The adversarial climate between our opposing Armenian political factions has dissipated, 
somewhat, but our North American Armenian Apostolic Churches and communities still 
remain divided.


In a previous commentary, I had mentioned that Catholicos Karekin I and Catholicos 
Aram I would be attending a gala banquet in Los Angeles on September 26, 1998.  I had 
expressed the hope of how wonderful and opportune it would be if they were to make a 
joint proclamation, putting an end to the 65-year old disunity of our churches and 
communities here in North America.


The banquet has come and gone and both Holinesses have come and gone, but outside of 
worthless rhetoric seasoned with words that tiptoe around total reunification, the 
shameful, unchristian-like division of our churches and communities remain.


For seventy-five years or more, our Mother See in Etchmiadzin was captive behind the 
Iron Curtain.  The political influences emanating through the Iron Curtain and through 
our Armenian Church during that period triggered the assassination of Archbishop 
Tourian on December 24, 1933 by ARF sympathetics.   And the unrelenting and 
unforgiving policy of Etchmiadzin that followed, triggered the ARF takeover of the 
Cilician See and the subsequent takeover by the See of Cilicia of all the independent 
Armenian churches in North America left in the wake of Tourian’s assassination.   


When the Iron Curtain collapsed in 1990, Armenia declared her independence.  
Etchmiadzin was no longer subjugated.  And in 1994 when Catholicos Karekin II of 
Cilicia was appointed Catholicos Karekin I of Etchmiadzin after Catholicos Vazken’s 
demise, there was growing optimism that at long last the Armenian churches in North 
America would finally be reunited and free from all types of political intervention.  But 
this was not to be.


Today’s pro ARF See of Cilicia does not seem to be concerned about the old traditional 
values.  What’s more, they feel that they have earned the right to share the same 
jurisdictional boundaries of the Mother See.  As far as political encroachment goes, I 
believe Dr. Ara Yeretsian reflected Cilicia’s political intentions best when he said, "If 
they want to let the ARF set the tone of the politics of the Catholicate of Cilicia, then 
that’s their right.  If they want the Prelacy to continue to operate in America, that’s also 
their right."  


Since Cilicia adopted our separated churches in 1957, most of our efforts in North 
America have been toward building more divided churches while futilely trying to 
negotiate church-unity.  And proportionately, while all this has been going on, the 
attitudes of our younger generations have become less inclined toward keeping the spirit 
of our Armenian heritage alive.  And if things continue going in this direction, we may 
have to come to the realization that keeping the flame burning is in no way dependent on 
having more Armenian Sees with divided churches or in having political factions 
controlling them.  We may eventually come to realize after it’s too late, that the secret is 
in how much of a sense of unity and belonging we instill in our younger generations.  
And in this regard, magnificent but divided religious edifices presided over by ornately 
bedecked, bejeweled, and divided clergy, controlled by divisive dominant political 
ideologies that are more concerned about the short term rather than the long, 
isn’t going to get the job done.


And as long as this politically influenced tug-o-war continues between our Holy Sees and 
regardless of how hard they try to weasel-word around the glaring disunity it continues to 
manifest among our people, I see nothing but hard times ahead.


If things continue the way they have been, the next time we hear someone bragging about 
the fact that we were the first people to accept Christianity, and that we practice the true 
faith, I believe we should respond by saying, "Booz-ee ver-ah kur-eh."  


Joseph Vosbikian