AN AUTHENTIC PASTOR, A FAITHFUL SERVANT OF THE CHURCH GOES
OPINION
Translation from French
Sahag Sukiasyan, deacon of the Armenian Church to send us this platform
signed by a group of faithful of the Diocese of the Armenian Church
of France
On behalf of the future of our Church
Wednesday, July 3, we learned the sad news that thousands of
faithful of our diocese, the resignation of our Primate, His Eminence
Archbishop Zakarian Norvan. This news came on a background of crisis
in which our young diocese had no need. It quickly became clear that
this was related to the new conviction by a court “person violence”
Vatche father, former parish priest of Nice and the resignation of our
Primate was caused by a dispute between the Catholicos of All Armenians
and himself about the priest. The shock and incomprehension are all
larger than Norvan Monsignor is an ecclesiastical great humility,
which has always been aware of his duties, loved and respected by the
faithful of his diocese, which enjoys great authority to his brothers
in the Episcopate and in all ecumenical circles. In addition, it
is known in France and in all our communities around the world as
a passionate intellectual authentic literature and other forms of
artistic expression as a tireless defender of the Armenian language
and a bold promoter of his teaching. His departure is for all the
faithful of his diocese bad news, but this is the decision he has
taken himself. And as such, we respect.
The aim of the authors of these lines does not write a eulogy of Bishop
Norvan. There is no need: forty-five years of his ministry since his
ordination in 1968 in our cathedral church of Paris reflected largely
in its favor.
The last of its missions, and not least, has been the foundation of
the Diocese of France, decided founding almost 90 years ago by the
Catholicos Gevorg V of happy memory, but none of the legates who had
catholicossaux succeeded in our country had failed to materialize. The
names of His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos
of All Armenians, and Archbishop Norvan therefore remain forever
associated with this project which, despite criticism from some of
his critics, was and remains an urgent need for the future of our
community. In education, after years of arduous preparatory work
Norvan Bishop had just launched the long-awaited construction of the
school Alford.
The man by whom the scandal happened.
The news that was broadcast on the eve of his resignation had already
all deeply wounded.
For the first time in the nearly century-old history of the Armenian
community of France, one of our church was sentenced by a court. If
the conviction of the man of the church is primarily a spot on his
personal honor, it is also for his community, his church, his bishop
and of course for its Patriarch. After being sentenced by Justice
of the French Republic, it will, therefore, also face the judgment
of his superiors. One can imagine that the father Vatche be at least
invited to retire to a monastery for several months to freely examine
his conscience. Our intention here is not to ask for the death of the
sinner: “Who is the man who lives and does not fish? “(Ritual of the
Armenian Church).
An essential debate, an essential commitment of all to put the faithful
in the heart of the Church and the Church in the heart of the faithful.
Few of us know the priest who is the origin of the different between
our Catholicos and our Primate, but to our great regret, we have not
heard so far it has contributed greatly to the spiritual life faithful
of our Church in France. If he did otherwise, we would like the voices
to testify for him and say, “Behold the man.” We would be reassured
and happy to see readmitted to our communion as a brother. For now,
we’ll just say that the tensions and antagonisms that has caused will
be allow the opening of a real debate on the reforms needed to improve
the organization of our church life and also beyond this question on
the form to be taken by the dialogue between Armenia and the Diaspora.
Some of our “old” who often had little education but much wisdom liked
to repeat “there is good in all evil.” The opportunity offered to us
must be received as a true result.
Many members of our clergy regularly arrested on responses that our
church should make the “grand challenges of the 21st century.” A
two-day conference was also held in Marseille last year at this
same time, chaired by His Holiness Catholicos himself. Our biggest
dilemma is that, collectively, we are simply still not out of the 20th
century. We do not, for example, still made a moral response to major
disasters that were the Genocide and the Sovietization and everywhere,
as Diaspora in Armenia, the Church had, in the image of the nation,
rebuild in a hurry, from scratch.
To speak only of our situation in France, we have both reconnect with
our church lost tradition: his ecclesiology, his spiritual heritage,
its rites, its liturgical language, all in the very specific context
of secular France and bring to young people born in this country
answers to questions they have as many of their fellow citizens of
their generation. But the approach to certain issues, such as those
related to bioethics, it can lead to the same results of our Church
as we inherit the unique experience of extermination? The Armenian
Church does not have to own us in a number of areas answers?
To a new experience of church life
The independence of Armenia, the collapse of the Soviet Union, state
“occupier” and atheist, finally allow us today to imagine and build
new relations between Armenia and the Diaspora – or more accurately
Armenia and Diaspora – but also in the Church. Secular and religious,
we will not make the economy of these debates and the redefinition
of the relationship. The divisions of the past conditioned and was
adversely affecting the relationship between “Armenian Western” and
“Eastern Armenians” are no longer relevant. The Cold War was that new
disunity and a real “civil war” fratricide, particularly in the Near
and Middle East is now forgotten now. We are now free, some like the
other. Free to make all the ideals of generations of Armenians, but
also free to fail together. Our complementary if it is ontologically
a basic premise, is not provided nor universally accepted nor easily
materialize. It must, we think he above all recognize this reality
and work patiently bringing the two components of the nation in an
equal relationship. “Nobody save anyone,” especially without the
consent of the “other” without the accompanying Charity.
For a new and authentic Life Church: Religious and laity to serve
the same Lord and his Church.
This is true for civil society should be more in the Church where
Charity, another word for love of neighbor is the foundation of any
relationship. The clergy must be exemplary in this regard. And it
is true that we still have priests and bishops we deserve, let us
also remember that it is they come from our ranks and it is our
responsibility to support them constantly in their vocation and
fulfillment of their ministry by our prayers, advice and sometimes
our demanding requests. If the priest cassock door, it should not be
a fad, or to single out for free, but at any moment he remembers its
state and its mission. It is also for the faithful can respectfully
remind him when it can, in a moment of madness, away from his vocation
and mission.
In an analysis a little early and basic, but very widespread, many of
us believe that the cause of the detachment of the younger generations
to the Armenian Church is a consequence of the existing cultural gap
between the faithful and the clergy of France once native Near and
Middle East, but today almost exclusively of Armenia. For their part,
many ecclesiastical judge that “the Armenians of France are totally
assimilated and devoid of any desire to rediscover their spiritual
and cultural heritage.” These explanations are naturally shallow and
probably the truth is she is somewhere between the two positions. But
we can not dodge the question as to the nature of the accession of the
Armenians of France in what they call a subtle way – and revealing –
“faith of their ancestors,” the process turning their accession to
the Armenian Church in an element important, but stripped of its
true meaning, their “identity range” with three drawers: Genocide –
Religion – Armenia. To be a little live: who among us would like to
see today a son abandon the prospect of brilliant graduate to take
orders and serve others?
Again, the answer is sharp, ready, “the Armenian Church does nothing
to interest us and adapt to us.” One could of course write countless
pages on these topics. But one can also wonder why these young people,
but also the generations of old, are not found in greater numbers in
the ranks of other churches that do not fail to introduce ourselves
as proselytes very unlike the Armenian Church. The Armenian France
it would be inherently “not compatible” with the faith and thus
permanently deprived of any prospect of salvation or would it not
be sealed simply any query metaphysical? And what about those lay
leaders of our parishes, in all innocence, are atheists or agnostics
and engage in the service of the Church in the name of their ethnic
or cultural background? The risk of “communitarianism” as feared by
opponents of the new diocesan organization is it not just lurking in
this position for less ambiguous?
The upheavals of the last century that was the Genocide and the
Sovietization disoriented in the proper sense of the term the whole
Armenian people in Anatolia and the Caucasus, and in the dispersion.
Although born in the heart of the Armenian plateau, away from
sea shore, St. Mesrop Mashtots constantly invokes in his hymns of
penitence “Good Captain” (navabed bet) which alone can lead the ship
to port. These “captains” are obviously our church from the humblest of
deacons to Catholicos of All Armenians, but the laity must not observe
the operation from the pier or be prevented from contributing to the
growth vessel Faith Armenians . It is the vocation of every Christian,
regardless of his status, because “all of us who were baptized into
Christ, have put on Christ” (Gal 3.26 to 27).
All companies and institutions, and the Church is at the same time
as the mystical body of Christ, an institution, a human society,
is also progressing through the crises they traverse. One that is
invited to our will in our church life to help us grow in Faith, Hope
and Charity. The title of an Armenian folk song proclaims “Nothing
is sweeter than the name of brother.” Our most recent history can
also convince us that.
Our unique and humble supplication to the two brothers in the
episcopate are Holiness Karekin II and Archbishop Norvan is to
remember the Lord’s words: “If thou bring thy gift to the altar, and
you remember that your brother some something against you, leave your
gift there before the altar and go first be reconciled to thy brother,
and then come and offer your gift “(Gospel of Matthew: V, 23-24).
Successors of the Apostles, we need your charity and your blessings
to work for the glory of God and the strength of his Church.
With you, we will give a new life to our church and live a new life.
A group of faithful of the Diocese of the Armenian Church of France
Tuesday, July 16, 2013, Ara © armenews.com
http://www.armenews.com/article.php3?id_article=91320