YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 18, ARMENPRESS. Bishop Sahak Mashalyan, president of the spiritual council of the Armenian Patriarchate of Istanbul, released an announcement regarding the latest situation over the Patriarchal election, presenting details of his phone conversation with Catholicos of All Armenians His Holiness Garegin II.

Mashalyan said during the conversation the Catholicos said the election of a locum tenens and simultaneously maintaining the post of Patriarchal Vicar is unacceptable. “Holiness Sahak, that’s unacceptable. Will you embarrass us in front of other Churches? I will only acknowledge the locum tenens. If he gets elected, everyone else will resign. In addition, it is against the Church law for a clergy having lower status in case of the presence of two bishops to become locum tenens. Why have you done such a strange thing”, Garegin II asked.

In response, Mashalyan said Archbishop Aram opposes and refuses to resign. He stressed no one desires to see Ateshyan in that post, however the latter in his turn doesn’t want his election for the locum tenens.

Understanding the situation, the Catholicos invited both Archbishop Ateshyan and Bishop Mashalyan to Armenia, in order to find a solution. “Let’s talk under the auspices of the Holy Etchmiatsin, pray to God. That’s when we will find a solution for sure”, the Catholicos said.

Mashalyan mentioned during the conversation that in addition to Ateshyan and himself, there is the third Holiness in the Patriarchate, Primate of the Armenian Diocese of Germany Archbishop Garegin Bekchyan.  “He is one of our very valuable elders. We have somewhat ignored him, however he can have a key role in this issue”, Mashalyan said, in response the Catholicos agreed to invite him to Etchmiatsin as well.

In the end of the statement, Mashalyan wrote: “So, dear friends, we will arrive to Holy Etchmiatsin in the upcoming week. We will kneel there, ask for absolution, and take flowers of peace with us and return. Forgive us, because we couldn’t serve a good example for us, we imprisoned the love and light of Christ in us. May God give us new opportunities to compensate for our mistakes of the past”.