Happy Army Day, Armenian Army
The army became the cornerstone upon which our independent statehood was built. Today, our country and army are wounded, but if we remain united and turn to God, we will be able to achieve new victories.
Speech of Bishop Vrtanes in Mekhakavan on September 28, 2020
First and foremost, as a human being and as a clergyman, I have come to express my deepest gratitude and appreciation to you.
We give thanks to God, and may His grace always be with you.
This is war. We all fully understand that. For Armenians, war began from the moment we chose light over darkness. That is why we are called the sons of light. The evil seeks to extinguish this light, but we must not allow it.
That light is our homeland, Armenia.
That light is our Christian way of life.
That light is the brotherhood among you.
We are brothers in Christ. We are brothers in faith. We are brothers in ideology.
We must emerge from this war with honor and victory. To achieve victory, we must follow one idea—our devotion to the homeland, our dedication to our families, and our brotherly love. In my hand, I hold a cross that contains a sacred relic—the bone of Dadi, the founder of Dadivank. I have brought it here to bless you with this cross, to bless you with the holy faith of our ancestors. Hold firmly onto the spiritual legacy of our forefathers. Hold firmly onto the sanctity of our families.
Thus, my sons, once again, I bless you.
I kiss your foreheads. I kiss your hands, which must become a strike against the enemy. May your hearts always be filled with brotherly love, and may you be at peace in your souls. Pray before undertaking any significant mission. If a person's soul is at peace, they can ensure peace at our borders. Do not go into battle with an agitated heart. Instead, go with peace, knowing why you are going and what you are fighting for. May God bless you. May victory be achieved. May the borders of Armenia and the Republic of Artsakh be secure. And may we not pass on this war and its burdens to the next generations. Let us finish it—conclusively and definitively. .
May God bless you. Go in peace and fight for peace
