Artsakh/Nagorno-Karabakh has been lost because of the policy adopted by Armenia’s authorities regarding Artsakh and the divisiveness of our people led to the loss of Artsakh, Catholicons of All Armenians Karekin II has said during a nationwide prayer for Artsakh.

“All of our souls are filled with infinite pain, our Armenian nation is living in difficult and alarming days, today united in the Holy Mother See of Etchmiadzin, and in all churches throughout the diaspora, we raise a prayer in support of our brothers and sisters of Artsakh, who, subjected to terrible suffering and inhuman deprivation, took the path of migration.

The world of Artsakh is being deprived of its people; the sacred Armenian land is once again orphaned. In face of this national tragedy we state with pain that the invading, genocidal actions of Azerbaijan, the inadequate response of the world, the policy adopted by the RA authorities towards Artsakh and the divisiveness of our people led to the loss of Artsakh.

Today, the Republic of Armenia faces the same threat, the dangers of loss of sovereignty and statehood are openly discussed, security challenges, territorial losses, the haste shown in the process of establishing peace under obvious coercion have created an atmosphere of mistrust and led to an uprising, which in the created division can lead to painful developments,” he said.

His Holiness urged the political leaders not to sow hatred with divisive lines, not to divide the people, to provide a dignified solution to the existing problems.

“Our faith, hope, patriotism and devotion to the nation can never be killed, that's why the national prayer for the sake of Artsakh is not a prayer of hopelessness, sorrow, sadness, it is a prayer of hope and recovery.

May this nationwide prayer encourages us, unites us as God's own people."