Month: October 2008

ARMENIA TAKES ISSUE WITH BUSH ADMINISTRATION’S RHETORIC ON KARABAKH
by Emil Sanamyan

Armenian Reporter
October 16, 2008
Armenia

Recently modified language prioritizes "territorial integrity"

U.S. vice president Dick Cheney with Prime Minister Tigran Sarkisian
of Armenia in Washington on October 10, 2008. Armenian government photo

Washington – In a meeting with Vice President Dick Cheney in Washington
on October 10, Prime Minister Tigran Sarkisian raised concerns on
behalf of Armenia over the recently modified rhetoric of U.S. officials
on Nagorno-Karabakh, the prime minister’s office reported.

It is "extremely dangerous" to emphasize the principle of territorial
integrity at the expense of self-determination when it comes to
Karabakh, Mr. Sarkisian told Mr. Cheney in what amounted to the
first publicly reported criticism of the revised U.S. policy language
by Armenia.

The prime minister was referring, in particular, to remarks delivered
in Baku by Mr. Cheney that a Karabakh settlement "must proceed" from
the principle of Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity and only then "take
into account other principles." The remarks were apparently drafted
by Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Matt Bryza, the U.S. co-chair
of the OSCE Minsk Group, which mediates in the Karabakh negotiations.

"If territorial integrity is prioritized, the peace process – all
of the work the mediators have done – becomes meaningless," Prime
Minister Sarkisian told the Armenian Reporter on October 14. "And
this also provokes [Azerbaijan] toward war."

According to Mr. Sarkisian, Mr. Cheney in response reiterated
U.S. support for the peace process.

Evolution of the peace process According to sources familiar with
the details of the peace process, since 1999 its focus has been on
ways that would formalize Karabakh’s separation from Azerbaijan and
reunification with Armenia.

But with Azerbaijan increasingly belligerent, the Karabakh talks in
recent years have shifted toward a "postponed status" for Karabakh,
with an increasingly vague definition of a mechanism for determination
of this status.

Still, while the United States has always voiced support for the
principle of territorial integrity with regard to former Soviet
republics, including Azerbaijan, it has also mentioned the need to
reconcile that principle with other principles.

For example in an August 6, 2007, interview with Russia’s Vremya
Novostei newspaper, Mr. Bryza noted, "There are three main principles
that influence our talks [on Karabakh]: refusal to apply force,
recognition of the territorial integrity of the states, and the right
for self-determination.

"A compromise should be found among these principles," he said,
and added, "I represent [the United States,] a country founded by
separatists."

In the case of Georgia, a close U.S. ally, the United States has
spoken openly in support of Tbilisi’s claims on Abkhazia and South
Ossetia. But U.S. officials – up until recently – have been careful
not to use language that could be deemed to be prejudging the outcome
of the talks on Karabakh’s status.

"BIG WEDDING" IN NAGORNO-KARABAKH

DeFacto Agency
2008-10-16 16:11:00
Armenia

STEPANAKERT, 16. 10. 08. DE FACTO. A large-scale measure titled "Big
Wedding" is being held in Nagorno-Karabakh. 700 young pairs from
Artsakh are getting married within the frames of the action.

According to DE FACTO own correspondent in Stepanakert, now all wedding
corteges are heading from the Stepanakert Revival Square, where the
wedding ceremony will be held. Some pairs headed for Gandzasar. In the
second half of the day the secular wedding ceremony will be held at
the Stepanakert Stadium after Stepan Shahumian. The newly-weds will
get certifications on marriage and first presents – plastic cards
of Unibank.

To note, the initiative of holding the unprecedented action in
Nagorno-Karabakh that belongs to a philanthropist Levon Hayrapetian
was supported by Nagorno-Karabakh government.

The wedding ceremony will be accompanied by a big concert program.

ARMENIAN DEPUTY: "OIL AND GAS COMPONENT WILL CONTINUE DOMINATING IN THE PROCESS OF NAGORNO KARABAKH CONFLICT RESOLUTION"

Today.Az
16 October 2008 [16:47]
Azerbaijan

"Oil and gas will remain the priorities in the resolution of the
Karabakh issue", considers Avet Adonts, chairman of the permanent
commission of the Armenian parliament on the issues of European
integration.

"Though the national right for self-determination is becoming more
recognized by the world society, oil dollars and revenues from the sale
of oil and gas of Azerbaijan will remain priorities in this issue",
said he.

According to Adonts, if the principles, worked out in the process
of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, remain on the negotiation table
after presidential eelctions in Azerbaijan, the progress in talks
will be fixed.

The parliamentarian noted that preparation of the population for
possible compromises in the conflict settlement has been carried out
in Armenia through the past years, while Azerbaijani side and powers
continued making "aggressive and bellicose statements".

"If a party is preparing for a conflict resolution, it should primarily
prepare the public opinion and then agree for compromises", said he.

AZERBAIJAN ELECTION MONITOR GIVES HARSH APPRAISAL
By Sabrina Tavernise

New York Times
October 16, 2008
United States

BAKU, Azerbaijan — A European election observer gave a stinging
assessment on Thursday of this country’s presidential elections,
provoking an angry response from local journalists and officials,
who said Europe had applied double standards.

Azerbaijan held presidential elections on Wednesday, in which the
incumbent, Ilham Aliyev, won more than 88 percent of the vote. The
opposition boycotted, claiming the government had twisted the rules
so much that fair competition was impossible.

In sharp language that appeared to come as a surprise to the large
group of journalists and officials assembled at a news conference
here in the capital, Andres Herkel, the head of the Council of Europe
parliamentary delegation, said that the election was "a very good
swimming exercise, but unfortunately, it’s an empty pool."

"In spite of improvements, there are certain things to be said about
the general atmosphere, which did not reflect principles of democratic
elections," he said.

Mr. Herkel offered the sharpest criticism of the election that the
Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, a monitoring group
that also sent observers , said had "marked considerable progress,
but did not meet all commitments."

His remarks set off an angry series of questions, mostly from Azeri
journalists, who were upset about what they considered to be a double
standard applied to Azerbaijan, compared with its northern neighbor,
Armenia, with whom it fought a war in the early 1990’s. In the Azeri
view, Armenia gets more favorable treatment by the west.

"Outrageous," a man shouted from the audience. "Your personal views
are outrageous. There is no need to tell them in the press conference."

Azerbaijan feels it was victimized in a small but brutal conflict in
which Armenians on Azeri territory rose up at the end of the Soviet
Union, demanding unification with Armenia. Both sides participated in
ethnic cleansing, but the Armenians — with Russian help — eventually
prevailed in the territory, known as Nagorno-Karabakh.

Armenia had a contested presidential election earlier this year
in which authorities killed a number of people as they dispersed
a crowd of demonstrators. The Europeans’ initial evaluation was
largely positive, which fueled suspicions on Wednesday that a double
standard was being applied, but their report issued later was much
more critical.

The European observers sought to reassure the audience that they
were not comparing Azerbaijan’s election with any other country’s,
and emphasized that the election here had been a step forward in a
number of respects.

"The election marks considerable progress towards meeting OSCE and
Council of Europe commitments," said Boris Frlec, head of the OSCE’s
observing mission, "but doesn’t meet all commitments."

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

MARANI BRANDS UNVEILS NEW WEB SITE

MarketWatch
Oct. 16, 2008

Proudly Reveals the New Look for Its Marani Vodka Brand

LOS ANGELES, Oct 16, 2008 (BUSINESS WIRE) — Marani Brands
Inc. (MRIB:marani brands continues its acceleration in
brand development with its newly designed web site. The site,
, now offers consumers, industry representatives
and investors a more robust overview of the Marani experience. It is
a recognition of the finer things in life; whether they are finely
crafted ultra-premium vodka or an appreciation for the aesthetics
offered through Marani’s relationships in the worlds of art, fashion
and entertainment.

"We are excited to showcase our signature product through the
introduction of our new web site. The Marani brand is poised for
even greater success as we continue to evolve our marketing efforts
and target those cultivated consumers who truly appreciate the best
that life has to offer," said company chief marketing executive
Paul Fuegner.

About Marani Brands Inc.

Marani Brands, Inc. develops, positions, markets and distributes fine
wine and spirit products in the United States. Its signature product,
"Marani Vodka," is an ultra-premium vodka manufactured exclusively
for Marani in Armenia. It is made from late-harvest Armenian winter
wheat, distilled three times, filtered twenty-five times and then,
through a proprietary process, is aged in oak barrels lined with honey
and skimmed dried milk to give it its unique taste. Marani Vodka
was awarded the Gold Medal in the prestigious International Spirit
Competition, held in San Francisco, California, in both 2004 and
2007, and the coveted Star Diamond Award by the American Academy of
Hospitality Sciences in 2008. Please enjoy Marani brands responsibly
and in moderation.

Forward-looking Statements Certain statements made in this press
release contain forward-looking statements that involve a number
of risks and uncertainties. This forward-looking information is
based on certain assumptions, including, among others, presently
known physical data concerning size and character of reservoirs and
economic recoverability. Some of these expectations may be based upon
assumptions or judgments that prove to be incorrect. In addition,
operations involve numerous risks and uncertainties, many of which are
beyond Marani Brands’ control, which could result in expectations not
being realized or otherwise materially affect the financial condition,
results of operation and cash flows. Additional information regarding
these and other risks are contained in Marani Brands’ filings with
the Securities and Exchange Commission.

SOURCE: Marani Brands Inc.

Press only: Marani Brands Inc.

Nina Kevorkian, Director of Communications 818-503-5200
[email protected]

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ELECTION DAY IN UN RACE, ANKARA SETS SIGHTS ON WIN

Today’s Zaman
17 October 2008, Friday
Turkey

The long-awaited election to select new non-permanent members for
the UNsECurity Council in New York will take place today.

Having been lobbying intensely for a seat on the influential world body
for five years, Turkish officials are sitting back in their chairs,
hoping that their efforts will bear fruit.

"We have a clear conscience. We have done everything we could," Burak
Ozugergin, the spokesman for the Foreign Ministry, said yesterday ahead
of the elections. Foreign Minister Ali Babacan is still in New York for
a final round of lobbying for Turkish membership of the 15-member UN
Security Council. He most recently met with representatives of Asian
and European countries, asking for their support for the Turkish bid.

Turkey, a three-time member of the council, has been absent from the
influential body since 1961. The elections today will determine the
10 new temporary members of the council, selected from different
geographical groups. The tightest race seems to be in the Western
European and Others group, where Turkey is fighting Iceland and Austria
for one of the two seats reserved for the group. Turkey was a temporary
member of the council from 1951-2, 1954-5 and in 1961. Austria has
had a seat on the body twice and Iceland wants to shed its status
of being the only Scandinavian country never represented on the
council. However, Iceland’s current financial crisis and the near
collapse of its currency and three largest banks are threatening
its bid. For Turkey, a seat would mark the first time that Ankara
represents the Western European group.

In its first term on the UN Security Council, Turkey represented the
Middle East region. It moved to the Eastern Europe and Asia group later
and represented this class during its second term. Turkey has been in
the Western European and Others group since a new arrangement of the
grouping in the UN in 1966. And Ankara says it is high time to return
to the Security Council after an absence of nearly a half a century.

Since 2003, when it declared its candidacy for council membership
in 2009-2010, Turkey has been lobbying intensely for selection when
conducting diplomacy with the rest of the world. Relations with the
Caribbean, Latin America and Africa, virtually nonexistent before
2003, have come to the forefront and Ankara is now hoping that a
number of countries from these large groups will keep their promises
to support its bid for membership. Though the number of countries
pledging support is well above the minimum required, 128 out of 192,
officials are cautious, fearing that countries may well cast their
vote differently in the closed election.

Ankara’s biggest advantage is its growing international influence
and prestige as a regional peacemaker. Turkey has been mediating
talks between Syria and Israel, lobbying for a regional cooperation
platform for the Caucasus and thawing its relations with Armenia, a
neighbor with which it has no formal ties. Ankara says as a Security
Council member it could better help efforts to broker peace in the
much-troubled Caucasus and the Middle East.

But according to Ozugergin, the Turkish pro-active policy is
more than a mere bargaining chip for membership at the UN Security
Council. "Turkey is confident in its foreign policy and will continue
to do what it sees best for peace and stability," he said. "These
are not simply efforts for election to the Security Council."

———————————- ———————————————-

Tu rkey’s chance for UN seat worries Armenians The likelihood that
Turkey will win a seat on the UN Security Council is causing concern
among some Armenians, who fear Ankara might gain leverage to promote
pro-Azerbaijani decisions and speak up against Armenia’s claims of
a genocide at the hands of the Ottoman Empire.

Turkey does not have formal ties with Armenia and has kept its border
with the landlocked country closed since 1993 in protest of Armenian
occupation of a part of Azerbaijani territory. Although relations
improved after a visit by President Abdullah Gul to Yerevan in
September, the two countries are far from restoring diplomatic ties.

Comments in the Armenian media have said Turkey is favored to win
the race for one of the two seats reserved for the Western European
group on the Security Council. According to Armenian analysts, the
Russian-Georgian crisis in the Caucasus in August boosted Turkey’s
chances for election as a regional peace broker. Media outlets also
report that Russia, which has good ties with Turkey, and the US,
which will need its NATO ally to press more strongly for pro-Israeli
decisions at the UN Security Council, are also likely to support
Turkey’s bid. Ä°stanbul Today’s Zaman with wires

–Boundary_(ID_eeq4RNlRxZ0O/KGw4A8XDA)–

RUSSIA TO PROVIDE 10 MILLION USD FOR IMPLEMENTATION OF SECURITY WORKS OF THE SECOND ENERGY BLOCK OF ARMENIAN AES

BSANNA NEWS
ARMENPRESS
2008-10-16
Ukraine

YEREVAN, Oct 16. (ARMENPRESS). Russia will provide 10 million USD for
implementing security works of the second energy block of Armenian
Atomic Electro Station (AES).

Head of the AES Gagik Markosian told Armenpress that the support
will be provided to Armenia through the MAGATE. This is the first
time Russia provides financial support of such amount.

The planned works within the financing will start in 2009 the sizes and
the direction of which is still to be approved: at present technical
discussions are being carried out.

For increasing the security level of Armenian AES with the support
of MAGATE, which coordinates international support distribution,
studies are also planned to be carried out to find out the primary
issues of the AES.

Starting from 1996, overall, 90 million USD was provided to Armenia
by donor-countries to ensure the security of the second energy-block
of Armenian AES.

The Armenian AES is located in the town of Metsamor, was exploited from
1976, at present only the second block of the station functions. The
financial streams of the AES passed under the management of
вÐ~BÑ~ZINTER RAO ECвÐ~BÑ~ company in September 2003, the owner of
which is the вÐ~BÑ~ZRosatomв&#x D0;~BÑ~ corporation.

G. Markosian also informed that with the support and financing of
United States Agency of International Development (USAID) a physical
basis has been prepared connected with the construction of a new AES
in Armenia which will be presented to the Armenian government in the
nearest future.

The new AES will probably be located in the area of the existing
one: additional research works will be conducted before starting
the project.

According to G. Markosian, the approximate sum of necessary money
is also included in the program which will be presented to the
government. The type of the AES is not decided in that works
particularly. According to the initial information, it must be a
station of nearly 1000 megawatt. But the more exact information will
be known when the company which will win the tender and start the
construction will be known.

The functioning AES will gradually be brought out of exploitation
by 2016. Its importance is also dictated by Armenia’s Action Program
within the frameworks of EU New Neighborhood policy.

–Boundary_(ID_174aWwMl+5D1G1DZK9mPVA)–

SWISS PRESIDENT: "TURKEY IS ONE OF MOST IMPORTANT PARTNERS OF MY COUNTRY"

Today’s Zaman
16 October 2008, Thursday
Turkey

President Pascal Couchepin of Switzerland has said Turkey was one of
the most important partners of his country.

Prior to his visit to Turkey, Couchepin received a group of Turkish
journalists in Swiss capital of Bern.

Turkey must become a part of Europe, Couchepin said.

Replying to a question on Armenian allegations regarding the incidents
of 1915, Couchepin said historians should deal with such issues.

Answering a question on fight against terrorism in Turkey, he said
Switzerland strongly condemned terrorist attacks targeting Turkey.

10TH ANNIVERSARY EXHIBITION IN EBELTOFT

ScandAsia.com
http://www.elizabethromhil d.com
Created 2008-10-16
Thailand

Returning to her Bangkok studio, Elizabeth’s African adventure
pushed her to re-examine the process and technical methodology
of her previous creative output. The result has been a remarkable
transformation and a new level of maturity for the artist.Bangkok
based artist Elizabeth Romhild returns to her native Denmark for
her much anticipated 10th anniversary exhibition at Ebeltoft Kunst
Forening. Self-taught Danish-Armenian artist Elizabeth presents her
most recent series of oil canvases alongside haunting new sculptures.

Spending her childhood in Iran, with her adult years spent in Saudi
Arabia, America, Indonesia, and nearly the last two decades in her
adoptive home of Thailand, Elizabeth’s unique heritage and worldly
experiences instil her creativity with distinct individuality. In Dawn,
Elizabeth has awoken to a new artistic era in her career.

Always searching for fresh artistic directions, Elizabeth recently
embarked upon an investigative journey into to the expansive wild
savannahs of Africa. During her explorations, she was profoundly
affected by the primordial majesty of both the bestial inhabitants
and the nomadic tribe’s folk.

Returning to her Bangkok studio, Elizabeth’s African adventure pushed
her to re-examine the process and technical methodology of her previous
creative output. The result has been a remarkable transformation and
a new level of maturity for the artist.

Invoking ancient civilisations closer to her adopted Asia, several of
Elizabeth’s latest artworks imbue the historic monumentality of the
towering Buddha statues of Thailand’s lost kingdoms or the carved
stone busts in Cambodia’s ruined palaces. Intimate and penetrative
in their singular proximity, the timeless, totemic quality of the
solitary tribesmen in Trance, Warrior, and Enigma, are akin to the
introspective, majestic sandstone portraits of Ankor Wat’s 12th
century ruler King Jayavarman VII.

Perhaps it’s the sculptural quality of her most recent paintings
that have driven Elizabeth to expand her artistic sensibility and
create her first three-dimensional works. Further enhancing the sense
of physicality and earthiness of her African imagery, her haunting
sculptural manifestations of bestial skulls and horns remind viewers of
the harsh cyclical nature of survival and to our own fragile mortality.

FRATERNAL DELEGATES AT 15TH GENERAL CONGREGATION

Catholic.net
Rome’s Zenit News
Oct 15, 2008
CT

VATICAN CITY, OCT. 15, 2008 (Zenit.org).- Here are summaries of the
interventions given by the fraternal delegates Tuesday afternoon at
the 15th general congregation of the world Synod of Bishops, which is
under way in the Vatican through Oct. 26. The theme of the assembly
is on "The Word of God in the Life and Mission of the Church."

* * *

— Rev. Archibald Miller MILLOY, Secretary General of "United Bible
Societes" (GREAT BRITAIN)

The United Bible Societies (UBS) considers it a great honour to have
been invited to attend the Synod as a Special Guest. The United Bible
Societies traces theclose collaboration it enjoys with the Catholic
Church at parish, national and global level to the promulgation
of the Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation, Dei Verbum,
the fruit of the Second Vatican Council. Dei Verbum gave Catholic
Christians the explicit commission to work on Bible translations,
and to do so in collaboration with their sisters and brothers of
other denominations. Specifically, the call within Dei Verbum that
"Easy access to Sacred Scripture should be providedfor all the
Christian faithful" has seen the UBS complete 134 translations in
collaboration with the Catholic Church over these past 40 years. The
Instrumentum Laboris is surely right when it says such ‘easy access’
is a prerequisite for mission today. It is therefore to be regretted
that in only 438 of the world’s 7,000 languages is there a translation
of the complete Bible. The UBS is currently involved in 646 translation
projects world-wide.

During the Synod, the UBS will sign a new Joint Partnership with
the Catholic Biblical Federation to give testimony to the growing
collaboration that is enjoyed by the two organisations today. Indeed,
many, many Catholics are now active members of Bible Societies
across the world. The Synod was made aware of a new project, ‘May
They Be One’ -launched recently by the Episcopal Commission for the
Biblical Apostolate (ECBA) of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of
the Philippines and the Bible Society in that country.

[Original text: English]

— H. E. MARK [Sergej Golovkov], Bishop of Yegorievsk, Vice-President
of the Department for Foreign Ecclesiastical Relations of the
Patriarchate of Moscow (RUSSIAN FEDERATION)

As the representative of the Russian Orthodox Church I would like
to tell you about my historical experience tied to the theme of the
Sacred Scriptures.

>From the moment of its conversion to Christianity, in the 10th Century,
Russia has received the Holy Scriptures in its own language. Since
then, faith in Christ was indissolubly connected to the study of
the Bible. The first book printed in Russia was the "Apostle" —
a liturgical book containing the Book of Acts and the Letters of the
Holy Apostles. With the evolution of the spoken word, even the text
in the Slav translation was changed gradually. The Orthodox Church
believes that it is important for the Holy Scriptures to be available
to all. Reading the Bible in the Church during liturgical functions,
however, represents the most valid way of hearing it. Together with
the availability of Biblical texts, the main principle for their
understanding is achieving the tradition. Orthodox theology does not
deny new studies concerning the sacred texts. Despite this, we believe
that the interpretation of the Biblical texts is closely connected to
explanations left to us by the Fathers of the Church. Faithfulness
to tradition is the sure path that helps one from losing oneself in
the many opinions. Our Church does not exclude other paths for the
encounter between today’s man with the Book of Books. Especially,
during the last few years, recordings with readings from the Gospel
and from the Psalms have been produced. The same thing has happened
with materials for children: these are evangelical texts adapted to
children’s understanding and stories on the events in Sacred History.

[Original text: Italian]

— H. E. SILUAN [Ciprian Å~^pam], Archbishop of Orthodoxa Romena
Church of Italy (ITALY)

First of all we would like to express a warm greeting to all the
bishops and delegates present at the XII Assembly of the Synod of
Bishops of the Catholic Church, having arrived from all over the world,
united in these days in Rome.

The theme of this Synod is "The Word of God in the Life and Mission of
the Church". There is a common concern in our Churches to underline and
reassert the role that the Divine Word has in the missionary dynamics
at the beginning of the 21st century. In this sense, we would like
to let you know with joy, that our Romanian Orthodox Church, through
the unanimous voice of its bishops, has declared the year 2008 as the
"Jubilee Year of Holy Scripture and of Holy Liturgy". This underlines
the organic and inseparable connection between the Sacred Scripture and
the Holy Liturgy, between the Word of God and the Holy Eucharist. The
entire liturgical treasures of the Orthodox Church are deeply marked
by the words of the Holy Scriptures that penetrate prayer and the hymns
the faithful hear during the various celebrations they participate in.

Even the readings done during the different offices go back to a
considerable number of words inspired by God through the mouths of
the prophets and the Apostles, as well as the books of Wisdom and
the Psalms. In the first place, among the books of Holy Scripture
most used by our traditional worship, the pericope taken from the
letters of Saint Paul the Apostle can be found. We believe that
the missionary zeal of Saint Paul can inspire us in today’s European
secularized context and prayer will be of great help in our missionary
activities. In conclusion, congratulating you for having chosen to
debate on such an inspired theme, we would like to express our wish
that the works of the XII Assembly of the Synod of Bishops bear
abundant spiritual and pastoral fruits for all those participating.

[Original text: Italian]

— H. E. ARMASH [Hagop Nalbandian], First Bishop of Damascus (SYRIA)

The Word of God in Armenia had already been proclaimed in the First
Century by the Apostles Thaddeus and Bartholomew, who after their
missionary action died as martyrs. The proclamation of the Word of
God in the following three centuries bore fruit, to the extent that,
in 301, Armenia proclaimed Christianity as its state religion, the
first nation in the world to do so.

Over the centuries, Sacred Scripture and the exegesis of the Word
characterized the doctrine and the theology of the Armenian Church. The
Word of God has become, in fact, the true content of the lives of
Armenians, accompanying them during the persecutions. I would like to
mention just one example of the more recent past. How could we have
survived the genocide if we did not believe in the force of the Word,
giver of life? Faith in the Word made flesh, in his Crucifixion and
above all in his Resurrection, giver of life, gave us the strength to
overcome the genocide. The Armenian people, through its martyrdom,
bore a witness which today still forges the Christian identity of
each Armenian. The Word of God has been and is the source of hope
and survival.

What is the situation of the proclamation of the Word of God in
Armenia today?

Armenia is a post-Soviet country. What the situation during the
Soviet era was is well-known. After the fall of the Soviet Union,
today in Armenia, there is a spiritual awakening and a deep interest in
listening to the Word of God. The number of Bible groups and persons
who attend Church are increasing. This new attraction of listening
more to the Word can, according to me, be explained in three points:

1. Learning and knowing the Bible and participating in the Eucharist
and in prayer, one can find one’s roots. It is our ancestors’ faith,
the faith of our grandparents and parents.

2. Professing Christianity, one feels part of the wider world,
a member of the greater community of the Church of Christ.

3. The desire to read the Bible, understand it, study it… Because for
70 years, we were lied to and now we wish to finally learn the truth.

The daily situation leads us to hearing the Word. The possibility to
listen to the Word comes in many forms and types. The Word of God can
be experienced and listened to even outside of Mass. The Proclamation
of the Word must be aimed, so as to enter into the heart and the
soul of the persons. The Word must have a ,meaning that guides the
Christian. The situations in life help us look for the Word, then as
servants of the Church and proclaimers of the Word we must turn to the
listeners and the faithful, to learn to know about their situations and
experiences of life. Their situations of life and their expectations
must supply the key to open their hearts. The message of salvation
must be an answer to their needs and afflictions.

This, today, is the invitation to hear the Word of God.

[Original text: German]

— H. E. Rev. Nicholas Thomas WRIGHT, Bishop of Durham, Anglican Church
(GREAT BRITAIN)

1. We face the same challenges as you: not only secularism and
relativism, but also postmodernity. Uncertainy here breeds anxiety:
(a) the Bible might tell us unwelcome things; (b) its message might
be stifled.

2. A fourfold reading of scripture as the love of God: heart (Lectio
Divina, liturgical reading); mind (historical/critical study); soul
(church life, tradition, teaching) and strength (mission, kingdom of
God). These must be balanced.

3. In particular, we need fresh mission-oriented engagement with our
own culture. Paragraph 57 of the Instrumentum Laboris implies that
Paul’s engagement merely purifies and elevates what is there in the
culture. But Paul also confronts pagan idolatry, and so must we. In
particular, we must engage critically with the tools and methods of
historical/critical scholarship themselves.

4. The climax of the Canon is Jesus Christ, especially his cross
and resurrection. These events are not only salvific. They provide a
hermeneutical principle, related to the Jewish tradition of ‘critique
from within’.

5. Mary as model: Fiat (mind); Magnificat (strength); Conservabat
(heart) – but also Stabat, waiting patiently in the soul, the tradition
and expectation of the church, for the new, unexpected and perhaps
unwelcome, but yet saving, revelation.

–Boundary_(ID_NrrxqjbMIkNcgWkebHaOQQ )–

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress