Armenians in Turkey return to their religion

Armenians in Turkey return to their religion

13:08, 7 July, 2012

YEREVAN, JULY 7, ARMENPRESS: Armenians from Turkey more and more often
restore their Christian identity. Armenpress reports that Armenian
patriarchal vicar Aram Archbishop Ateshyan informed Ermenihaber.am
that each year 60-70 Armenians restore their identity of Christian.
`Those Armenians who can introduce facts that they have Armenian
origin, their root is Armenian are immediately accepted and they pass
a six-month course on Christianity, being Armenian. Then he is
officially mentioned as a Christian, baptized and becomes a member of
Armenian Church’ mentioned Ateshyan.

The latter informed that before 1914 in Ottoman Empire had been around
2170 Churches and 2000 schools under the control of the Patriarchy.
But then during the Republican turkey the number of Churches decreased
to 45, schools to 13. Acting churches are considered those which open
their doors at least once a year for mass. Speaking about the bad
state of the Churches Ateshyan mentioned that Armenian Patriarchy does
not have money to reconstruct them. He also informed that the number
of Armenian clergies in the Patriarchy is 22-23.

From: Baghdasarian