AAC followers from all over the world form Pan-Armenian Council for  the Protection of the Armenian Church

ArmInfo.  Followers of the Armenian Apostolic Church from all over the world have formed the Pan-Armenian Council for the Protection of the Armenian Church.

The statement distributed by the Council, in particular, notes: "We,  the faithful children of the Armenian Apostolic Church, note with  deep concern that recently high-ranking representatives of the ruling  elite and the state system of Armenia have been exerting targeted  pressure on the sacred mission of the Armenian Church and its  servants, flooding the public space with a toxic stream. Recognizing  that the AAC has been an unbreakable pillar of the nation's  self-preservation for centuries, an indivisible custodian of the  Armenian language, with historical memory from Avarayr to the  orphanages of the Genocide, and also considering that any attack on  faith and church autonomy is an attack on the foundations of national  identity, we announce the establishment of the Pan-Armenian Council  for the Defense of the Armenian Church." 

The Council has set goals to protect the spiritual, legal and  national values of the Armenian Apostolic Holy Church from any biased  or organized propaganda campaigns. The Council intends to respond  with established facts and reliable information to false allegations  spread in the public sphere and to prevent hate speech directed  against the church, clergy and believers. The Council also intends to  unite believers, intellectuals and human rights organizations to  create partnership platforms for discussing issues and formulating  fair and legal solutions. The Council's task will include ensuring a  respectful attitude towards the AAC from state bodies and officials.

 "We declare that the Council is a non-political and non-partisan  structure: its activities are initiated solely by devotion to faith,  historical calling and democratic values based on love, national  spirit and legality. The Council is represented not only in Armenia,  but also in large Armenian communities of the Diaspora, particularly  in Paris, Buenos Aires, Moscow, Washington, New York and Los Angeles.  Such a broad presence allows the Council to attentively listen to the  opinions of the communities and unite them in a single voice. Based  on this multilateral presence, the Council calls for an immediate end  to all attacks and disinformation campaigns directed against the  Armenian Church. Instead, we should unite our strength and hearts for  the joint preservation of our spiritual home, for by doing so we  strengthen the solidarity of the Armenian people, as well as the  honor and dignity of our statehood. We are confident that the peace  of the Lord and the bright faith of St. Gregory the Illuminator will  accompany us in this challenging moment, guiding us in solidarity,  truth, mutual respect and unity," the statement by the Pan-Armenian  Council for the Preservation of the Armenian Church reads.