Diocesan Primate Bishop Mesrop Parsamyan offers his reflections on the Assembly of Armenian Bishops that met this week in Austria.
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Strength in Unity
Our Bishops’ Council in Austria has just concluded. For three days in Saint Pölten, bishops of the Armenian Church came together to pray, reflect on the current challenges facing the Armenian Church, and form a united and responsible position to defend the Church’s mission and preserve its internal unity.
When bishops come together, it is easy for people to assume that it is about policies, resolutions, or public statements. But what I experienced was something much deeper. It was a spiritual encounter: clergy called to shepherd the Church, kneeling before God, seeking clarity in a difficult hour.
We met at a time when our Church is facing unprecedented pressure in Armenia. Painful measures have been imposed by the Armenian government, including travel restrictions placed upon His Holiness Karekin II and several of our brother bishops. These realities are not distant headlines for us. They touch the freedom and dignity of the Church we love.
And yet, amid the tension, I saw something beautiful. I saw bishops who love the Armenian Apostolic Church with sincerity. I heard careful conversations marked by responsibility and a genuine spirit of fraternity. We did not gather to defend personal positions. We gathered to protect the sacred mission entrusted to us.
When the early Church faced its first major crisis, the apostles assembled in Jerusalem. After prayer and deliberation, they spoke these remarkable words: “It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us” (Acts 15:28). These words have guided the Church ever since. The ultimate goal is to be in harmony with the Holy Spirit.
That was our deepest desire in Austria. Before speaking, we prayed. Before deciding, we listened. The most important voice in the room was not the loudest one, but the quiet prompting of the Holy Spirit. Because when the Spirit leads, the Church walks forward with courage and hope.
I returned from this gathering with renewed confidence. I was reminded once again that the Church is not sustained by political favor or human strategy. The Church belongs to Christ. He is the Head. He is the Shepherd. He is the One who promised, “I am with you always.”
And in that confidence, we move forward, trusting that the Lord who called us to serve His Church will faithfully guard her, guide her, and bring her through every storm into deeper unity and renewed light.
Prayerfully,
Bishop Mesrop Parsamyan
Primate
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