“The situation was abnormal.” Father Hayk questions police inaction in Talin Church incident

Yesterday, employees of the Aragatsotn Regional Administration and the Talin Community Administration, with the support of police officers, prevented Father Hayk, the priest of the Holy Mother of God Church in Talin, from celebrating the Holy and Immortal Liturgy on the occasion of the Feast of the Nativity and Epiphany of our Lord Jesus Christ.

According to established church order, the liturgy for this feast must be celebrated by the church’s spiritual pastor. However, the service was conducted by Aramayis Takhmazyan, a former clergyman known as Father Tade, who has been deposed from the priesthood.

In order to avoid clashes, the lawful ministers of the church left the premises and celebrated the Christmas Divine Liturgy at the church in Mastara. In an interview with Aysor.am, Father Hayk stated that it was incomprehensible to him why the police took no steps to ensure that the Christmas Liturgy could be held in the Talin church itself. In effect, he noted, the celebration of the Christmas Liturgy was obstructed with the tacit consent of law enforcement.

“The situation was abnormal. I cannot accept it in any way,” Father Hayk said.

He expressed confidence that the Armenian Apostolic Holy Church remains strong and will overcome these difficult days.

Father Hayk emphasized that a deposed priest has no right to celebrate the liturgy and that such a service lacks spiritual validity. The Aragatsotn Diocese, he added, remains hopeful that the Primate of the Diocese, His Grace Bishop Mkrtich Proshyan, will soon be free.

“We are waiting for our Holy Father,” Father Hayk said.

It should be recalled that another illegal act took place at the Talin church on December 31. Members of the Civil Contract party, Tavros Sapeyan and Aramayis Takhmazyan, once again prevented the lawful clergy from conducting the Pomegranate Blessing ceremony. Following the unauthorized ceremony, only Father Hayk and Father Paren distributed blessed pomegranates to the faithful Armenian people.

From prison, Archbishop Mkrtich also responded to the incident. “This action, organized by Talin Mayor Tavros Sapeyan and the deposed Aramayis Takhmazyan, and carried out with the direct patronage of law enforcement agencies, constitutes a gross violation of the law and a dangerous manifestation of governmental arbitrariness and anti-church thinking. They are attempting to present sacrilege and violence as a ‘legal action,’” the Holy Father stated.

Archbishop Mkrtich called on the faithful and the devoted clergy not to succumb to provocations, while never renouncing the truth – remaining peaceful yet firm, patient yet uncompromising. “The Armenian Church was not afraid in the past and will not be afraid today,” the Holy Father noted.