At the invitation of the Ambassador of Lebanon Mr. Jean Makaron, His Holiness Karekin II gave a talk on 18 October 2016 at the Embassy of Lebanon in the presence of 25 Ambassadors and diplomats accredited in Armenia.
All distinguished guests were interested in listening attentively to His Holiness who spoke eloquently about the mission of the Armenian Church in the past and at present. His Holiness Karekin II has highlighted in a significant way the role of the Armenian Apostolic Church and his address was welcomed by all ambassadors. His Holiness said in his address the following:
“Before elaborating on the theme of: “The mission of the Armenian Apostolic Church in the past and now”, we would like to extend to you our blessings and warm wishes and to express our appreciation to His Excellency, Ambassador of Lebanon in Armenia who kindly invited us to this dinner and created the opportunity to meet with you and to share with you some thoughts on the mentioned subject.
Dear Ambassador, surely you are acquainted with the life of our people and her history. Lebanon was among those first countries which opened their doors for the survivors of the Genocide giving a safe haven to thousands of sons and daughters of our nation and provided with the opportunity to rebuild their national-ecclesiastical life. We reckon, that our people used to call Lebanon ‘Little Armenia’. It is gladdening for us to confirm that as a sign of appreciation towards Lebanon, our people actively participated in the enhancement and development of your country.
Dear ones, the mission of a church in the world extends between two poles, God and
man. It is precisely through this contemplation that the Church realizes her mission and service in the life of humanity. The Armenian Church is no exception in this regard, which was established by the two of the twelve apostles of Jesus Christ, St. Thaddeus and St. Bartholomew. In the dominical year of 301, through the preaching of the Armenian Patriarch, St. Gregory the Enlightener, Christianity was accepted as the state religion. Having been founded in one of the oldest cradles of human civilization, she, for centuries, continues to “join…in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God…who has saved us and called us to a holy life” (II Timothy 1:8-9). The mission of the Armenian Church is thus to be set where the path of the centuries long history of the Armenian people and the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ is sprung. She joined her people in the sufferings and vicissitudes of the history and has endured martyrdom with her sons and daughters, at the same time being mindful of the luminous message of Jesus Christ’s Resurrection. Thus is the definition of the mission of the Armenian Church, which has derived from the mysteries of the Dominical Resurrection and history and is carried up to our days. She emerges from the Golgotha, follows the traces of Jesus’ blood, it reaches the tomb of the Lord, in order to be then resurrected and renewed following the example of her Lord and Saviour.
The national-Christian identity in the life of the Armenian people is the core of the mission of the Armenian Church. It is hard to imagine now the contexts and situations in which the life of the Armenian people would develop, if the Armenians have not consciously identified themselves with the witness of Jesus Christ. How could it be possible for the Armenians to overcome the catastrophes of the history and time, one of the most tragic events of human history, the Armenian Genocide and the seventy years of persecutions under the soviet totalitarian regime?
Today the Armenian Church continues with a renewed inspiration and zeal to realize her mission for the enhancement of the social life. You are aware that the socioeconomic life of Armenia was greatly damaged by the earthquake, the conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh and the ongoing blockade. From the very beginning of the independence of Armenia the Armenian Church was actively involved in the activities and projects for resolving the problems which emerged as a result of above-mentioned political situations. Currently the Armenian Church is actively involved in different spheres of our society: chaplaincy in the Armenian national army, health care, education and science, culture and preservation of Armenian heritage and identity.