Dr. Ara Yeretsian’s commentary, "Church Unity: Unity or Annexation?" TAR Int’l 
(12/06/97), was at best a futile attempt to justify the See of Cilicia’s present attempt to go 
public. He states, "Cilicia has never been subordinate or subsidiary to Etchmiadzin."  And 
he goes on to say, "The title ‘Catholicos of All Armenians’ has not meant ‘Highest 
Catholicos of All Catholicoi’ nor does it seem to have bestowed Etchmiadzin a hierarchal 
or administrative status over Cilicia."  And though he tries to mask the present-day ARF’s 
influence in this matter behind a heroic guise of patriotic concern and unwavering 
dedication, it falls miserably short of being convincing.  If anything, it only substantiates 
what many believe: That the ARF is, indeed, the governing force behind the See of 
Cilicia and our continuing division. 


If we are to take some of the statements that Catholicos Aram has been making seriously, 
then there can be no further doubt that the ARF controlled See of Cilicia has no intention 
of bringing church-unity to North America.  Therefore, it seems evident that as far as the 
ARF was concerned, the church-unity negotiations between the Prelacy and Diocese was 
only eyewash for the tourists until they could mount enough of a counter force, such as 
Catholicos Aram I to neutralize it.


As the old saying goes, "Hindsight is twenty, twenty."  We have only to look back and 
review all of the fuss that the Prelacy negotiators had been making over cooperation, even 
though it was adequately addressed and agreed to by both parties in the 1982 Guidelines.  
We would also find that when the Diocese finally conceded and moved the "cooperation" 
phase up, in order to move the unity negotiations forward, the Prelacy started to become 
uncooperative.  With the Diocesan concession, they were no longer "separated brethren" 
as they had been in the eyes of "Iron Curtain"  Etchmiadzin.  It was now acceptable with 
proper authorization for both Prelacy and Diocese clergy to perform mass on each other’s 
altars.  And after reaching such a plateau, who could question the validity of our Prelacy 
churches being "religiously one" with Diocesan churches.  But Catholicos Aram and Dr. 
Yeretsian go even one step further.  According to them, the See of Cilicia has never been 
subordinate or subsidiary to the Mother See.  

In short, they claim that Cilicia is equal in authority and has the right to ignore all 
traditional boundaries.  


As the Coalition for Church Unity so prophetically questioned in their recent public 
announcements: What was Catholicos Aram’s real purpose in coming to North America 
in November?  As we know now, it wasn’t for the purpose of bringing our churches and 
communities together.


Catholicos Aram states that his only purpose in life is to serve and that he is only 

following the will of his people.  If he is following the will of his people, aren’t the 
nonpoliticals who make up the majority of Prelacy congregants along with those who go to Diocese churches also his people?  Weren’t the church-unity negotiations that were 
going on in North America for the last thirty years due to the fact that the majority of our 
people, on both sides, wanted to see our churches and communities reunited again?   And 
if after witnessing 64 years of distrust, division, and increasing assimilation, by what 
foolish fig of the imagination can Dr. Yeretsian or Catholicos Aram conclude that 
keeping our churches and communities divided in North America is better than reuniting 
them? 


As things stand today, I would have to believe that as long as the ARF encroachment into 
our Cilician See continues, and as long as our faithful silent majority refuse to come 
forward and be counted, the division will not only continue but it will get more 
pronounced.  And I further believe that the ARF infiltrated Cilicia in league with our 
Prelacy leaders along with all those who knowingly or unknowingly support this power 
play, are all by varying degrees and in the order listed, responsible for allowing this dark 
chapter in our Armenian existence to become a reality.


Wake up, Lousavorchagans -- they’re stealing our church.


Joseph Vosbikian