Author: Mamian George

NA Speaker congratulates the nation on the Day of Victory and Peace

armradio.am
08.05.2008 18:02

Speaker of RA National Asembly Tigran Torosyan issued a congratulatory
message on the occasion of the Day of Victory and Peace.

`Dear compatriots,

I warmly congratulate you on the most beloved and the dearest holiday –
the Day of Victory and Peace.

May 9 is the incarnation of the heroic struggle of three Armenian
generations for freedom and peace, the height of which became the
liberation of Shoushi and whole Artsakh, regaining for the Armenian the
full opportunity to live and create.

Bowing before the memory of the soldiers and commanders that heroically
fell for the sake of this holiday, we have no right to forget that teh
victory was shaped due to unity, sacrifices, devotion and endless love
for Motherland.

Dear compatriots, once again congratulating you, I wish you every
success and victories for the sake of peace, strengthening of our
country and the prosperity and happiness of our people.’

Catholic Online, CA
May 8 2008

Pope Implores Holy Spirit to bring Christian Unity

5/8/2008
Catholic News Agency ()

"We have the certainty that the Lord Jesus never abandons us in our
search for unity, because His Spirit is tirelessly at work to support
the efforts we make to overcome all forms of division."

VATICAN CITY (CNA) – Pope Benedict greeted His Holiness Catholicos
Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, during
his weekly general audience on Wednesday morning.

In his remarks, the Pope emphasized that ecumenical dialogue is
fuelled by the Holy Spirit and prayer.

"It is my great joy today to greet His Holiness Catholicos Karekin II,
Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, and the
distinguished delegation accompanying him. Your Holiness, I pray that
the light of the Holy Spirit will illumine your pilgrimage to the
tombs of the Apostles Peter and Paul, the important meetings you will
have here, and particularly our personal conversations. I ask all who
are present today to pray for God’s blessing upon this visit.’

The Holy Father also thanked Karekin II for his `personal commitment
to the growing friendship between the Armenian Apostolic Church and
the Catholic Church.’ Recalling the string of visits between John Paul
II and the patriarch, Pope Benedict said that, `I am sure that this
spirit of friendship will be further deepened during the coming days.’

In an external niche of Saint Peter’s Basilica, there is a fine statue
of Saint Gregory the Illuminator, founder of the Armenian Church. It
serves to remind us of the severe persecutions suffered by Armenian
Christians, especially during the last century. Armenia’s many martyrs
are a sign of the power of the Holy Spirit working in times of
darkness, and a pledge of hope for Christians everywhere.

Your Holiness, dear Bishops and dear friends, together with you I
implore Almighty God, through the intercession of Saint Gregory the
Illuminator, to help us grow in unity, in one holy bond of Christian
faith, hope and love."

As the Church prepares to celebrate Pentecost, Benedict XVI said that
these days should `renew our hope in the help of the Holy Spirit to
advance along the path of ecumenism. We have the certainty that the
Lord Jesus never abandons us in our search for unity, because His
Spirit is tirelessly at work to support the efforts we make to
overcome all forms of division."

"Since the first moment of her existence the Church, thanks to the
power of the Holy Spirit, has spoken in all tongues and lived in all
cultures. She destroys nothing of their history and gifts, but assumes
them all in a great and new unity, which reconciles unity with the
multiplicity of forms. With its power, the Holy Spirit … unites
divided man in divine charity and thus creates … the great community
which is the Church in all the world."

While some may think of Pentecost as a one-time event in the life of
the Church, the Holy Father said, "the Church is always, so to say, in
a state of Pentecost. Gathered in the Cenacle, she prays incessantly
to obtain ever new effusions of the gifts of the Holy Spirit, … and
is not afraid to announce the Gospel to the furthest confines of the
earth. This is why, faced with difficulties and divisions, Christians
cannot resign themselves or give way to discouragement.

"This is what Christ asks of Christians: to persevere in prayer in
order to keep alive the flame of faith, hope and charity, and the
longing for full unity", the Pope encouraged.

Referencing his speech to ecumenical leaders at St. Joseph’s Church in
New York, Benedict XVI said that prayer is central to the ecumenical
movement. `In this period of globalization and, at the same time, of
fragmentation, ‘without prayer ecumenical structures, institutions and
programs would be deprived of their heart and soul’," he said.

At the end of the audience, the Holy Father greeted pilgrims in
several languages. Among the English speaking pilgrims, he greeted
delegates taking part in the in the Annual Conference of the Canon Law
Society of Great Britain and Ireland, as well as pilgrims from Our
Lady of the Rosary Church in Qatar.

"Upon all the English-speaking pilgrims, especially those from
England, Scotland, Australia, India, Indonesia, Korea, Canada, Guam
and the United States, I cordially invoke Almighty God’s abundant
blessings of joy and peace."

DeFacto Agency, Armenia
May 8 2008

MEETING OF RA AND NAGORNO-KARABAKH PRESIDENTS HELD

YEREVAN, 08.05.08. DE FACTO. A meeting of the RA and Nagorno-Karabakh
Presidents Serge Sargsian and Bako Sahakian was held in Stepanakert
today. According to the Central Department of Information under the
NKR President, in the course of the meeting the interlocutors
discussed a wide spectrum of issues referring to bilateral relations.

The RA President arrived in Stepanakert to participate in the
celebration of the Day of Shoushi’s liberation and the establishment
of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic Defense Army.

U.S. Daily, CA
May 7 2008

Armenian leader condemns "genocide" before pope

By Philip Pullella

Photo: Pope Benedict XVI (L) greets Supreme Patriarch Catholicos
Karekin II of the Holy Armenian Apostolic Church during a weekly
general audience at the Vatican May 7, 2008. REUTERS/Osservatore
Romano

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) – Armenia’s Orthodox leader on Wednesday used
the pulpit of the Vatican to condemn the 1915 killing of 1.5 million
ethnic Armenians by Ottoman Turks, saying the whole world should
recognize it as a genocide.

"We Armenians are a people who have survived genocide, and we know
well the value of love, brotherhood, friendship and a secure life,"
Karekin II said in a public address during Pope Benedict’s general
audience in St Peter’s Square.

"Today, many countries of the world recognize and condemn the genocide
committed against the Armenian people by Ottoman Turkey …" the head
of Armenia’s Apostolic Church added, speaking in English before tens
of thousands of people.

Karekin, who like the pope has the title "His Holiness," said he
wanted to "appeal to all nations and lands to universally condemn all
genocides that have occurred throughout history and those that
continue to the present day …"

Turkey strongly denies Armenian claims, saying that Muslim Turks also
died in inter-ethnic conflict as the Ottoman Empire crumbled during
World War One.

Western historians have backed Armenian claims that the killings
amounted to a genocide.

article.jsp?id=379622

Religious Intelligence Ltd, UK
May 7 2008

Turkey told to return ancient church
Wednesday, 7th May 2008. 4:40pm

By: George Conger.

ROMAN CATHOLIC leaders will support mosque building in Germany, if the
Turkish government returns the Church of St Paul in Tarsus to church
control and permits the construction of a pilgrimage centre.

Writing in his diocesan newspaper, the Archbishop of Cologne, Cardinal
Joachim Meisner, said he had written to Turkish President Recep Tayyip
Erdogan urging his government return the church, built on the site of
St Paul’s birthplace, as a gesture of European cooperation.

Confiscated by the Turkish government following the expulsion of
Christians from Asia Minor in the 1920s, the Church of St Paul was
used as an army warehouse for 70 years, until it was turned into a
museum. Originally an Armenian Church, it became a Byzantine church in
the early Middle Ages.

No native Christians live in Tarsus, the Turkish government reports,
though a Christian presence is maintained by three Italian sisters of
the Roman Catholic order of the Daughters of the Church, and from
airmen at a nearby US military base. Worship at the church may take
place only after a licence has been granted by the local authority
upon payment of a fee.

Germany’s Catholic bishops have not opposed mosque building for the
country’s Turkish immigrant population, however they believe Turkey
must modify its harsh treatment of Christians. The Roman Catholic
Church has also been skeptical of Turkish membership in the EU.

Returning the church would be an `extremely important symbol,’ the
head of inter-religious dialogue for the Roman Catholic Church, Bishop
Hans-Jochen Jaschke of Hamburg told Der Spiegel. "It would be very
helpful towards the acceptance of Turks in Germany if a sign of
acceptance of Christians were to be seen in Turkey."

During a March visit to Cologne, President Erdogan told a press
conference that `as soon as the Church makes this request of me, I
will make a statement in support, even if it goes against the
opposition.’

Christian pilgrims are expected to visit Tarsus, located close to
Turkey’s border with Syria, to celebrate the anniversary of Paul’s
birth in June.

Cardinal Walter Kasper, the President of the Pontifical Council for
Promoting Christian Unity will lead worship at the church to mark the
anniversary.

In 1920 Christians comprised almost 20 per cent of Turkey’s
population. Today they comprise less than 0.1 per cent. The Turkish
government extends official recognition to the Armenian, Catholic and
Orthodox minorities, and tolerates Anglican and other churches that
serve the expatriate community. However Turkey’s estimated 5,000
native Protestants, converts from Islam, operate in a legal limbo as
without government approval, no religious community may exist in
Turkey.

Muslim clerics are also kept on a short leash and must submit their
sermons to state authorities. The founder of modern Turkey, Mustafa
Kemal Atatürk instituted this rule to keep Islam under state
control and preserve the secular government.

British Christian leaders have been skeptical of Turkish membership in
the EU also. Following the controversy sparked by Pope Benedict XVI’s
comments on Islam in 2006, Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor told the
Times, `I think the question is for Europe: will the admission of
Turkey to the European Union be something that benefits a proper
dialogue or integration of a very large, predominantly Islamic country
in a continent that, fundamentally, is Christian?’

The former archbishop of Canterbury Lord Carey told the Today
programme that `Surely a European community has to be more than
economic? It has to have common values.’

In a 2005 address to the European Policy Centre in Brussels,
Archbishop Rowan Williams said the debate about admitting Turkey to
the EU had exposed concerns about Europe’s historic Christian
identity. "Europe is what it is because of its Christian history,’ he
argued, warning that if the Church were excluded from public debate,
liberal modernity would be transformed into another pseudo-religion
centered round `a vague set of nostrums about democracy and
tolerance.’

http://www.religiousintelligence. co.uk/news/?NewsID=1970

THE MEDIATORS

Hayots Ashkhar Daily
Published on May 06, 2008
Armenia

During the meeting between OSCE Minsk group Co-Chairs and the Foreign
Ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan Edward Nalbandyan and Elmar
Mamediarov the parties will discuss the issue of the possible meeting
between the Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan and the visit of the
Co-Chairs to the region. Minsk group French Co-Chair Bernard Fassier
reported about this to APA agency.

He said there are different versions for the meeting between the two
Presidents. It can take place on July 6-8, during the 12th
International Energy Conference in St. Petersburg. The French Co-Chair
underscored that the mediators are not planning to make any fundamental
proposal during their meeting with Armenian and Azerbaijani Foreign
Ministers. The meeting bears the nature of familiarization. However, he
said, the meeting will show to what extent the two sides are ready to
continue the work.

`We see unilateral desire to work on the process of the negotiations,’
Bernard Fassier said.

Today.Az, Azerbaijan
May 6 2008

Mubariz Ahmedoghlu: "Condoleezza Rice seems willing to see Azerbaijan
as a US subworker"

06 May 2008 [15:41] – Today.Az

The state of relations between the United States and Azerbaijan in
April lays foundations for different conclusions.

According to Day.Az, the due announcement was made by Mubariz
Ahmedoghlu, head of the center for political innovations and
technologies, at a traditional monthly press conference on the
political results of the past month.

He said on the one hand, the United States try to make a wide use of
energy potential of Azerbaijan to ensure energy safety of Europe and
some announcements of the United States can be regarded as statements,
made on behalf of Azerbaijan.

"Moreover, the United States have not recognized independence of
Nagorno Karabakh for several times through 45 days. Materials
regarding the Armenian occupation were posted on the website of the
Department of State", said he.

On the other hand, according to the political scientist, US Secretary
of State Condoleezza Rice demonstrated illogical attitude to the
resolution of Nagorno Karabakh problem and processes, ongoing in the
country.

"Rice states that Azerbaijan is lagging behind Armenia and Georgia by
level of democratic development, which is illogical. She seems to have
no idea of the region", considers Ahmedoghlu.

The political scientist said that three TV channels including 202th
channel, Kavkazia and Imedi were shutdown in Georgia in the past
year. Jornalists and businessmen were subjected to pressure, leaders
of political parties were arrested. Ahmedoghlu reminded that the
meeting in Georgia was dispersed, the force majeure situation caused
declaration of emergency state and conduction of urgent presidential
elections in the country.

"Elections of Armenian President were accompanies by rule violation of
laws, opposition protests were brutally dispersed. According to
official statistics, 11 people died in the result of the protest. All
opposition newspapers were shutdown and censorship was applied even to
online editions. Currently, opposition deputies, leaders of political
parties and businessmen are under arrest", said Ahmedoghlu.

He reminded that three out of eight previously imprisoned reporters
are in jail in Azerbaijan. Investifation is carried out on beating of
another journalist.

"As is seen, the situation is the best in Azerbaijan. If Rice speaks
differently, she either has no idea of the situation, or makes a
purposed mistake. Condoleezza Rice seems willing to see Azerbaijan as
a US subworker", announced Ahmedoghlu.

/Day.Az/

URL:

VAHAGN STEPANIAN AND HARUTYUN MERDINIAN TO COMPETE IN EUROPEAN
ARTISTIC GYMNASTICS CHAMPIONSHIP

YEREVAN, MAY 2, NOYAN TAPAN. The European Individual Championship of
Artistic Gymnastics will be held in Lausanne (Switzerland) on May 4-12.
Armenia will be represented by Vahagn Stepanian and Harutyun Merdinian.

MARCH TO TALIN

A1+
[08:47 pm] 30 April, 2008

On April 30 a march was held in Talin in defence of political figures
and azatamartiks detained on March 1. The marchers, mostly women,
crossed 7 kilometers signing patriotic songs and shouting "Free
political prisoners," "Go away, Serzh," etc. A group of women from
Yerevan joined the marchers on the way to Talin.

They were escorted by highway forces who ensured the marchers’
security.

Drivers stopped for a moment in sheer bewilderment to inquire about
the march. They either passed away in silence or raised their hands
as a sign of solidarity.

The participants of the march organized a collection of signatures
in defence of the detainees. The signatures will be forwarded to the
Human Rights Ombudsman.

They said the detainees are "national heroes and not criminals. They
should be awarded and not tried."

Afterwards, the marchers headed to Yerevan.

Reminder, six of the detainees /Hovhannes Ghazarian, Dzora and Mkrtich
Sapeyans, Haik Gevorgian, Armen Avagian, Lendrush Tonoyan/come from
Talin. Tigran Baghdasarian has taken to flight.

SOUTH FLORIDA COMMUNITY MARKED 93rd ANNIVERSARY OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

DeFacto Agency, Armenia
April 30 2008

YEREVAN, 30.04.08. DE FACTO. The Armenian National Committee of
South Florida (ANC of S. FL) joined with Armenian Americans – and all
Armenians around the world – in commemorating the 93rd anniversary
of the Armenian Genocide of 1915-1923.

The commemoration, held at St. Mary’s Davitian Hall in Hollywood,
was co-sponsored by St. Mary Armenian Apostolic Church, St. David
Armenian Church, the Armenian National Committee of South Florida, the
Knights of Vartan Hayasdan Lodge, and the Armenian Assembly of America.

In addition to the strong community turnout, the program featured
the representatives of Armenian Church leaders, leading community
figures in South Florida, and a broad range of ethnic and human
rights activists.

To note, among the major steps taken this year by the South Florida
Armenian community was the first screening of the documentary titled,
"The Women of 1915," produced by the Telly award winning Team (The Wall
of The Genocide) Bedo Der-Bedrossian and Baret Maronian of Armenoid
Productions, a division of Ayasa Video Productions Inc. of Coconut
Creek, Florida.

Additionally, ANC of S. FL youth activists setup laptops as members
of the audience web-faxed their respective US Representatives to end
Turkey’s "gag rule" on Armenian Genocide recognition and pass H.Res.106
& S.Res.106. "We are tremendously proud of the increasingly active,
vocal, and effective Armenian community of South Florida, and are
committed to making our unique contribution to, once and for all,
ending U.S. complicity in Turkey’s shameful campaign of genocide
denial," added ANC of S. Florida Chairman Albert Mazmanian.