Father Sargis, who has served in Hovhannavank for about a year and a half, spoke about the relationships he developed during his ministry, his collaboration with former clergyman Stepan Asatryan, and his attempts to oppose the church.
“I served in Hovhannavank for a little over a year with my former colleague. At first, yes, there were rumors in the village, articles were written, which were later suppressed. After that, our ministry continued peacefully and lovingly. As in many churches, two clergymen were appointed in Hovhannavank. We tried not to interfere with each other and not to deprive each other of anything. We served our people, holding all consultations and liturgies without any problems,” Father Sargis noted.
He also explained that his pastoral territory also includes the villages of Ushi, Ohanavank, and two villages in the Aparan region. “By the Holy Father’s instructions, these villages were also entrusted to our care. We conducted the service in such a way that if one remained in Hovhannavank for the liturgy, the other would go to the village. This is how we conducted the service, according to the church charter.”
Commenting on Stepan Asatryan’s behavior, Father Sarkis noted that he hadn’t noticed anything unusual. “Looking back, perhaps some will recall something now, but at the time, I didn’t notice anything like that. If I had noticed, I would naturally have spoken to him as a priest and a brother, before his fast. But our conversation took place after the fast.”
He said that during that conversation, he urged Stepan Asatryan not to publicly discuss the church’s internal problems. “I explained that what he writes or says should not be discussed on Facebook. The Church is a family, and every family can have problems that need to be resolved within the family, not aired publicly. But his response was, ‘I have no way back; I’m going over to the government’s side.'”
Father Sarkis also emphasized that since 2018, the government has been issuing statements against the Church. “What we saw during the Sunday Liturgy on October 26th showed that among those gathered were people who lacked even basic knowledge of the order and canons of the Armenian Church, or the sacred rites. It’s regrettable that this ignorance or lack of awareness can become a pretext for joining calls against the Church.”
Concluding his speech, Father Sarkis called on the faithful to maintain unity and remain close to their spiritual leaders. “Our call and request is that every believer stand firm for their spiritual minister, as one family, the family of Christ. Let no one succumb to false rumors and appeals and not participate in rites performed without church permission. Let our people beware of participating in the actions of those declared deposed or defrocked. By participating in such rites, people may incur divine curse and anathema.”