WikiLeaks-Armenia N 136
2010-02-26
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 YEREVAN 000102
SUBJECT: ARMENIAN CATHOLICOS OPEN TO DIALOGUE ON CHURCHES WITH GEORGIA
REF: A. 09 YEREVAN 882
¶B. 09 YEREVAN 844
Classified By: Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch. Reason 1.4 (B/D)
¶1. (C) SUMMARY. Catholicos Karekin II, the head of the Armenian Apostolic Church (AAC), told the Ambassador that the AAC is willing to participate in a joint commission with the Georgian Orthodox Church and others to discuss the historical ownership of a number of disputed churches in Georgia, as long as both sides can agree on an agenda for the commission and timeline for resolution of the ownership issues. The Catholicos added that he is also willing to include in the discussion churches now claimed by the Georgians in Armenia. Finally, he told the Ambassador that she could share this information with Embassy Tbilisi. We also believe that it would be useful if the Georgian Patriarch would invite the Catholicos to Georgia for a visit. END SUMMARY.
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CATHOLICOS AGREES TO PARTICIPATE IN JOINT COMMISSION
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¶2. (C) Ambassador Yovanovitch met with His Holiness, Karekin II, the Catholicos of the Armenian Apostolic Church on February 17 to discuss the situation of the ethnic Armenian religious minority in Georgia. The Catholicos relayed that the Armenian Bishop in Tbilisi and Vahan Baybortian, an ethnic Armenian who is an advisor to President Saakashvili, met late last year with the Patriarch to discuss the AAC’s legal standing, the return of the six disputed churches (or at least GOG allocation of funds to maintain the churches until the dispute is resolved), and the desire of the Catholicos to visit the Armenian community in Georgia. The Catholicos — who whipped out a cell phone from his cassock to call and confirm the details with the Bishop — said the meeting produced no answers on the first and second items and on the matter of the Catholicos’ travel to Georgia, the Patriarch said that he would personally invite the Catholicos – although no invitation has been forthcoming to date.
¶3. (C) The Catholicos said that the Bishop and Baybortian did not raise the idea of a joint commission to address the disputed church issue and neither did the Patriarch. The Ambassador inquired whether the AAC would be willing to participate in a joint commission to study the historical ownership of those churches. The Catholicos agreed that the AAC would participate in such a commission if there was a defined agenda and a definite timeline. He also stated that he would agree, if the Georgian Orthodox Church wanted to place on the agenda the disputed churches in northern Armenia. The Catholicos believes they are Chalcedonian Armenian Churches, although they are not working churches. They are considered to be historic sites and are owned by the GOAM, but the Catholicos said that if the Georgian Church could show proof of ownership, he would personally assist the Georgian Church in reclaiming them. Finally, the Catholicos agreed that the Ambassador should share with Embassy Tbilisi the information that the AAC is prepared to participate in a joint commission.
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NO MOVEMENT ON RENOVATION OF DISPUTED CHURCHES
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¶4. (C) The Catholicos expressed frustration over the condition of churches claimed by the AAC in Georgia. The Catholicos said that many of these churches are in danger of collapse, (and in fact the St. Gevork of Mughni Armenian church did collapse last November (ref B)), but because the churches are owned by the Government of Georgia (GOG), the AAC is unable to undertake restoration work to prevent their further deterioration. The Catholicos said the AAC owns only two churches in Tbilisi: St. Gevork, which serves as the seat of the Diocese, and Holy Etchmiadzin, where the AAC recently spent over $700,000 in renovations. (Note: AAC “ownership” of these two churches is not in the strictly legal sense, as there is no document conferring such ownership. However, the allowed to operate during Soviet times, and the Georgian authorities have continued to permit the AAC to use and refurbish them since independence. End note.) He pointed out that ethnic Armenians in Samtskhe-Javakheti use their own money to repair disputed churches and then hold services in them, without asking for official permission. The Catholicos considers this an unsatisfactory – and risky – way of operating.
¶5. (C) The Catholicos said he is skeptical that the Georgian Government will follow through on its promises to repair the St. Gevork of Mughni Armenian church. He said the Bishop of Georgia informed him, that there are no GOG blueprints yet for the for the restoration and, in any case, the Government does not have money in its budget to perform the necessary work.
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GEORGIAN CHURCH, PATRIARCH PERSONALLY, SEEN AS MAJOR OBSTACLES
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¶6. (C) The Catholicos believes the primary obstacle to resolving the religious issues of the ethnic Armenians in Georgia is the Georgian Orthodox Church, which exercises what he sees as undue influence on the Georgian government. It is regrettable, the Catholicos said, that the Georgian Church has become more conservative in the past few years, and he does not have much hope that progress can be made with the current Patriarch, who opposes granting equal religious status to minority religious groups. The Catholicos maintains it would be easier for the GOG to solve the registration and church ownership issues through a presidential decree or similar executive order rather than trying to pass a law in parliament. He believed that the Georgian Church would dissuade parliamentarians from taking action to give status to minority churches in Georgia.
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COMMENT
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¶7. (C) The disputed church issue is clearly a difficult one for both countries and both churches, but we believe that it is a positive step that the Armenian Apostolic Church has agreed to participate in a commission, agreed to the presumed Georgian request to discuss the churches in northern Armenia, and agreed that Ambassador could pass this message to Embassy Tbilisi. The Armenian Church wants a defined agenda and timeline, which seems reasonable. The composition of the commission will also be a key question, since both governments and both churches will need to participate in order to resolve the question. However, at least in Armenia, it is the church that will play the decisive role and the government will likely go along with whatever the church decides. Finally, we believe that it would be positive if the Patriarch would invite the Catholicos to visit Georgia.
END COMMENT.
YOVANOVITCH
