Holy Thursday is the most solemn day in the church’s liturgy


At 7:30 a.m., a service of hours and absolution of penitents were held at the Mother See, after which Father David celebrated the Divine Liturgy. It was on Holy Thursday that Jesus established the sacrament of Holy Communion. Holy Thursday is one of the few days of Great Lent when the curtain of the tabernacle is opened, an open Liturgy is celebrated, and communion is given. Communion is one of the main sacraments of the Armenian Apostolic Church.
 

On the day of Palm Sunday, during the evening service, the Opening of the Doors ceremony was performed


The Patriarch of All Armenians blessed those present during the Opening of the Doors ceremony. During the ceremony, a dialogue takes place between the clergy kneeling in front of the closed altar and those behind the curtain. The veiled altar symbolizes the heavenly kingdom. People experience the event expected at the end of the world, when the doors of the kingdom of God will be opened and the righteous will enter it.
 

A collection of archival documents on the renovations of the Mother Cathedral has been published


The volume is dedicated to the rededication of the Mother Cathedral and the 25th anniversary of the enthronement of His Holiness Karekin II, Catholicos of All Armenians. The collection was compiled by Father Asoghik Karapetyan and historian Gohar Avagyan. The volume includes documents from the 7th to the 21st centuries from the Mashtotsyan Matenadaran, the National Archives of Armenia, and the Archives of the Mother See.
 

An open painting lesson dedicated to the Feast of Palm Sunday was held at the Mother See


Students of the Youth Center arrived in Etchmiadzin under the leadership of Archimandrite Harutyun Kirakosyan. After the painting and chalk drawing, a festive concert was held on the territory of the Mother See, where the drummers of the Youth Center, dance groups, and students of the circus school performed. The students of the Youth Center met with Karekin II, Catholicos of All Armenians. His Holiness blessed the children.

 

The Armenian Apostolic Church celebrated the memory of Jesus Christ's triumphal entry into Jerusalem - Palm Sunday


With the blessing of His Holiness Karekin II, Catholicos of All Armenians, the feast of Palm Sunday has been declared a day of blessing of children. After the morning service in the Mother See, the ceremony of the Andastan and the order of blessing of children took place under the presiding authority of the Armenian Patriarch. His Holiness Karekin II, Catholicos of All Armenians, conveyed his blessing to the children, after which the willow branches blessed during the Andastan were distributed to the faithful. His Holiness presented the children with crosses. The Holy and Immortal Liturgy was served under the presiding authority of the Catholicos of All Armenians.

 

The clergy of the Aragatsotn Diocese participated in the evening service at the St. Mesrop Mashtots Church in Oshakan


Under the chairmanship of the Chairman of the Administrative Council of the Aragatsotn Diocese, Father Shnorhk Paloyan, the clergy of the diocese, the nuns of the Ghazaravan Monastery, monks, and pilgrims jointly participated in the evening service at the St. Mesrop Mashtots Church in Oshakan. The participants of the ceremony, bowing to the tomb of St. Mesrop Mashtots, asked for the intercession of the Saint to further strengthen their faith in these days of trials. They prayed for the beloved Primate, His Eminence Mkrtich, the clergy and children of the church who are in prison, and then for the Homeland, the Holy Church, and everyone.
 

Shirak: Aghin


The secondary school in the border village of Aghin will soon be closed by government decision. The village is one of the most depopulated communities in Armenia. It is located in the northwestern part of Armenia, on the Armenian-Turkish border. This settlement in Shirak province was founded in 1872 by Armenians who migrated from Kars and Mush.

Court Decides to Question 34 Witnesses in “Holy Struggle” Case


At the hearing in the “Holy Struggle” case, the court accepted the written evidence presented by the prosecution in full and decided to question 34 witnesses. The court also granted the defense’s motion to call Garnik Danielyan and Hovhannes Avetisyan as witnesses, but at the same time found the request to question high-ranking officials, the Chairman of the Criminal Investigation Department and the Prosecutor General, unacceptable. The defense claims that the country’s top leadership is making public statements about the case from the highest rostrums that are absent from the criminal proceedings.

Judge Dismisses Archbishop Arshak’s Defense Lawyers


The defense lawyers dismissed the judge because he is close to the officers of the investigative bodies involved in the case against the Archbishop. Judge Gevorg Manukyan granted the lawyers’ motion. The Archbishop is accused of allegedly placing drugs in the backpack of a member of the “New Armenia, New Patriarch” movement in 2018, allegedly on his instructions. The Archbishop was incarcerated for 3 months because of this case.

The Catholicos' brother and nephew have been illegally detained for nearly 5 months


At the court hearing in the case of the brother of the Catholicos of All Armenians and his son, the lawyers presented Garnik Ghazaryan's application, in which he refutes his previous statement that the Nersisyans hindered the campaign of the Republic party. After the main hearings, the defense lawyers filed a motion to lift the house arrest, but the court left it unchanged.

Holy and Immortal Liturgy was celebrated in the Mother Cathedral under the presiding authority of the Catholicos of All Armenians


The mystery of Advent Sunday was presented in his sermon by Archbishop Arshak Khachatryan. The 6th Sunday of Great Lent is called Advent and reminds the believer of the second coming of Christ. Christ calls his second coming the “Last Day,” “the Day of Judgment,” “the Day of Coming,” “the Day of God’s Wrath.” During the first coming, the Son of God underwent crucifixion and death, but the second coming, according to the Gospel testimonies, will come with awesome power and great glory.

 

Educational reforms or schools being liquidated?


The government is preparing to liquidate 229 schools under the name of “Quality Educational Services”. These schools are mainly located in border communities or remote villages in the mountains and highlands. These schools are mainly the only educational institutions in the communities, and after their closure, children will have to travel more than 12 kilometers in some cases. According to education expert Atom Mkhitaryan, residents of high-mountain villages even plan to have children in the summer so that they can take the newborn to the regional center, so how will the children of these communities go to school? It is also not yet clear who will cover their travel expenses.