Author: Babajanian Karo

Armen Martirosyan: “My fight is not against Taron Margaryan, I have no
opponents among candidates for Yerevan mayor”

ARMINFO
Saturday, March 23, 15:07

Armen Martirosyan, mayoral contender, number one in the list
proportional representation of Heritage Party for the elections to the
Elders’ Council of Yerevan, believes that he has no opponents among
candidates for Yerevan mayor because the upcoming elections are
continuation of the presidential one where the winner was Leader of
Heritage Party Raffi Hovannisian and his revolution movement “Barev”.
Martirosyan made such statement to ArmInfo.

“We do not fight against parties or persons. Consequently, my fight is
not aimed against the incumbent Mayor Taron Margaryan. Irrespective
of Vice Speaker Eduard Sharmazanov’s praises to Taron Margaryan, it is
time of structural changes. This system serves a group of privileged
persons and not the citizens of Yerevan, no matter who is on the post
of the mayor,” Martirosyan said. He is sure that any hardworking and
compassionate citizen can be useful for his city and the country. One
is not born a mayor, but rather becomes mayor, he said.

Martirosyan said that he is not concerned about possible election
rigging, because he thinks that people are more active and decisive to
protect their votes now rather than in the course of the presidential
election. “If the people were as decisive at the Feb 18 election as
now, we would not fight in the Liberty Square now to get back our
seized victory,” Martirosyan said.

The politician said that at the elections to the Elders’ Council,
Heritage will send its proxies to all the polling stations and will
have its members in the election commissions. He said that much
depends on these persons and called on everyone to register at the
party’s head office to undergo relevant training courses. The
politician also said that participation of other opposition forces in
the elections will be positive and allow controlling the election by
combined efforts.

He said that in case of victory at the elections to the Elders’
Council of Yerevan and if elected to the post of Yerevan Mayor, he
will not make personnel reshuffles and all the conscientious employees
will remain on their positions. Among the prior goals on the post of
the mayor Martirosyan outlined depolitization of the municipality,
solution of the transport problems and construction of new underground
lines.

How To Eliminate Citizens

JAMES HAKOBYAN
11:22 23/03/2013
Story from Lragir.am News:

After Serzh Sargsyan’s statement that he will not change the
government which has achieved its goals, Prosperous Armenia Party has
launched an offensive against Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan. Tigran
Sargsyan has been the target of the PAP for a long time. The RPA and
PAP clash periodically on the prime minister’s economic policy.

Now the situation is interesting because the PAP is shaking its fists
after the fight, when Serzh Sargsyan had already announced that he
will not change the government.

Or is the offensive against the prime minister reasoned by their plans
relating to the mayoral election in Yerevan? Prosperous Armenia may be
trying to score points by criticizing not only Mayor Margaryan but
also Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan. Or Prosperous Armenia treats the
mayoral election as an election of prime minister in deeper terms.

Vartan Oskanian leading the PAP list states, `Taking up the government
of the city alone or by means of coalition with other political forces
will enable creating a strong balance in the Armenian political
system, which will promote efficient governance and real reforms.’

In other words, if PAP wins the mayoral election alone or in a
coalition, PAP will certainly claim to the post of prime minister. It
takes a parliamentary majority, of course, but in the absence of one
the majority of Yerevan will replace it.

There is an obstacle though. It is Raffi Hovannisian. In the
post-electoral period, he did not play by anyone’s rules,
disappointing everyone, maybe even his fellow party members. It is a
threat to PAP’s plans on municipal majority. For the PAP the best
option would be Raffi refraining from the local election and heat the
atmosphere on the square, which the PAP could use as an argument in
its negotiations with RPA. However, Raffi Hovannisian deprived the PAP
of this advantage and an argument in a possible discussion of the post
of prime minister with Serzh Sargsyan.

However, it is not ruled out that PAP’s aspirations to the post of
prime minister are exaggerated, and the party internally knows very
well the border of its abilities and will. It is the role of balance
to the RPA. The Armenian political parties have run out of their
ability to act as independent sources of domestic policy and have
yielded themselves to external signals and influence. Nevertheless,
they have understood that Armenia needs checks and balances, a ruling
party v. another force, the stick hanging over the head of the ruling
party.

The PAP is aspiring to the status of this stick. It has failed to
perform the duties supposed by this status for several times, and lost
this status in the presidential election 2013.

Nothing is impossible for the political reanimation of Armenia but an
important premise must be in place. The civil and social factor needs
to be eliminated. Raffi Hovannisian succeeds protecting it with an
almost invincible armor – hunger strike.

>From this point of view, there is nothing else left to oppose to
Hovannisian’s impeccable strategy but another grand performance of
star wars with RPA, which the RPA is intensively trying to generate.

There Are Few Businessmen on the List of `Hello, Yerevan’, Few Famous
People on the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) List, and Many
Students on the Armenian National Congress (ANC) List

March 22 2013

Parties and coalitions who have expressed intention to
participate in the Yerevan City Council election have submitted their
lists. There is one coalition among the parties, `Hello, Yerevan,’ in
which the Heritage Party, the Democratic Path Party, and the
Conservative Party representatives are included. 64 people are
included in the list of the coalition. Among the first three are Armen
Martirosyan, the deputy leader of the Heritage Party, Anahit
Bakhshyan, the director of the National Institute of Education, and
Mesrop Movsesyan, the director of the Meltex LLC and the president of
the A1+ TV company. The list of the coalition stands out for the fact
that the majority of persons included in it are representatives of the
social sector – journalists, public relations officers, lawyers, and
business consultants. For example, Davit Sanasaryan, the editor of the
website , Ani Kocharyan, also known in show business as
Ani Kochar, the director of the Ani Kochar Production LLC and the
founder of the Yes journal, are on the list. Let us note that her
husband is Arman Musheghyan, an expert of the Heritage Party
parliamentary group. Alen Simonyan, the editor-in-chief of the Ararat
journal, is also on the list of `Hello, Yerevan.’ As opposed to the
Republican Party of Armenia and the Prosperous Armenia Party (PAP)
lists, private entrepreneurs and businessmen account for small
percentage here. Sedrak Baghdasaryan, the head of the Victims of State
Needs NGO who has opposed the illegal construction in Yerevan many
times and is known as an opponent of misappropriating historic and
cultural monuments, is also on the list of `Hello, Yerevan.’ Armen
Poghosyan, the president of the Union of Consumers, is on the list of
`Hello, Yerevan’ too. Hovsep Khurshudyan, the press secretary of the
Heritage Party, is number 13 on the list. Suren Zolyan, a former
rector of Yerevan State Linguistic University After V. Bryusov who is
involved in a serious conflict with Armen Ashotyan, the Minister of
Education and Science, is also on this list. There are few persons
among 65-man list of the ARF who are famous among the public. For
example, the supplier of the Home Depot, the driver of the National
Assembly, the operator of the Vivacell Gh-Telecom CJSC, and others.
There are representatives of the press on the ARF list too – Alesya
Bejanyan, the commentator of the First Informational, Public
Television, and Arayik Hovhannisyan, the director of the Yerkir LLC.
There are not many famous people on the 42-man list of the ANC either.
Instead, there are many unemployed people. There are representatives
of academia on the ANC list too – for example, Vahe Boyajyan, chief
scientific worker of the Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography. One
can seldom come across businessmen on the list; it stands out among
the lists submitted by other parties for a large number of students.
The Mission Party also participates in the Yerevan City Council
election. There are many nonpartisans on the 29-man list they have
submitted. In particular, 12 of them are nonpartisan. There are no
people on the list who are known to the general public. Mainly
marketing and banking specialists are on the list. Tatev HARUTYUNYAN

Read more at:

© 1998 – 2013 Aravot – News from Armenia

Chakhalyan should not have been released from prison – Georgian president

NEWS.AM
March 23, 2013 | 12:11

TBILISI. – Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili spoke, on the air of
Imedi television, about why he did not ratify the European Charter for
Regional or Minority Languages (ECRML), and how shocked he was to see
that, `they do not speak Georgian’ in Javakhk – Georgian name:
Javakheti, is a predominantly-Armenian-populated part of Georgia’s
southeastern Samtskhe-Javakheti Province.

`When we came to power, no police or army unit could enter Javakhk;
there was a Russian military base there. But owing to international
pressure, we got rid of that base, and allies of the new Georgian
government appeared there,’ Saakashvili said, Gruzia Online news
agency of Georgia reports.

The Georgian president also recalled that the construction of a hydro
power plant had started in Javakhk, but the construction had later
stopped.

Saakashvili stated that he was very much concerned by the `language
issue,’ and clarified that when he had visited Javakhk the first time,
he saw that no one spoke Georgian there.

`We told Georgian [university] students and idealists that we will
fund [their] master’s [studies] if they study in Javakhk, and give
[them] salaries. Thousands of idealists went there,’ Saakashvili said,
and added that the children in Javakhk already are speaking Georgian.

He added, however, that the objective of this action was not to oust
the Armenian language, but rather to see to it that Georgian becomes
the language of success for the youth in the region.

`[Georgian-Armenian former political prisoner Vahagn] Chakhalyan
should not have been released from prison. He destroyed the Georgian
university and the Georgian [Church] diocese. He would have left
prison in six years,’ the Georgian president said. He also depicted
what would have happened in those six years.

During this period Javakhk would have become one of the key railway
hubs of Europe, the standard of living would have increased 2-3 times,
and, `the absolute majority of the population of Javakhk would have
spoken Georgian,’ Mikheil Saakashvili said, and asked: `If Chakhalyan
was a common criminal, what was he doing in the parliament yesterday?’

Agrophilia Travel News: Karabakh attracts more tourists

18:26 22.03.2013

The National Statistical Service of the Nagorno Karabakh reports that
visits to ancient Karabakh were 36.9% higher for 2012 than visits from
the previous year. Visitors from 86 countries ventured to the Caucasus
highlands in between Armenia and Azerbaijan known as the `black
garden,’ the Agrophilia Travel News writes.

`For those unfamiliar, this part of Armenia has been variously
controlled by one empire or another, and under almost continual flux
over who actually controlled it. Persia to the Mongols and more
recently Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Russia the region from the steppes
of the Caucasus to the high plateaus is desirable, to say the least.
Since medieval times this part of Armenia has held a fascinating
history descended from the Kingdom of Artsakh, as far forward as the
20th century,’ the website writes.

Agrophilia Travel News reminds about the Karabakh conflict, but notes
that `regardless of the politics, this part of the Caucasus is truly
amazing for its people and its landscapes, not to mention the historic
significance.’

Rebels demand $250,000 for the kidnapped Armenian Catholic Priest

12:47 23.03.2013

A world wide appeal has been initiated by the Bishop Marayati,
Armenian Catholic, of Aleppo for the release of Fr Michael Kayyal who
was kidnapped on 9th February 2013 by an Islamic rebel group located
some 30 kilometres from the above-mentioned city.

The rebels have made contact with the Archbishop and informed him to
mediate with the Syrian authorities with the aim of securing the
release of 15 rebel fighters from Syrian prisons. The rebels also made
financial demands to the tune of 15,000,000 million Syrian pounds
($250,000 approx).

On February 20, 2013 the rebels allowed Fr Michael to contact his
mother for only one minute to prove that he is still alive.

The Armenian Cathiolic Community of Aleppo urges everyone to forward
the feelings to the French and Russian Foreign Ministries and the
following Facebook page:

A revealing map of who wants to move to the U.S.

The Washington Post
March 22, 2013

By Max Fisher

Gallup released some new data this week on migration, for which they
asked people from 154 countries if they would like to migrate, and if
so where to. The United States was by far the most popular
destination; Gallup estimates that 138 million people would like to
relocate there. The United Kingdom was the second-most popular, with
42 million potential migrants, followed by Canada, France and Saudi
Arabia.

Those numbers are so high that I wondered how many people in
particular countries want to move to the United States. Gallup
actually posted some of those numbers on its Web site and when I asked
for more, kindly sent them over. I’ve mapped out the data above.

It turns out that there are 44 countries where, according to Gallup’s
data, more than 5 percent of the adult population say say they would
like to move to the United States. Five percent! That’s a remarkably
large share. In 15 of those countries, the proportion of the
population that wants to move to the United States is above 10
percent. And there are three countries where more than a quarter of
the adult population would like to move here: Liberia, Sierra Leone
and the Dominican Republic.

First, a note about the map: It labels all countries where more than 5
percent of adults want to move to the United States; in the darker
countries, an even larger share of the population wants to
migrate. But you might notice that the key does not increase by a
fixed amount, but rather by incrementally larger amounts. I did this
because the data are not distributed evenly but tend to cluster toward
the bottom; mapping it out this way makes it easier to see the
variation. Just keep in mind that the difference between a yellow
country and an orange country, for example, is not mathematically the
same as the difference between and an orange and a red country. Okay,
back to the results.

The data do not, as you might expect, always correlate with wealth. In
other words, while it looks as though people in poorer countries are,
in general, more likely to want to move to the United States, this
doesn’t explain the data entirely. GDP per capita is quite low in
South Asia and the Middle East, but few countries in those regions
broke about 5 percent.

Rather, it appears that people in Latin America and sub-Saharan Africa
tend have an especially strong desire to the move to the United
States, which also tends to have a high favorability rating in those
regions. Latin America, of course, has a strong historical and
cultural connection to the U.S., a fellow product of New World
colonialism. As for sub-Saharan Africa, I have heard it said by
scholars of the region that many Africans are well aware of, and tend
to admire, the relative prosperity of African Americans.

The country with the very highest number of adults who want to move to
the United States is Liberia, where a staggering 37.3 percent say they
would like to migrate here. That’s astonishing: Imagine if more than
one third of an entire country picked up and relocated. Part of this
may be due to Liberia’s strong historical connection to the United
States; the country was established by freed American slaves in the
early 19th century, celebrates Thanksgiving, flies a one-star version
of the American flag and has depended on U.S. assistance since its
two successive civil wars in the 1980s and 1990s. Liberia’s high
rating may also help explain second-ranked Sierra Leone, just next
door.

There are a handful of other countries with close historical ties to
the United States on this list, which may help explain their
inclusion. Though Southeast Asia is largely gray, one of only two
outliers is the Philippines, which was of course a U.S. colony during
the early 20th century. Armenia might be explained by the large
Armenian population here.

The only two developed, wealthy economies on this list have very close
cultural connections to America: Israel and the United Kingdom. About
6 percent of British and Israeli adults say they would like to migrate
to the United States. And both countries, of course, build their
foreign policies around a reliance on American friendship while also
trying to avoid becoming a pawn of the United States or, according to
a phrase sometimes used in British politics, `the 51st state.’ In
2011, the Israeli government sponsored a series of ads aimed at
Israelis who had moved to the United States, urging them to remember
their Israeli roots and to move home if possible.

There are two absences on this map that I found surprising: India and
China. There are very large Indian-American and Chinese-American
populations here, of course, and a steady stream of arrivals from both
countries. It’s possible that the size of the countries made polling
more difficult. It’s also possible that those immigrants tend to come
from certain regional or demographic groups within China and India,
meaning that the rest of those countries are less interested in
migrating. Still, even if only 1 percent of India and China wish to
become American, that’s still 25 million people.

Finally, consider what would happen if all 138 million of the adults
who want to move to the United States were suddenly able to follow
through on that. (The cost of uprooting one’s family and making the
trip, of course, might be even more limiting than American immigration
laws.) The U.S. population would grow to 453 million, and it would be
a potentially much more African and Latin community. And more British,
too. Sounds like an interesting mix.

AGBU Press Office
55 East 59th Street
New York, NY 10022-1112
Phone: 212.319.6383, x118
Fax: 212.319.6507
Email: [email protected]
Website:

PRESS RELEASE

Friday, March 22, 2013

St. Sahag-St. Mesrob Medal Bestowed Upon Three AGBU Educators

On Saturday, March 16, at a ceremony held at the Nazarian Center in
Canoga Park, California, His Holiness Karekin II, Catholicos of all
Armenians awarded the St. Sahag-St. Mesrob medal to Mr. Kevork
Agopian, Mrs. Hermine Sahagian and Mrs. Zarmouhy Minassian-three
distinguished members of the Armenian community and retired teachers
who have been part of the fabric of the AGBU Manoogian-Demirdjian
school for over a quarter century.

The religious ceremony, officiated by His Eminence Archbishop Hovnan
Derderian, Primate of the Western Diocese, was followed by a 90-minute
program dedicated to the three honorees. AGBU Vice President and
Chairman of the School Board of Trustees Mr. Sinan Sinanian was the
keynote speaker. Mr. Sinanian highlighted the role of AGBU and its
educational institutions in the struggles and triumphs of the Armenian
people during the past century and paid tribute to the dedication,
commitment and contributions of the three honorees in promoting
academic excellence during their years of outstanding service to the
students and community at the Manoogian-Demidjian school.

Members of the school staff, family representatives, and the three
honorees took to the podium to speak about their experiences and
impressions on this historic occasion. Chairman Paul Kousharian
presented the honorees with plaques on behalf of the AGBU Melkonian
Alumni Organization. Senior class student Aneesa Youssefi took the
stage to sing a beautiful song, entitled “Dear Teacher,” accompanied
on the piano by music teacher Ms. Arus Andreassian. The event was
attended by a large number of school alumni who came to show their
respect and gratitude to their mentor teachers. The honorees were
overjoyed at receiving bouquets of flowers from their former students.

The entire program was masterfully conducted by Mr. Hratch Sepetjian,
the head of the Armenian department at the Manoogian-Demirdjian
school. Over 200 attendees enjoyed the company of the honorees and
their families during the reception that followed the program.

This special and most memorable evening was organized jointly by the
AGBU Manoogian-Demirdjian School and AGBU Melkonian Alumni
Organization.

Established in 1906, AGBU () is the world’s largest
non-profit Armenian organization. Headquartered in New York City, AGBU
preserves and promotes the Armenian identity and heritage through
educational, cultural and humanitarian programs, annually touching the
lives of some 400,000 Armenians around the world.

For more information about AGBU and its worldwide programs, please
visit

March 22, 2013
Western Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church of America
H.E. Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian, Prelate
6252 Honolulu Avenue
La Crescenta, CA 91214
Tel: (818) 248-7737
Fax: (818) 248-7745
E-mail: [email protected]
Website:

CATHOLICOSATE OF CILICIA DELEGATION CONGRATULATES POPE FRANCIS

On Monday, March 18, 2013, H.E. Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian,
Prelate, arrived in Rome to participate in the inauguration of His Holiness
Pope Francis. His Holiness Catholicos Aram I had appointed the Prelate to
be part of the delegation representing the Catholicosate of Cilicia. The
delegation included Seminary Dean and Catholicosate Ecumenical Officer H.E.
Archbishop Nareg Alemezian, and national benefactors Mr. and Mrs. Alecco and
Ani Bezikian. On Monday evening, ecumenical guests, including the Holy See
of Cilicia delegation, were hosted to an intimate dinner with Pope Francis,
during which the Prelate had the opportunity to personally greet His
Holiness and convey his well wishes.
On Tuesday, March 19, the Catholicosate of Cilicia delegation
participated in the Papal Inaugural Mass at Saint Peter’s Basilica, during
which Pope Francis was officially installed as the new Pontiff of the Roman
Catholic Church. On the morning of Wednesday, March 20, the delegation had
an official visit with Pope Francis where they had the opportunity to once
again extend their congratulations to the new Pontiff.

PRELATE REPRESENTS CATHOLICOSATE OF CILICIA AT ENTHRONEMENT OF THE
ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY

On Monday, March 18, 2013, H.E. Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian,
Prelate, arrived in Rome where over the next two days he participated in the
inauguration of His Holiness of Pope Francis as part of the delegation
representing H.H. Catholicos Aram I and the Holy See of Cilicia.
On the afternoon of Wednesday, March 20, the Prelate arrived in
London from where he headed to Canterbury to participate in the enthronement
of The Most Reverend and Rt. Hon. Justin Welby as the Archbishop of
Canterbury. International guests were hosted to a reception and evening
meal together with the Anglican Primates and Inter-Religious guests. On the
afternoon of Thursday, March 21, Archbishop Justin Welby was formally
enthroned as the 105th Archbishop of Canterbury. The official celebration
dinner took place in the evening chaired by Archbishop Justin Welby and in
honor of all official Anglican Communion, Ecumenical and Inter-Religious
guests. On Friday morning, guests had the opportunity to meet and exchange
greetings with the Archbishop at his official home in Canterbury. The
Prelate, among the Oriental Orthodox Church delegation, met the Archbishop
and conveyed the well wishes of H.H. Catholicos Aram I for a successful
ministry.

PRELATE TO CELEBRATE PALM SUNDAY
AT HOLY CROSS CATHEDRAL IN MONTEBELLO

Sunday, March 24, 2013 is Palm Sunday, the celebration of the
triumphant entry of our Lord Jesus Christ into Jerusalem.
Palm Sunday will be celebrated in all our churches with Divine
Liturgy, the children’s procession, and the opening of the portals service.
On this occasion, H.E. Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian, Prelate
will celebrate Divine Liturgy, deliver the sermon, and preside over the
Opening of the Portals service at Holy Cross Cathedral in Montebello.

PRELATE’S HOLY WEEK SCHEDULE

Monday, March 25 is the start of Holy Week. Throughout the week, the
Prelate will conduct services in various Prelacy Churches. Below is the
Prelate’s Holy Week schedule.

Holy Tuesday – Remembrance of the Ten Virgins
Holy Martyrs Church, Encino, 7:00 p.m.

Maundy Thursday
Washing of the Feet – St. Sarkis Church, Pasadena, 5:30 p.m.
Vigil – St. Mary’s Church, Glendale, 7:30 p.m.

Good Friday – Crucifixion and Burial
St. Garabed Church, Hollywood, 7:00 p.m.

Easter Eve – Lighting of Candles (Jrakalooyts)
St. Mary’s Church, Glendale, 5:00 p.m.

Easter – the Glorious Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ
Holy Martyrs Church, Encino, 11:00 a.m.

By the ordinance of the Prelate, Very Rev. Fr. Muron Aznikian will
preside over the Washing of the Feet service at Holy Cross Cathedral in
Montebello, and will celebrate Easter Eve at Forty Martyrs Church in Orange
County.

ST. GREGORY CHURCH OF SAN FRANCISCO
CELEBRATES ITS NAME DAY

Saturday, March 16, 2013 was the Feast of St. Gregory the
Illuminator’s Descent into the Pit, which is also the name day celebration
for churches named St. Gregory in honor of the founder, father, and
illuminator of our faith.
On this occasion, H.E. Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian, Prelate
visited the St. Gregory Church parish community of San Francisco where on
Sunday, March 17, His Eminence celebrated Divine Liturgy and conducted the
blessing of madagh.
Parish Pastor Archpriest Fr. Khoren Habeshian thanked the Prelate
for celebrating the name day of the Church with the community, and wished
him a safe journey in his travel to Rome to participate in the inauguration
of His Holiness Pope Francis. He then invited the Prelate to deliver his
sermon.
His Eminence greeted the Pastor and faithful who had gathered for
the special occasion, including Parish Delegates, Board of Trustees and
Ladies Guild members, Krouzian-Zekarian-Vasbouragan Principal, teachers, and
students, and Sunday School students, and noting that this feast is also the
pilgrimage day for St. Gregory the Illuminator Mother Cathedral in Antelias,
read the prayer of H.H. Catholicos Aram I to St. Gregory.
In the first part of his sermon, the Prelate spoke of the exemplary
life and faith of St. Gregory, stating, “St. Gregory is the most beloved of
our saints, revered for his extraordinary faith and will. Centuries later,
the example of St. Gregory remains the ideal guide for our spiritual lives.
St. Gregory is the model of unfading hope, unyielding faith, and
unfathomable will. Today is a pilgrimage day for this parish community. As
pilgrims, let us vow that we will carry on the legacy of St. Gregory the
Illuminator by pledging to remain unshaken in our faith no matter what
obstacles and challenges may come our way. May the remarkable life and
faith of our first Pontiff serve as an inspiration for us to become
fortified in our faith and to submit ourselves to His Holy Will with
absolute trust.
The second part of the Prelate’s sermon focused on the sixth Sunday
of Great Lent and the day’s passage from Matthew 22:34-23:39 recording the
last few days of the earthly ministry of our Lord Jesus Christ. In this
passage, Jesus addresses the hypocrisy of the scribes and Pharisees who
taught and judged according to the Law of Moses, yet did not obey the very
laws they were teaching. Through their flawed teaching of the law, they
created intolerable burdens for the people which they themselves did not
carry. They were also putting on a show of piety for the attention of
others, but there was no substance beneath their outwardly appearance.
Through this reading, we are given an idea of the state of the religious
leadership in Jesus’ day. They were hypocrites in that they pretended to
serve God but in reality served only themselves, their pride, and their
desire to be respected ad honored by their people. They appeared religious
to others but inside they were lawless and broke every commandment of God.
“The Gospels give a multitude of examples of hypocrisy that we can learn
from. In fact our Lord Jesus Christ had strong words about the scribes and
Pharisees and what awaits them, ‘For I say to you, that unless your
righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you
will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven’ (Matthew 5:20). On this day of
pilgrimage, let us examine ourselves to make certain our faith is genuine
and our lives are in keeping with God’s commandments, let us follow the laws
of the Bible and not our own version and interpretation of the laws, let us
practice our spiritual disciplines of Bible study, prayer, and confession,
loving and serving God and our fellow man with pure hearts and intentions,
and leading others to the path of righteousness with our actions. May we
all follow in the prime example of St. Gregory the Illuminator who loved the
Lord with all his might, faithfully adhered to His commandments and His will
with a clean and pure heart and unwavering resolve, and inspired not by
words, but by actions”, concluded the Prelate.
The Prelate then conducted the blessing of madagh in the Church
courtyard, congratulated all those bearing the name Krikor, and concluded
the celebration with the benediction.

PILIBOS SCHOOL 8TH & 9TH GRADE STUDENTS
VISIT THE PRELACY

On Friday, March 15, 2013, Rose and Alex Pilibos 8th and 9th grade
students visited the Prelacy where they met with H.E. Archbishop Moushegh
Mardirossian, Prelate, participated in a prayer service and were
familiarized with the endeavors of the Prelacy. Two weeks ago 5th and 7th
grade students paid a visit to the Prelacy, and next month the Prelacy will
host students from the 10th and 11th grades. His Eminence was joined by St.
Garabed Church Pastor Archpriest Fr. Vicken Vassilian, and Crescenta Valley
Church Pastor Rev. Fr. Ghevont Kirazian.
Nearly one hundred students arrived on Friday morning accompanied by
their teachers and parents. Following group photos with the Prelate in the
“St. Dertad and St. Ashkhen” Chapel, students headed to the “Dikran and
Zarouhie Der Ghazarian” Hall for a prayer service and to present a cultural
program of songs and recitations they had prepared for this occasion.
The program began with the Lord’s Prayer and a hymn. The Prelate
and clergy also said a special prayer for the 8th grade class, wishing them
a safe trip as they will be visiting Washington D.C. next week. The program
was capably officiated by 9th grade student Armine Kalpakian, who spoke on
the role of the Armenian School and its influence on Armenian youth, then
invited her classmates to present their performances.
The first group of students recited the poem “The Armenian Church”
by Vahan Tekeyan. The second group recited a poem by Vahakn Tavitian
dedicated to the Armenian language. A duet of nationalistic songs followed.
Five students presented a number of Hovhannes Tumanyan poems, and a poem
dedicated to mothers was also presented given that H.H. Catholicos Aram I
has dedicated the year to Armenian Mothers. Musical performances on the
piano, violin, and guitar followed, with selections ranging from Aram
Khachadourian to Pink Floyd. The beautifully prepared and presented
cultural program concluded with the “Oath of Youth”.
Archpriest Fr. Vicken Vassilian commended the students for their
performances and urged them to remain faithful to the oath they recited.
Fr. Vicken also gave a brief explanation of the endeavors and mission of the
Holy See of Cilicia and the Prelacy, including of the Churches and Schools
under its jurisdiction, then invited the Prelate to deliver his message.
The Prelate first commended the students on their program, which he
stated filled our souls with spiritual joy and was a testament to their
God-given talents. Noting that we are in the Great Lent period, His
Eminence spoke to the students about the meaning and messages of Great Lent,
among them the victory of good over evil and overcoming trials in life with
strong will, and also spoke of the message of Easter as the triumph of life
over death. The Prelate also commended the students for dedicating a part of
their program to mothers, and invited them to write special prayers for
their mothers on the occasion of the “Year of the Armenian Mother”. In
conclusion, the Prelate wished the students success and great achievements
in the coming years, at the same time urging them to never forget their
roots and to serve for the progress of their community and nation throughout
their lives, and commended the principal and teachers for their role in the
intellectual and spiritual development of our youth.
The official program concluded with the Cilician and Armenian
national anthems. The students were then given a tour of the headquarters,
and were acquainted with the staff and the endeavors of the various
departments.

ORIENTAL ORTHODOX BISHOPS MEETING

On Thursday, March 14, 2013 the Council of Oriental Orthodox Bishops
held their regular meeting at St. Leon Cathedral in Burbank. H.E.
Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian, Prelate, was represented by Very Rev. Fr.
Muron Aznikian, who was accompanied by Holy Martyrs Church Pastor Rev. Fr.
Razmig Khatchadourian and Crescenta Valley Church Pastor Rev. Fr. Ghevont
Kirazian.
The meeting was hosted by H.E. Archbishop Hovnan Derderian, with the
participation of H.E. Archbishop Mor Clemis Eugene Kaplan (Syriac Church),
H.G. Bishop Serapion (Coptic Church), and clergy from the Armenian, Coptic,
and Syriac Churches.
The Prelates and clergy members discussed past and future
collaborative efforts and joint events. The outcome was as follows:
(1) The Council commended the endeavors of the Sunday Schools
committee, particularly the 8th annual Bible competition they had
successfully organized on March 2nd at St. Garabed Church in Hollywood in
which about 150 students participated.
(2) The Council urged the revitalization of the youth committee. The
four Prelates will appoint one representative each to serve on the Youth
Committee to organize events in the coming months.
(3) With regards to the annual Joint Liturgy and clergy conference,
the Council decided to discuss the issue further after Easter and plan on a
date to hold the event.
The next meeting of the Council of Oriental Orthodox Bishops will be
held on Tuesday, July 9, at St. Ephraim Syriac Orthodox Cathedral in
Burbank.

AZERI LEADER BLAMES DEADLOCK IN KARABAKH TALKS ON ARMENIA, MEDIATORS

APA, Azerbaijan
March 20 2012

Baku, 20 march: “The most painful problem for our country, the
Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict over Nagornyy Karabakh, unfortunately still
remains unresolved. The main reasons for this are the non-constructive
position of Armenia and a kind of indifferent attitude of the mediators
to this issue, despite quite strong statements were made,” Azerbaijani
President Ilham Aliyev said at the Novruz holiday celebrations in Baku.

The president recalled the statement made by the heads of state of
the countries that co-chair the OSCE Minsk Group, which said that
the status-quo was unacceptable and had to change.

“However, no step has been actually taken. Armenia is of course
interested in maintaining this neither war nor peace situation as
long as possible. However, this does not suit us. Azerbaijan uses and
will use all means available to attain progress and development in
the negotiations and for the matter [Nagornyy Karabakh conflict] to
be resolved soon and Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity to be restored.

But of course, all efforts for resolving this issue have to be based
on international legal norms. No effort should be made beyond these
norms,” he said.

[Passage omitted: Aliyev says Azerbaijan is getting stronger and the
Karabakh will be resolved in Azerbaijan’s favour.]

[Translated from Azeri]