ARMENIANS COMMEMORATE THE 95TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE FORTY DAYS OF
DEFENSE OF MUSA DAGH AND 70TH ANNIVERSARY OF ANJAR
Noyan Tapan 25.08.2010 | 18:30
Anjar – On Saturday 23 August in the afternoon, His Holiness Aram I,
accompanied by the President of Arzakh (Nagorno Karabagh), and members
of the clergy, arrived in Anjar. After a warm welcome by the people of
Anjar and pilgrims arriving from the diaspora, the Catholicos and his
entourage walked to St. Paul’s Church for the service of the
canonical hour. At the end of the service, Catholicos Aram I thanked
everyone for their warm welcome, and said that the presence of the
President of Arzakh, Pago Sahakian, added to the significance of these
anniversaries.
The procession then moved to the monument of the martyrs of Musa Dagh,
which they inaugurated with wreathes, and marked the event with
speeches and cultural presentations. His Holiness Aram I closed the
evening with the following words: `The past should shape our vision
for future action. Our history has shown that since the foundation of
our nation by our forefather Haig, we have struggled for our
independence and for justice for our people. The heroic defense of
Musa Dagh against the Ottomans demonstrates that in spite of our
different convictions we can unite and defy our oppressors.’
Referring to the present, His Holiness continued, `After the
genocide and deportation, we built `little Armenias’ wherever we
went. Anjar is a living example of this `little Armenia’. As
diaspora communities, we express our loyalty to our host countries,
without giving up our demand for justice, and today, we are assisting
our young Armenian Republic to grow and thrive. I am certain that we
shall remain united in our demand for justice in memory of our
martyrs’. At the end of his speech, Catholicos Aram I decorated
Dr. Vazken Der Kaloustian with the ensignia of St. Mesrob Mashdotz, in
recognition of his services to his people of Musa Dagh and the Church,
following the steps of his late father, Movses Der Kaloustian, one of
the heroes of Musa Dagh.
On Sunday, His Holiness Aram I presided over the Eucharistic
celebration. The two-day celebration came to an end with a Service in
Memory of the martyrs and an agape meal. Before giving his final
blessing, Catholicos Aram said, `Anniversaries should be the yeast,
the leavening agent that shapes our future actions. Our actions should
safeguard our specificity as Armenians, as they have in Anjar,
strengthen our common will as a people and deepen our Christian faith
through the teachings and spirituality of our Church’.
Armenian Catholicosate Of Cilicia
The Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia is one of the two Catholicosates
of the Armenian Orthodox Church. Its jurisdiction extends over the
Armenian Communities in the Middle East, Europe and North and South
America. The Catholicosate, the administrative center of the church is
located in Antelias, Lebanon.