Armenian Patriarch of Jerusalem condemns shameful behavior of police  against Catholicos of All Armenians in Sardarapat 

ArmInfo.Armenian Patriarch of Jerusalem, Archbishop Nourhan Manougian , issued a statement  condemning the shameful behavior of the police against the Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, Karekin II, in Sardarapat.

"With deep pain and concern, yesterday, on the day of the 106th  anniversary of the First Republic of Armenia and the heroic battle of  Sardarapat, we learned about a shameful and highly condemnable  reality that has no precedent in the entire history of the Republic  of Armenia..  During the heroic Battle of Sardarapat, in those  fateful days for the Armenian people, the clergy also fought side by  side with soldiers, commanders, villagers, builders and  intelligentsia, holding a cross in one hand and a weapon in the  other.

In those fateful days, the military leadership demanded that the  Catholicos of All Armenians, George the Fifth, be transferred to a  safer place, and Aram Manukyan proposed to move the Mother See of  Holy Etchmiadzin to Sevan for security reasons. They tried in every  possible way to ensure the safety of the Armenian Patriarch, to  protect him from a possible enemy attack.

Today, 106 years later, the police of the Republic of Armenia not  only did not ensure the safety of the Patriarch of All Armenians, but  also, showing a hostile attitude, forming a barrier several times and  starting fights, tried to stop the procession of the Patriarch of All  Armenians Karekin II and the clergy accompanying him at the  Sardaparat memorial complex.

On behalf of the Jacobin Military Congregation, we strongly condemn  the shameful and dishonest behavior of the RA police towards the  Patriarch of All Armenians.  We really hope that the RA police will  reconsider their practice and attitude towards the Armenian Apostolic  Church and the Patriarch of All Armenians, excluding the repetition  of such incidents," said the Armenian Patriarch of Jerusalem.

On May 28, the Armenian police tried to prevent the Catholicos of all  Armenians from visiting at the Sardarapat memorial complex. Special  police forces blocked the road for the retinue of clergy led by the  Catholicos. Nevertheless, the Catholicos managed to visit the  complex, hold a prayer service and lay a wreath. However, after his  departure, the security of the Prime Minister of Armenia removed the  wreath laid by the Catholicos at the memorial. Since the history of  modern Armenia, such a disrespectful attitude towards the Supreme  Clergy of Armenia is the first time.

Notably, commenting on this incident, Pashinyan assured that the  authorities did not campaign the church. As for the incident, as  Pashinyan noted, the head of the AAC arrived at the venue for  ceremonial events to which he was not invited. "Moreover, the  government was not aware of the expectations of the invitation. The  police were only trying to clarify whether the Catholicos had arrived  in order to continue the "provocative actions" of his supporters and  members of the political movement he led. And when they received  assurances that the visit was ceremonial, they provided the  Catholicos with access to the memorial," Pashinyan said.