ETCHMIADZIN. – The Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin issued a statement with respect to the post-presidential-election developments in Armenia.

“We highly value our people’s good sense, which guaranteed the conduct of a peaceful and a civilized election.  

The Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin has clearly expressed its stance on the election results, and considers it impermissible when an attempt is made to make the Holy Church, the Armenian Patriarch [that is, the Catholicos], and even the Gospel of the Virgin Mary—which is used during the swearing-in ceremony of Armenia’s President—become a target of political manipulations.  

We invite our nation’s children to pray and make a call to be guided by the spirit of brotherly love and solidarity. 

We also urge [opposition Heritage Party leader, former FM] Raffi Hovannisian [who is declared runner-up to the winner, incumbent President Serzh Sargsyan, as a result of the presidential election that was conducted on February 18, but who claims to be the real winner in the vote and who declared a hunger strike on March 10 at capital city Yerevan’s Liberty Square] to ends his hunger strike, and to choose a more constructive means of political struggle. The Church does not validate a hunger strike because it is an action that puts the God-given life at risk,” the statement specifically reads.

To note, on March 10, Hovannisian had said as follows at Liberty Square: “If on April 9, Serzh Sargsyan takes a fake oath [of office] on the Bible, and if the Catholicos [of All Armenians] desecrates the Bible, they will do so over my dead body! I must pray for them.”