May God bless the Armenian army.

Blessings of the leader of the Artsakh Diocese on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the formation of the Armenian Army

Dear officers, soldiers, chaplains and freedom fighters,

on behalf of the clergy of the Artsakh diocese, we bring you congratulations on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the founding of the Armenian Army.

The Army is the birth of the freedom-loving spirit of our nation and the just realization of their God-pleasing rights. It was formed in the height of the Artsakh liberation war and became a stronghold of the independent Armenian statehood. The army created by victories underwent severe trials in an unequal battle in 2020, experienced a lot of hardships, but giving a real assessment of the situation, we must state that our army resisted the insidious enemy to the best of its ability, thereby preventing another genocide of our nation. We have all witnessed many new manifestations of courage and heroism. Among our brave warriors, the chaplains of our army carried out their tireless and selfless service, both in peacetime and in wartime, stood up for their flock in word and deed.

Questions about why the result, which no one wanted, is such are numerous. But our desires are the same, and the reality is different. The reality is that today's defeat is the result of a series of small and big mistakes. It is the result of selfishness rather than piety, which generates patriotism.

Today, when we celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Army, we must look at our past, understand our omissions and shortcomings, understand how much we love our country and our army, thereby correcting its bent back, otherwise, Nzhdeh's words - "Forgetful of the past will be punished by the future" will affect us.

We pray that God gives wisdom to our people to understand the real value and role of our country and army, and to put common interests above personal ones. We also pray for the repose of the souls of our brave fallen soldiers and for the speedy return of our captive sons.

† May God bless the Armenian army. †