Head of AACh in Georgia: Armenian party is against commission on studying accessory of Norashen Church

The Armenian party objects to setting up a special commission for studying the accessory of the Surb Norashen Church, since historically it is Armenian. This was stated by Bishop Vazgen Mirzakhanyan, head of the Eparchy of the Armenian Apostolic Church (AACh) in Georgia, in his interview to the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

"The Armenian party is against any commissions on studying the accessory of churches, including Surb Norashen, the origin of which is challenged by the members of the Georgian Orthodox Church, since while they are disputable for the latter, for the Armenian Apostolic Sacred Church they are its historical churches," he has stated.

According to His Eminency, nowadays, the return of six churches is on the agenda. Five of them - Surb Norashen, Surb Nshan, Shamkhoretsots Surb Astvatsatsin (also known as Karmir Avetaran), Yerevantsots Surb Minas and Mugni Surb Gevorg - are in Tbilisi, and one more - Surp Nshan - is located in Akhaltsikhe (Samtskhe-Dzhavakhetiya).

"I should state that for the Armenian party the accessory of these churches is beyond any doubts and questions. These churches, by their exterior, interior, inscriptions and architectural ensemble as a whole, are Armenian churches - this can't be a debate point. The arguments moved by the Georgian party that the churches have Georgian foundations are outside any logic. If Georgia has such an ingenious scientist, archaeologist, who can say which church had built foundations, undoubtedly, he would have been awarded the Nobel Prize," the Bishop has added.

According to his version, the statement of the Patriarchy of Georgia that during the meeting on November 26 in Tbilisi an agreement was reached to set up a commission for establishing the accessory of the Surb Norashen Church has nothing to do with reality.

"In the course of that meeting, and there was another one after it, no particular decision was made, except for the ban to any churchman to conduct any works in this territory. It should be either the city mayoralty or the Ministry of Culture, in whose balance this historical monument is registered," Bishop Vazgen Mirzakhanyan has stated.

At the same time, the head of the Eparchy has noted that for the Armenian party disputes can arise about those churches, which had been converted in the 1990s by the Georgian party into Georgian ones. "Already twenty and even more churches have been converted into Georgian ones in Tbilisi, Khashur District and other regions, the churches which prior to Soviet times operated as Armenian ones. The Armenian party could agree to set up a commission provided it also studies the issue of already 'Georginized' Armenian churches," he has added.

The Bishop has noted with regret that today the Armenian Church in Georgia has no status. "Not only the Armenian Church, but also all other religious minorities, which make one third of the population in Georgia, have no status. We were offered to become an ordinary NGO, which we've naturally rejected. We demand either to pass the law "On Religion" or to sign a concordat with the country leaders under which religious minorities could become legal entities," His Eminency has concluded.