Dear Faithful Children: The recent developments and decisions made in our homeland in connection with the settlement of the Artsakh [(Nagorno-Karabakh)] conflict have stirred the soul of all of us. The Catholicos of Armenians, Karekin II, stated this in a message he issued Tuesday morning to the people.
“Before our eyes are our fellow Armenians who have fought and fought for Artsakh’s independence for more than three decades; sacrificed their lives, glorified their loved ones by martyrdom in the last 44 days—our brave Artsakh Armenians overcoming the suffering of war, every soldier and commander standing on the front line.
It has been a difficult outcome for all of us; but it also places upon us a responsibility for sober courage, far-sighted wisdom, and unwavering determination to act for the benefit of the homeland. From the depths of our heart we pray for the sake of our national prudence and unity. With the courageous awareness of the lesson of our centuries-long history—the need to preserve national unity—we call for maintaining calm; for not giving in to unnecessary manifestations of the emotions that haunt us; for refraining from violence and riots. The current crisis must be resolved through the joint efforts of the military-political forces of Armenia and Artsakh.
Beloved ones, our conduct should never endanger the lives of soldiers who courageously continue their sacred service in the trenches on the front lines. In this situation, the back must remain strong more than ever; solidarity and stability must be firm in the back, so that we can jointly find solutions for the sake of Artsakh and Armenia, for the sake of the safe, secure life of our people.
