Armenian clergyman responds to premier 

ArmInfo.  The head of the Syunik Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church, Bishop Makar Hakobyan, responded to the Prime Minister's statement about "desecrated" churches.

"It was with great pain and concern that we heard the Prime  Minister's statement at the RA government meeting on May 29 that our  churches were "desecrated." This statement is not only an  inappropriate and extremely unfortunate comparison, but also an  offensive and disrespectful characterization of a structure that has  been the spiritual light of our people and the source of national  endurance for centuries. When such a statement comes from the mouth  of the head of state, it loses its everyday character and becomes a  value signal, which painfully diminishes the respect that the Church  has enjoyed for centuries as a national shrine.  Calling churches  "desecrated" means belittling the sanctity that has long nourished  the spiritual life of our people during wars, displacements and  oppression. This vocabulary serves to devalue sacred phenomena in the  public consciousness, desecrate the spiritual sphere, which cannot go  unnoticed. It should also be emphasized that this is not just a  linguistic error. When the head of state speaks about the Church  using such formulations, he indirectly "undermines the basis of  mutual respect between the state and the church and threatens the  spiritual balance of society," the head of the Syunik Diocese of the  Armenian Apostolic Church said in a statement.

He emphasized that in the Syunik diocese, church life is not only not  "fading away", but, on the contrary, is experiencing a spiritual  awakening. The monasteries and churches of Syunik are being restored,  the prayer houses are alive, full of believers, participation in  liturgies is growing every day, and the clergy tirelessly serve their  holy mission. "Educational, youth and charitable programs breathe new  life into public life, especially in our border communities. As for  the Prime Minister's claim that our churches have beds, this is  simply not true. There have never been beds in any church in the  Syunik Diocese. Our sanctuaries are exclusively places of prayer and  spiritual presence. Finally, if anyone feels that churches are  abandoned or neglected, then perhaps it is worth introspectively  asking ourselves what we have done as leaders, citizens and believers  to keep our spiritual homes alive and dignified. The church has never  been a place of luxury, but has always been a holy refuge of faith,  consolation and national unity. And this refuge will never become a  "stove" as long as its faith in the hearts of people within the walls  of the church is strengthened," the bishop emphasized.

Recall that the day before, at a government meeting, RA Prime  Minister Nikol Pashinyan compared Armenian churches to closets.  "Whoever has the most unnecessary things can be seen in churches - an  extra marble slab, bags of cement, pieces of old rusty reinforcement,  beds," the prime minister said, demanding that the head of the  Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation introduce  appropriate standards in churches, since "the real owner of these  objects, monuments, is the state."