Church, whom we refer to as Catholicos, conducts the blessing every seven years. The current Catholicos is the 132nd Catholicos in this tradition and 142 Chief bishops since the Apostolic throne was created by Saints Thaddeus and Bartholomew following Jesus’ Resurrection and their travel to Armenia with the Gospel.
The number seven is a mystical number within the Armenian Church. The seventh letter of the Armenian alphabet is the letter “eh” which is the verb “to be” in its present tense. It is the name of God, that is, “He is.” The number seven also is the sum of the numbers 3+4. Three refers to the heavens, in particular the Holy Trinity and four refers to the earth, with its four directions: North, East, West and South. Four plus three equals the completeness of Creation, heaven and earth. An even deeper Armodox dive will note that the year of Armenia’s conversion to Christianity, 301, has the prime factors of 43 and 7. The four, three and seven may be discounted as coincidence in the date but we are content assigning it to the mystery of the Muiron, as we will discuss on a yet another exploration.
Among his duties, the Catholicos, as chief bishop, is responsible for blessing the Muiron and consecrating bishops for dioceses – these are geographical regions that have cathedrals, churches, and parishes in them. Once all the dioceses of the Armenian Church were confined to the geographical boundaries of Armenia, but since the failed Genocide of 1915 and the creation of the Armenian diaspora, dioceses are found throughout the world.
On the occasion of the blessing of Holy Muiron, the Catholicos, in his capacity of the head of the Church, invites all the bishops, representing the various communities throughout the world, to come to Holy Etchmiadzin to participate and witness in this blessings. Following the Muiron blessing, the Muiron is distributed to each of the bishops who return to their diocese and distribute the blessed chrism to the priests serving under him.
Get your scorecards ready as we explore the mechanics of the blessing in the next few days. Today we conclude with a prayer from the Divine Liturgy: Lord, through the passion of your holy Only-begotten all creation has been renewed and humans have again been made immortal. Heavenly king, preserve your Church unshaken and keep in peace those who worship your name. Amen.
https://epostle.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Muiron-Players.png331640Vazken Movsesianhttps://epostle.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/final_logo_large_for_epostle_web-300x189.pngVazken Movsesian2024-09-03 00:01:592024-09-03 14:35:20Muiron Prep: The Players
https://epostle.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/unnamed.jpg7681024Vazken Movsesianhttps://epostle.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/final_logo_large_for_epostle_web-300x189.pngVazken Movsesian2013-09-26 13:43:002022-09-03 02:21:10Business as Usual? Or Just the Plan?
