H.E. The congratulatory message of Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II on the occasion of the feast of the Annunciation.

“On the occasion of the Feast of the Annunciation of the Holy Mother of God, we bring our Patriarchal blessing and congratulations to our pious people in our homeland and in the diaspora.

This spiritual holiday is declared as a day of blessing for women waiting for the joy of motherhood. In churches, at the end of the Holy Liturgy, a prayerful wish is made and expectant mothers receive a blessing, asking God to grant them a loving, healthy and happy life and good and worthy children.

The faithful and virtuous image of the Holy Mother of God has been a source of inspiration for mothers for centuries. Following the shining example of the Holy Mother of God, Armenian women overcame the trials they faced with unconditional obedience to God’s will in difficult times, kept their faith and love for Christ strong and unshakable, and lived with unwavering dedication to the nation and homeland.

We pray that the Almighty Lord, through the intercession of the Holy Mother of God, will bless the women awaiting the joy of motherhood and grant them a successful pregnancy.

May the Almighty God grant peace to the whole world, keep our homeland and all our people around the world safe and prosperous.

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace” (Romans 15:13). every

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In mid-March, American billionaire Peter Thiel, the co-founder of PayPal and Palantir Technologies, found himself at the center of an unusual and controversial event. He arrived was Rome to hold closed seminars dedicated to «biblical Antichrist (antichrist)» to the topic that it names «the main drama of Western civilization»։

The closed seminars took place on March 15-18. The first event took place in the historic Palazzo Tavern building. About 100-160 invited guests – representatives of Catholic circles, journalists and businessmen – participated in the seminar. Meeting formats emphasize their closed nature. A ban on the use of mobile phones has been established, the disclosure of information is assumed under the terms of the “Chatham House rule”, and a fine of up to 10,000 euros has been established for breach of confidentiality.

Till’s lecture was preceded by a speech by Peter Robinson, former spokesman for Ronald Reagan. The program also included a Latin Mass in the Basilica of San Giovanni dei Fiorentini.

Organizer:was «Vincenzo Gioberti» cultural association that publicly thanked the billionaire as one of Donald Trump’s key backers and an ally of current Vice President James Vance.

Till’s visit took place in a tense political landscape. George Maloney’s government officially denies any meeting with the billionaire, but it is known: Italian Ministry of Defense PalantirTechnologieshas been negotiating with since 2024:

The opposition Democratic Party of Italy has already sent a parliamentary request asking: Will the “artificial intelligence king” Thiel not become the unofficial partner of the Italian government?

Critics have described him as: «techno-capitalism» ideologue, and his companies as a tool of digital control used by states. The topic of the lectures itself attracts special attention. Till has been active in religious and philosophical reasoning in recent months.

In his comment “the antichrist” is not a mystical figure, but a modern one «advanced» or a government regulator expanding public control under the guise of combating climate crises or epidemics.

Such views have caused a sharp reaction in Catholic circles. Earlier, Pope Francis warned of the danger of a “technocratic paradigm” in which AI could limit human perception of reality and impose uniform models of thinking.

This approach is in direct contrast to the views of Thiel, whose companies specialize in data analysis and mass profiling algorithms.: Catholic periodicals accuse the billionaire of having a “nihilistic” worldview, and PalantirTechnologies of creating a “false theology of espionage.”

Observers say Till’s visit to the Eternal City may be “coincidental” on the eve of the publication of current Pope Leo XIV’s encyclical on AI and its risks.

Not surprisingly, institutions such as the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas and the Catholic University of America, which have been mentioned as possible platforms for Thiel’s lectures, have stayed away from participating in the events. According to the news, this was claimed by the State Secretariat of the Holy See.

One of the interesting questions is: Why Rome? The choice of the Eternal City as the site of the Antichrist seems highly symbolic. It is not only a settlement, but also the center of the Catholic world, where religion, politics and history intersect.

Till’s workshops remain closed and their exact locations are not disclosed. But it is already clear. it is not only about theology. The story of his visit to Rome is a clash of two worldviews: the technological (based on surveillance and data) and the humanistic (supported by the Vatican).

Behind the Antichrist debate are more mundane questions: power, influence and the future of digital society. And that is why the interest in these closed meetings is much more than the religious theme.

STANISLAW STREMIDLOVSKI

iarex.ru

Translation by Zhanna Avetisyan

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Samvel Karapetyan’s address, April 7, 2026

Now it is clear whether the economic war unleashed with Russia because of Pashinyan in July or the changes we will bring to Armenia in June.

Honestly, I am angry with the behavior of the leader of the small group. It was embarrassing in Moscow. But what is worse, with consistent steps it turned our country into a field of geopolitical conflict.

Why was it necessary to try to remove friendly Russia from our region? His presence has somehow never hindered Armenia’s cooperation and trade with other power centers. And I am sure that it will not interfere in the future. Simply put, you need to have intelligence and grace. And then you just have to be reasonable. Our deepest economic ties are with Russia. Russia supplies us with cheap gas, welcomes our seasonal workers, and buys a significant part of our agricultural products. And if he stops all that, what answer will you give to our people, who will become even poorer?

But today’s prime minister is not interested in the fate of our compatriots, the contents of his pocket and refrigerator. The important thing is that he can stay in power for the sake of his own well-being by scaring people with false wars. Of course, it will not stay. We will remove the small group and make friendship with all the countries of the region, with all the power centers.

We saw what happened to Georgia and Ukraine.

We do not need new wars.

Voting for Nicole will get you poverty and hostility with the Russians, polarization and economic collapse. Trust us and we will have real change: a strong economy, unity and lasting peace.

It is time for a strong Armenia.

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Armen Ashotyan presented 4 conceptual proposals to the opposition on his Facebook page. He specifically wrote:

“1. As you know, two major events will be held in Yerevan on May 4 and 5. first, the summit of the European Political Community, and then the first summit of the European Union-Armenia.

And we, as an experienced and responsible party, offer the other opposition forces, who will be busy exclusively with their campaigns, to entrust us with the task of jointly, I repeat, jointly, developing and implementing initiatives on the days of these events.

2. There is a lot of talk about the fact that in order to win the regime in the upcoming elections, it is necessary to motivate our citizens, to ensure a high rate of participation.

We announce that the activities of the Republican Party from this congress until June 7 will be aimed at promoting the participation of our compatriots in the national elections, under the slogan “Let them go”, with various actions, propaganda, information campaigns, meetings with residents.

3. It is no secret that at this stage the real opposition forces declare that they exclude any cooperation with the ruling regime.

We suggest that, in addition to similar statements of the main opposition forces, those who are in the first three dozen of the pre-election list of those forces take a moral obligation not to cooperate with the capitulating regime, not to leave the opposition field, by signing a corresponding memorandum and actually combining their political and personal positions.

4. It is known that in the work of our party, not only the fight against this regime, but also the plan to remove our country from the existing situation after the change of power was important.

Since the Republican party will not take part in the upcoming elections, we are ready to provide that repository with many program provisions to any opposition force that is interested in it.”

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