Message of Fr. Vazken Movsesian, parish priest of St. Andrew Armenian Church, Cupertino, from the Nakhagoch Newsletter. Electronic version archived on: SAIN-- St. Andrew Information Network -------------------------------------- c. 1990 Fr. Vazken Movsesian Address comments to: dervaz@sain.org -------------------------------------- ST. VARTAN: A pioneer for human rights? The story of Vartan has always been special for the Armenians. It is our story. It is the story of winning against the odds. It is the story of freedom beating slavery. It is the story of life conquering death. The Battle of Vartanantz and what we have drawn from it has shaped the Armenian psyche. We have grown up with stories of the marvelous Vartan, how he stood up against the Zoroastrian Persians and defended our rights of freedom of conscience and religion. The slogan-- military defeat but a moral victory-- helps justify the absurdity of wagering battle when outnumbered three-to-one. The war St. Vartan fought was exclusively on the issue of freedom of conscience. He fought for the religion that St. Gregory had brought to Armenia in 301, the religion of the Holy Armenian Church, the Church which knighted him with sainthood. Although St. Vartan is a hero of the Church, today he has gained popularity among the unchurched as well. He is a fashionable hero. There are even secret societies that bear his names. For me, never has the message of St. Vartan meant so much as it has this year. Today the Armenian name has been dominating press headlines. We are being persecuted in Baku, Azerbaijan. The type of killings are of the same barbarous type that we experienced in 1915, after all it is the same culprits--the Turks. Who else would tie women together, pour gasoline over them and burn them alive? The issue they say is land. Rightly so, the issue is Kharabagh, where 90% of the population is Armenian, yet it is ruled by the Azerbaijani's. But it is much more than the land issue. Armenians are the only Christians in the area. Armenia is surrounded by Azerbaijan, Iran and Turkey--all Muslims. They make up an Islamic state which makes this a issue of religion as well. The declaration of jihad last month made this evident. The battle of Vartanantz was our first fight for freedom and because of fanaticism in the world, the battle today in Armenia will not be our last. 1915 is happening again today and what is our answer? We look to Moscow, expecting the solutions. We turn here and there when all the time we know the answer must come from within. Last month I visited the prison at San Quenten. Seeing men incarcerated was difficult, yet the most moving experience for me occurred when I visited the prison chapel. There, the men had posted pictures of young children. When I asked who these children were, I was told they were orphans that had been adopted by the prisoners-- the prisoners would send money for their care. It was a beautiful example of people taking care of their own. Who else could feel the pain of the orphans but these men who had been abandoned? As Armenians the Armenian nation is our responsibility, but even more as Christians we must be concerned and willing to aid the effort. Our brothers and sisters in Armenia are the orphans today and we are the prisoners of a system that has robbed us of self worth and pride. As Christians we are called to activism and care for life. This time it has hit home, it is our people who are in need. We take our freedom and rights for granted. Armenians living on land they have inhabited for centuries are being persecuted and are dying today! To turn our head in the wake of these developments is to turn our head to the most fundamental Christian calling. Today, our focus is Armenia. Today, I am calling on our people to put aside their indifference, to accept the challenge. It is easy to say we are sons and daughters of Vartan, it is extremely difficult to follow in his footsteps. Nevertheless, it is only in that manner that we can be true to ourselves and our claims. Learn the history. Speak out. Write letters. Get involved. It all begins with our Church. On February 22nd we will be commemorating St. Vartanantz. We have a very special program. I ask that you all attend this event. Let us stand together, pray together, communion together and be a part of the living Body of Christ. This is the greatest tribute we can pay to St. Vartan and his heroism. --Fr. Vazken -------------------------------------- c. 1990 Fr. Vazken Movsesian Address comments to: dervaz@sain.org --------------------------------------