Speech of the Primate of the diocese on the reassessment of the May heroic battles of 1918.

“When there is no way out or opportunity, the madmen find the way out.”

Dear compatriots!

When we again recall the May heroic battles of 1918, the lines of a famous song dedicated to the heroic Sardarapat battle come to mind. Those were some pretty hard days. The people had not yet come to their senses, a small piece of land remained from historical Armenia, and the eternal enemy again tried to destroy this remnant. It seemed like there really was no way out, and it was madness to go up against such a disproportionate force in such a weak state. But our bewildered people have made the decision of last resort: death or freedom. The refusal of the Catholicos of All Armenians Gevorg 5 from the proposal to leave the Mother See and move to a safer place encouraged the then military-political leadership, who unanimously took up the organization of the struggle. The ringing of church bells called everyone to a battle, and this struggle, blessed and directed by the clergy, made the Sardarapat miracle a reality.

We consider it important to record that if not the main, then one of the main characters of the May heroic battles was Aram Manukyan from Artsakh. A suicide squad from Artsakh, led by Daniel Bek-Pirumyan, participated in this struggle, a suicide squad, composed of the clergy of the Mother See, was headed by Bishop Garegin Hovsepyants, also from Artsakh. This means that Artsakh was invariably devoted to the national liberation struggle of the Armenian people, because it could not be otherwise.

Dear ones, even today, when our people live in such days when Artsakh needs national unity, it is very important to remember and practically re-evaluate the historical realities of the May heroic battles and the founding of the first republic, which was their fruit. It is noteworthy that in those days, the secular leaders of the country heeded the instructions of His Holiness and changed their plans. From a distance of centuries it is clearly seen that when the spiritual and secular authorities work in harmony, the country becomes an almost invincible fortress.

The heroic battles of May proved that we have two of our biggest and most insidious allies: God and ourselves. Let's not forget our heroic past and remember that this past was ours and can be ours again. God bless our Armenian people and our Armenian Church.