Hospice of the Valley Lecture: Good Samaritan Hospital, 23 April
1986 by Fr. Vazken Movsesian

Armenian Orthodox View: Dealing with Death

(notes for a lecture)


     As you are aware, I am the pastor of the St. Andrew Armenian
Apostolic Church in Cupertino.  There are over 550 families in our
parish with the majority living here in the Valley, some on the
Peninsula and lower East Bay and a few families in the
Monterey-Salinas area.  It is the only Armenian institution in our
area.
     Our parish, as well as most Armenian Churches is  unusual in
that the Church is not only a source of spirituality for the
community but also a Cultural center.  Church and Nation have
always existed hand in hand for the Armenians.  Armenians explore
their Christian faith as well as keep in touch with their ethnic
roots through the Church.
     This evening I wish to give you a general understanding of who
the Armenian is and what role religion and culture play in the life
of the Armenian. BRIEF HISTORY
     Armenians come from the Eastern part of what is currently
called Turkey and present day Soviet Armenia.  This is the land
surrounding Mt. Ararat, the resting place of Noah's Arc and the
area where the Garden of Eden was said to have existed.
     According to our tradition, two of Christ's Apostles, Thaddeus
and Bartholomew brought Christianity to Armenia and established the
first Armenian Churches during the mid 1st century.  Hence, the
name "Apostolic" is ascribed to our Church.
     It wasn't until the fourth century that Christianity was
accepted by the Armenian State.  In 301 Armenians became the first
people to accept Christianity as a State Religion and the official
Church of Armenia was established.  This fact is mentioned with
great pride by the Armenians. Christianity brought a new life to
the Armenian people.  Just about a 100 years later, the Armenian
alphabet was created for the sole purpose of translating the Bible
into Armenian.  We have our own alphabet with 38 letters.
     Up to the beginning of this century 95% of all Armenians were
found in the historic Armenia.  Rather miraculously they were able
to keep their Christian identity through the Church, despite the
hostile environment in which it existed   (most of the Middle East,
being Muslim).--It is very interesting when one goes to the Middle
East, you find Armenian Church built centuries ago, and still
standing and in use.
     At the beginning of this century, the Armenians were the
victim of the Turkish massacres.  The Ottoman Empire, executed a
plan to exterminate Armenians.  1.5 million Armenians were martyred
for their beliefs.  (Tomorrow is the 71st anniversary of these
massacres--we will be commemorating the event along with the States
most noted Armenian George Deukmejian in San Francisco)  I have
personally spoken to many survivors of the massacres who tell of
how they could have been spared the torture had they betrayed their
Christian beliefs.  Most every Armenian living today, has some how
or another been touched by the massacres.
     Following the massacres, many Armenians found their way to the
Americas primarily to the Eastern States and the Fresno Area here
in California.  Many escaped to other countries in the Middle East.
 Wherever the Armenians went their Church went along with them.
You find the Armenian Church at the center of every established
Armenian community.  Recently with the unrest in countries such as
Lebanon, Iran and Turkey, Armenians have come to America.
     Today, outside of Armenia, the greatest concentration of
Armenians is found in the Los Angeles Area.
     What does this all have to do with us, gathered together this
evening?  When you are dealing with an Armenian, you are likewise
dealing with this 2000 year old tradition.
     Armenians are a proud people.  They take a pride in being an
Ancient Christian people and being able to survive despite the
hardships.  (The fact that 1.5 million were massacred only 70 years
ago, after experiencing the darkest page in their history, they
resurrected and are found in every corner of the world).  Wherever
they have gone, they have built and developed.  For a relatively
small minority, their accomplishments have been many and the
average Armenian takes a sincere pride in belonging to this
community.
     It is this pride which can get "in the way" many times and
prevent them from accepting help from outside the family or
community.  They are not likely to take charity.  They are
hospitable, and if the person cannot repay you monetarily he will
always want to even the score somehow.  When offering help to an
Armenian, you must recognize his/her pride and be willing to accept
some favor in return--whether from the individual or from the
family. It should also be mentioned, that those Armenians that have
recently immigrated from countries where their is a system of
socialized medicine, they understand and accept support from the
State.  They figure it to be the way of the system.  However, in
your case, where you are volunteers, this may trouble themÉas to
how they will be able to repay you. FAMILY
      By "family" the Armenian includes extended family-- including
grandparents, uncles, aunts and cousins and to some degree the
Armenian community.  The family institution is ordained by God and
is subject to the rules of the Church.  (In the Middle East, until
today, all family disputes are settled by the Church.)  Where
finance permit, the family is organized according to the
traditional pattern with the father being the bread winner and the
mother as a homemaker.  When a terminal illness strikes a member of
the family, it would regarded as a true shame, if the family could
not care for it's own.  Because of the demands of life in America,
members of the family cannot always give time to the care of their
father, mother, brother, sister, etc. and this of course disturbs
the family.  Organized care such as your hospice will be received
only after all possibilities have been exhausted--beginning with
the spouse, children, brothers, sisters and then the Armenian
community.
     Another factor contributing to this feeling stems from the
massacres.  As I mentioned earlier, there are very few Armenians
that have not been touched by the massacres earlier this century.
We have all been brought up, reminded of the sacrifice that our
parents, grandparents have made for us.  In essence, the Armenians
were massacred, yet they remained loyal to their Christian beliefs
and ethnic identity.  Because of the sacrifice made by our parents
we live and thereby, the burden of responsibility is passed on to
subsequent generations.
     Finally, I wish to speak of Resurrection.  The idea of
resurrection is deeply fixed in the Armenian Orthodox Christian.
When dealing with the terminally ill, even though they fear death,
there is a deep conviction to the idea of life after death, as I
assume there is with any one else, Armenian or not, when confronted
with death.  However, for the Armenian the theme of resurrection
has been accented throughout the years.  Our history is one of
resurrection.  Suffering, dying yet continuing to live.  The
commitment the Armenian Christian has during the last days of
his/her life is a sincere one. 

c. 1986 Fr. Vazken Movsesian address
comments to dervaz@sain.org