On October 30, His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, extended his message to 4000 assembly participants during the opening ceremony blessing of the 10th assembly of the World Council of Churches in Busan, South Korea.
Published on Oct 31, 2013 by Communications Department
The Message of Blessing of the Catholicos of All Armenians at the WCC
10th Assembly in Busan, Korea
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On October 30, His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and
Catholicos of All Armenians, extended his message to 4000 assembly participants
during the opening ceremony blessing of the 10th assembly of the World Council
of Churches in Busan, South Korea.
Before offering his message on the occasion of the assembly, His
Holiness greeted the WCC 10th assembly participants, conveying the 1700 year
old blessings of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin for their mission of
illuminating each corner of the world with Christ's light. His Holiness Karekin
II also extended his blessings to the hospitable country of Korea and its
people.
On the occasion of the assembly the Catholicos of All Armenians
expressed his gratitude to the World Council of Churches; Reverend Dr. Olav
Fykse Tveit, WCC General Secretary; and all the partners.
“The ecumenical spirit has deep roots in Armenian civilization—extending
back to the blessed fathers of the Armenian Apostolic Church: Saint Nerses the
Graceful, Saint Nerses of Lambron, and their legacy. In the Middle Ages, they
boldly undertook dialogues with the Roman Catholic and Byzantine churches,
under the noble slogan: “Unity in the essentials; Liberty in the
non-essentials; Love in all things.” And today as well, the Armenian Church
sincerely welcomes expanded dialogue—a quest for common ground and mutual
support—for the glory of Christ’s Holy Church, the peace of the world, and the
welfare of all mankind”, stated His Holiness, highlighting that the Armenian
Apostolic Church was proud to be the member of WCC for more than 50 years.
Click here to read the Pontiff’s message in its entirety.
THE MESSAGE OF BLESSING OF HIS HOLINESS KAREKIN II SUPREME PATRIARCH
AND CATHOLICOS OF ALL ARMENIANS ON THE OCCASION OF THE TENTH ASSEMBLY OF THE
WORLD COUNCIL OF CHURCHES
“And he said to them, “O foolish men, and slow of heart to believe all
that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary that the Christ should
suffer these things and enter into his glory?” (St. Luke 24:25-26)
In the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
We give glory to the Lord, who with His presence brings light to the
human heart.
A little while ago we heard the gospel story of the miracle on the
road to Emmaus. It tells how the Risen Lord, mere hours after his resurrection,
appeared to two disciples and spoke with them.
The travelers were so despondent that they didn’t even recognize their
Master. Yet the Lord, through His words and personal presence, removed their
doubt, left them with a deeper feeling of hope and faith—and a deeper awareness
of God’s saving power.
They returned to Jerusalem and shared their joy with Christ’s followers,
thereby dispelling the unbelief and dejection of their circle that was soon to
become the Church. That room in Jerusalem and the disciples therein represent
the Church in her full and glorious unity. It is the fulfillment of the words
of the Risen Lord:
“You did not choose me, but I chose you. I appointed you to go and
bear fruit, so that your fruit should abide and whatever you ask in my name the
Father will give you. …. This I command you, to love one another.” (St. John
15:16-17)
And some two thousand years later, we too—each in our own way—continue
te that mission. The words of St. John surely resonate with this gathering as
well. For today we are likewise in one place and of one heart, gathered as the
branches of the true Grapevine. Each of us is different and unique, but we are
shoots from the same root. Our mutual faith in Christ—truly, our love for the Lord—is
what unites us. This example of unity is what all participants in the
ecumenical movement are called to demonstrate, first and foremost. We must
strive above all for a spiritual unity: a unity of faith and service; a unity
of witness throughout the world in the name of Jesus Christ and His Holy
Church.
Speaking in the name of Christ, acting with the presence of
Christ—forthrightly and without hesitation—is what that witness entails.
Certainly our words and actions must be judicious, sober, responsible—even
delicate in certain circumstances. But to minimize or obscure the Author of our
unity is to cover the “Light shining on a hill.” It is to hide the only source
of illumination that can pierce the darkness of the world, and bring clarity of
vision to mankind.
* * *
The truth is that the
pre-Biblical pagan cultures did not care very much for the poor of the world.
But it is also becoming clear that society in the modern era has very
little use or concern for the poor among us—whether they are poor in material
needs or poor in spirit.
By contrast, it was Jesus who blessed the poor. It was Jesus who
offered up his bs brief life and ministry to bring comfort to the poor in
spirit, and relief for the material and spiritual impoverishment of mankind. It
was Jesus, extending the legacy of the Hebrew prophets, who made these values a
central concern for the entire human family—indeed, who made such concerns the
very measure of our humanity.
But our Lord was equally clear that any “solution” to the problem of
poverty—and all human ills—would only come through Christ himself: through our
acknowledgement of Christ’s dominion, our grateful acceptance of his sacrifice
and resurrection, and our whole-hearted reply to his loving invitation to
“Follow me.”
With this understanding, our Lord established the church, to be the
vessel of Christ’s “nearness” in the world. And that is why the theme of this
assembly is more imperative today than ever before: “God of Life, lead us to
justice and peace, by first and foremost strengthening the mission of Christ’s
Holy Church.”
The great problems of the word today are above all problems of human
distance from God; often a willful distance—a prideful resistance to the very
idea of a loving and righteous Supreme Being. That resistance, that distance
from God, is nothing less than a license to ignore the rights of one’s fellow
man, and to consider any means of reaching a goal as tolerable.
Christianity teaches us another way—leads us along a different road:
the road to Emmaus. That miracle reminds us that, even in our moments of
apparent defeat, Christ is with us. He is not distant, but eternally near. He
is with us even when we don’t recognize him. He sustains us, feeding our
spirits and opening our minds. And in doing so, Christ inspires us to share
what we have with others in a spirit of generosity, brotherhood and hope.
Through Christ, we are encouraged to undertake a personal outreach to
others—to regard our fellow human beings, without exception, in the full
dignity and holiness of their personhood.
That is the unique mission of Christ’s Holy Church, which cannot be
replicated by the administrative state or substituted with technology. As the
theme of this meeting suggests, strengthening that mission is the first and
foremost step on a journey whose destination is a world where justice and peace
prevail. And to arrive there, we must be willing—in all humility—to be led by
the God of Life.
* * *
He leads us to a world of many dimensions: a “house of many mansions,”
where many different people, from many different walks of life, can find a true
home. But the foundations of that home, its bedrock values, are clear.
First among the foundational values is morality. There are many things
to say about morality, but this above all: that it is learned by example; and
that this example must come from the Church.
We—as leaders of the Church—must exemplify the moral virtues we wish
to see in the world around us.
As the Church, our moral preaching must be an extension of Christ’s
example of love and compassion. It must not discriminate or set conditions, but
rather welcome all in a spirit of charity. We cannot promise that it will
result in a society entirely without wounds; but it will promote a society with
the spiritual tools to heal those wounds.
A second essential value is education. Education builds respect
towards one’s fellow man; a mutual acceptance and cooperation among peoples. It
provides previously unavailable opportunities, and thereby cuts across
divisions between classes, and ethnic, religious and social groups. Genuine
education allows us to emerge from the dark cave of superstition, violence,
hatred and prejudice: the eternal enemies of a flourishing human life.
At one time, education was a gift for the fortunate few. But the 20th
century brought about a transformation with the introduction of universal
education in large parts of the world. It was a truly momentous turn, related
to the Christian insight into the moral equality of all human beings, and their
God-given ability to comprehend truth.
We today must not allow the Church to be driven out of the modern
educational establishments.
We must uphold the Church’s identity as one of the great educational
institutions in the history of mankind. We must inhabit the halls of higher
learning; become conversant in the great fields of human inquiry. And we must
guide the fruits of learning—especially technology—in the direction of humane
ends, which elevate and enrich human life, and do not demean or destroy it.
A third value—closely related to morality and education—is the
fundamental human association of the family. Today we are troubled to observe
not only a desertion of societal support for the family, but also a distortion
of the very idea of what constitutes the family. Here again, the understanding
of the Biblical heritage and 2,000 years of Christian civilization is very
clear. The solemn union of man and woman; the interplay of generations
involving children, parents, and grandparents: these are expressions of the
true diversity within humankind. The family, in the deepest sense, realizes our
hope that human beings, in their diversity, can come together in a productive
and loving union.
Our faith endorses the family as the “school” to teach us the fullness
of our humanity. We should note that this understanding is consonant with the
received wisdom of other civilizations and other traditional faiths.
As Christians, of course, we have a unique stake in the promotion of
family life—for it gives us some of our deepest insights into our relationship
with God. What does the Holy Family mean to a person who has never witnessed a
traditional family? How will we understand themystery of the Christ-child, if
childbirth is considered a burden rather than a blessing of hope? What is the
meaning of the prayer to “Our Father”—Hayr Mer, in our mother tongue—for a
society where fatherhood is de-valued?
Most of all, the kind of sacrifice that is so often a part of family
life is fully in accord with the Christian call to die to one’s self and to
care for the weak. As the family declines, so too does the Church. Thus, our
role in forming and defending strong, kind, loving families is vital. Finally,
what about the value of peace itself? Peace remains an elusive reality in our
world. We believe that this realization is the most terrible and demoralizing
surprise of the 21st century. At the turn of the Third Christian Millennium, we
all had more positive, more hopeful expectations for the world, than what we
see around us today.
Especially painful are the civil unrest, intolerable violence and
active warfare being carried out in the Middle East—especially in Syria and
Egypt. Surely our hearts go out to all the people suffering under lawlessness
and violence. We pray for all families regardless of ethnicity, faith, creed or
race; and we implore God to bring an end to all conflicts, so that reason and
dialogue can prevail.
As members of the Church, we are deeply affected by the terrible
suffering of our brothers and sisters in Christ. In recent years, and with
increasing frequency, we have seen them singled out for persecution by extremists
– at times even because of indifference of the authorities - pprecisely because
they are Christians. Since the time of the Apostles, these Christian
communities—among them our fellow Armenians—have lived productively and at
peace throughout the Middle East, contributing to their adopted lands.
Christians have historically played the role of peacemakers in the region. And
their treatment is a test of justice in their respective countries: a test of
whether basic human rights are honored by the local authorities and the
majority populations. The Christians succumbing to violence in the Middle East
are the witnesses of martyrdom in our own day. It is up to us, in our native
countries and through this Assembly, to unite our voices and actions to prevent
similar acts of violence and contribute to the establishment of peace in the
region.
This reality speaks with special force to the Armenians. The torments
of our Christian brethren are all too familiar to our people. In the year 2015,
Armenians in Armenia, Nagorno-Karabagh, and in every nation on earth will
commemorate a tragic anniversary – one hundred years since the greatest
cataclysm of our history: the Genocide of the Armenians, committed by Ottoman
Turkey. Four generations have passed since 1915; but the memory of our time of
horror remains alive. And the quest for justice—if only through the simple act
of official recognition and universal condemnation—will not die.
This should stand as a reminder that the violence and misery in our
world today will cast dark shadows into the 22nd century and beyond. We are
grateful that in recent years the WCC, our sister Churches, and more than
twenty countries have made official statements recognizing and condemning the
Armenian Genocide. But imagine the pain and misery that could have been
spared—not only for our people, but for the later victims of genocides in
Europe, Cambodia, and Africa—if the world of a century ago had taken action to
prevent the atrocities, massacres and ethnic cleansings of 1915.
As churches, we must protest the crimes going on before the eyes of
the world today. And we must speak forcefull for a universal doctrine of human
rights: whether it involves the fight for life itself in Syria and Egypt; or
whether it is a struggle for the right to self-determination of a free people
in the Republic of Nagorno-Karabagh. We must assert, with one voice, that the
violation of these basic rights will not be tolerated in any part of the world;
because without a foundation of justice and human rights, the peace we seek
will be only temporary and fleeting.
* * *
The enduring values we have outlined here are the fruit of
Christianity’s 2,000-year history.
They are part of the legacy we, as the Church, have inherited.
Promoting them within society is part of the mission to which we have been
called. We must undertake that mission with the greatest humility, however we
must also be confident that these same human values have always found their
highest expression in Jesus Christ, and in the movement He established.
Indeed, we look around the world and see confusion and sorrow
everywhere. In our own fearful moments, we may imagine that the world of today
would barely even recognize Christ Himself. But here again, the miracle at
Emmaus instructs and consoles us. For we know that the travelers on the road to
Emmaus were likewise confused and despondent. They, too, did not recognize the
Lord. But when the Risen Christ approached them—shared their journey and
answered their concerns—his words and presence made sense of the world for
them.
That is a message we must embrace as the church—as the Body of Christ
on earth. Our quest to promote justice and peace—and every human good—begins by
meeting our people on the road. We must approach them with compassion; share
their journey; help them with their burdens. In pursuing the loftiest of goals,
we should plant our feet firmly on the ground, viewing our people eye-to-eye.
Speaking with them in the name of Jesus Christ. Acting among them with the
presence of Jesus Christ.
Today, it gladdens and consoles our heart to join in the prayer of
this assembly, imploring God to strengthen this hopeful mission of Christ’s
Holy Church. May that spirit always embolden our hearts and indeed lead us to
true peace and true justice, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, the Savior of the
world.
Thank you again for the invitation to address this assembly to share
the warm fellowship of fraternal love in Christ. May His grace, love, and peace
be with you, and with all mankind. Amen.
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