Western Diocese

In the evening of March 4, 2008, a prayer vigil for peace in Armenia was held at the Western Diocese. The Vicar General of the Western Diocese, Very Rev. Fr. Dajad Dz. V. Yardemian, presided over the church service. Honorable Armen Liloyan, Consul General of the Republic of Armenia in Los Angeles, and Mr. Joseph Kanimian, Esq., Vice Chair of the Diocesan Council, joined the clergy and faithful to pray for peace and tranquility in Armenia. Earlier on March 4, His Eminence Archbishop Hovnan Derderian, Primate of the Western Diocese, left Los Angeles for Armenia to participate in the Supreme Spiritual Council Meeting, on March 6-8, 2008. His Holiness Karekin II, Catholicos of All Armenians, will preside over the meeting. In the absence of His Eminence, the Vicar General of the Western Diocese read the Primate’s message at the conclusion of the church service: “The Western Diocese of the Armenian Church of North America along with all the Diocesan clergy and the faithful are extremely troubled and concerned with the ongoing political unrest in Armenia. We’ve joined our prayers to the Lord for peace in Armenia, which is the guarantor of prosperity in our fatherland. Peace and tranquility in Armenia is also the source of hope and aspiration for the Diaspora and its survival. It is the foremost responsibility of our leaders, especially those in the political arena, to be discreet and refrain from provocative public statements. It is not helpful to utter inflammatory statements against the government or the church. ‘So the tongue is a little member and boasts of great things. How great a forest is set ablaze by a small fire (James 3:5)!’ Our actions during the earthly life should result in peace in the eternal fatherland. The situation in the fatherland is the direct result of negligence towards spirituality and prayerful life. Let us pray to the Lord to grant wisdom and foresight to all those who are vying for political leadership in Armenia. We should pay heed to our beloved Vehapar and his call for peace during these difficult days.” The Vicar General of the Western Diocese then read the message of His Holiness Karekin II, Catholicos of All Armenians: “Today, our hearts and souls are filled with sadness and sorrow. The Armenian nation mourns the loss of its children. The demonstrated intolerance over the result of the recent presidential elections resulted in civic unrest and tragic confrontations. We never expected hatred and animosity to replace rationality amongst our people. Today, my dears, the whole Armenian people live in agony, because our heritage, unity and peace and tranquility in the fatherland are threatened. It is important to reign over our emotions and distance ourselves from destructive and hateful activities against our brothers. We should be guided by the principles of peace, respect for law and mutual discussions in resolving the disputed issues. We should realize that we bear responsibility towards the history and the future generations. Let us not destabilize the country. Let us not err so gravely in front of God, our forefathers and children. We believe that we will overcome these difficult times and normalcy will return to our daily lives and affairs of our country. We pray to the Lord for the souls of those who lost their lives during the unfortunate events of the past few days. We pray to the Lord to console and comfort their families and friends in these difficult days. May God protect us. May God bless us with wisdom and grant us the guidance of the Holy Spirit to overcome this difficult situation.” Upon the instruction of His Eminence Archbishop Hovnan Derderian a special requiem for the souls of those who lost their lives during the uprisings on March 1, 2008 in Armenia is scheduled to be held in all churches of the Western Diocese, on Sunday, March 9, 2008.