"The Shepherd of Artsakh" - Interview with Parkev MARTIROSYAN

The article is an interview with Parkev Martirosyan, head of the Artsakh Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church, conducted at his residence in Shushi and devoted to the role of the Church in preserving the national identity of the Armenian people, the spiritual revival of Artsakh, and the challenges facing Armenians both in the homeland and in the diaspora.

The Church's Mission and National Identity

The Archbishop articulates the Church's unchanging mission — "to carry the light of the Gospel, to save mankind" — and emphasizes its leading role in preserving Armenian identity over the course of 1700 years, comparing the Church to a mother who safeguards the customs and traditions of the people regardless of the particular form this service takes in different countries.

The Church under Globalization

The interlocutor notes the change in historical context: whereas a hundred years ago the Church fought for the people's physical survival, today, with statehood already in place, the main challenge has become globalization, which threatens national distinctiveness. Among the concrete responses to this challenge are:

• the revival of Armenian sacred music (sharakans), which was banned during the Soviet period;
• competitions of sacred music performers and the teaching of church hymns to children in village schools;
• the operation of the Church's own FM radio station;
• the revival of traditional festivals (Vardavar, Ambartsum).

The Question of Clergy and Spiritual Education

Martirosyan points to an acute shortage of priests (15 for 270 villages) and reports plans to open a theological seminary at Gandzasar Monastery. Special attention is given to catechesis as the foundation for understanding the liturgy, while it is stressed that translating the service from Grabar into modern languages is unacceptable — instead, the publication of parallel texts is proposed.

Spiritual Threats and Interchurch Dialogue

The greatest danger is named as a "lukewarm" attitude toward faith, as well as globalization, assimilation in the diaspora, and the activity of totalitarian sects. Regarding dialogue with other Christian Churches, the Archbishop cites the formula of Nerses Shnorhali: "Unity in essentials, love in all things, freedom in secondary matters."

Restoring Artsakh as a Spiritual Center

A separate section is devoted to the program for restoring monasteries and churches (Gtchavank, Dadivank, Hakobavank, and others), as well as to the idea of turning Shushi into the spiritual capital of Armenians — even to the point of relocating the capital of the NKR there.

The key conclusion of the interview lies in the inseparable link between the mission of the Church and the mission of the people: like the legendary forefather Hayk, the Armenian is called to be an "invincible warrior of the spirit," consciously bearing historical and spiritual responsibility, and living up to the honor bestowed upon the Armenian people as the first nation to adopt Christianity as its state religion.