WATCH, READ, AND ACT: The Catholicos of All Armenians, His Holiness Karekin II, spoke in impassioned words during a service of prayer and blessing for the defenders of Artsakh and Armenia on Saturday, October 3.
Click the link to watch a recording of his powerful message at the ancient St. Gayane Monastery. An English translation appears below.
* * *
Message of His Holiness Karekin II
Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians
National Prayer Service in Support of Artsakh
Saturday, October 3, 2020 | St Gayane Monastery, Armenia
“And this is the victory that conquers the world: our faith.”
(1 John 5:4)
Dear Faithful:
Today, in our holy churches, and in our homes and workplaces around the world, we wholeheartedly pray to God — in unity — for peace in Artsakh, for the victory of our brave soldiers, and for the safety of our people.
Peace in the homeland and protection of the free and independent life of the nation is the sacred mission of every Armenian soul. We are all committed to this mission through our life and service, and through our dedication and zeal for the defense of our sacred homeland. We are a peace-loving people, but we are now in a position where we are forced to fight for peace. In these crucial days for our people and the homeland, we are resolute with the same devotion and courage of our forefathers — the same defiant spirit — to defend our homeland, and our right to a free and independent life.
No force can shake the will of our people to live freely — a conviction that strengthens the arms of our heroic children fighting for freedom, and fortifies their souls.
Brave-hearted solders of the Armenian Army and the many volunteers who left for Artsakh are still resisting the attacks of Azerbaijan, which are carried out jointly with Turkey. Our soliders are pushing back the enemy in heated battles.
Beloved, victory is determined by the strength of spirit and courage, as well as by the invincible faith that has always strengthened our people — crowning their liberation struggles with glorious victory at crucial moments. We must overcome every trial and tribulation through our unity, invincible spirit, and faith. And with the blessings of God, the Armenian nation will continue to fortify its statehood, and will multiply the accomplishments of a free life, by which our homeland Armenia and Artsakh have thrived throughout the past years of independence.
We are all encouraged and strong-willed, seeing the spirit of courage spreading from Artsakh these days, the victorious and invincible faith in facing the hardships of war. Today, in the words of the Apostle Paul, we appreciate the unwavering will of our dear brothers and sisters living in Artsakh, the willingness to make sacrifices for the defense and steadfastness of the homeland, and their determination to win. “We ourselves boast of you … for your steadfastness and faith during all your persecutions and the afflictions that you are enduring” (2 Thessalonians 1:4).
Beloved ones, we are proud of our people:
We are proud of our fathers and mothers who devote their children to the homeland.
We are proud of the patriotic young people and freedom fighters rushing to the front line.
We are proud of those who toil for the sake of the security and permanence of our lives, and of every little one and adult who shows support to Artsakh.
We are proud of our sons — our soldiers and officers — who keep the borders of our homeland invincible, who fight with unconditional faith in victory.
We are proud of the unity of our people, of the manifest solidarity, willingness, and commitment of all Armenians around the world to help the Armenians of Artsakh, through which we must resist the enemy, and not allow a new genocide to take place.
We bring our patriotic message to you again, dear children of our homeland and diaspora: Keep strong your patriotic love for our homeland; stay united and coruageous in spirit to secure our victory. Together we must protect our homeland, fortify our independence, and secure a lasting peace. Let this be the gift we bequeath to future generations.
May God’s protection and guardianship remain with our people and homeland.
— October 3, 2020