CHURCH MUST NOT INTERFERE IN POLITICS, SCHOLAR SAYS
Tert.am
02.08.11
“If our Church is criticized, I think it should most strongly be
criticized for being totally indifferent,” Vardan Devrikyan, Deputy
Director of the Institute of Literature, Armenian National Academy of
Sciences (ANAS), told journalists on August 2. “Vardanants [an Armenian
religious festival] was defamed, and no response. The role of Mashtots
is being reconsidered, no response. This latest absurdity [expert in
monuments Samvel Karapetyan’s statement on revival of Chalcedonian
Christianity], no response again. I just cannot understand this
attitude,” he said.
According to Devrikyan, the Church must not interfere in political
life. On the other hand, it must play a serious role in resolving
socio-economic problems. Responding to Tert.am question as to whether
it is possible to remain politically neutral and play a role in
socio-economic life, the scholar said that “social problems turn into
political ones only when people say certain problems will be resolved
if certain forces come to power. The Church must voice its opinion
on social problems without, however, taking up a political stance,”
Devrikyan said.
From: Baghdasarian