"Fact" daily writes:
The fact that Nikol Pashinyan will definitely try to directly attack the Mother See, Vihara and Mother Cathedral after the false and failed itinerant "liturgies" was beyond doubt for many. Pashinyan has been actively continuing this war he initiated against the Armenian Apostolic Church for more than half a year. It continues with aggressive manifestations, mass repressions against the Armenian clergy (the widespread persecution of the priests of the Aragatsotn diocese, as an example), illegal arrests of high-ranking Armenian clergy (the diplomat of the Mother See, two diocesan priests and another archbishop). Keep going but keep losing consistently.
Despite this, Pashinyan continues to spread his evil. Pashinyan chose December 18 as the day of a direct attack on the Mother See, and assigned the role of the main instrument of "legitimization" of the attack to 10 bishops who left the canonical field.
A session of the Supreme Spiritual Council was scheduled for that day, and perhaps one of Pashinyan's calculations was that the Tiradav bishops would try to dispute the legitimacy of that session as well. At the same time, it is worth emphasizing that this time Pashinyan demonstratively tried to stand aside, as if he has nothing to do with it, does not personally participate physically, as if he only supports the bishops from the sidelines. He even said something like this at the press conference held on the same day.
But that was a statement perhaps only for those with a cosmic degree of credulity. It is obvious to everyone that without Pashinyan's order, several police battalions would not have automatically poured into Vagharshapat, would not have surrounded the territory of the Mother See, the National Security Service and plain-clothed red berets would not have accompanied the Tiradav bishops and would not have "brought people" using administrative resources.
Pashinyan's attempt to demonstrably stand aside is also noteworthy. Pashinyan, perhaps, would like to be present in person, but he has most likely received a clear instruction from his external beneficiaries not to interfere directly, because even among external sponsors there is growing dissatisfaction with the fact that in this way the government, the secular authority, directly interferes in the affairs of the national Church, which is a gross and flagrant violation of legality and constitutionalism, democratic principles.
For this reason, the Tiradav bishops acted as the main "leaven" of the great provocation. According to the anti-church scenario, on December 18, at 5:00 p.m. (that is, at the time of the service), they convened a meeting in the territory of the Mother See to hold a political demonstration demanding the resignation of the Catholicos of All Armenians and to present a letter of demand with appropriate content.
It is noteworthy that, although there are 10 of them, only 6 of them showed up to the disgrace the day before. In addition, although they invited the gathering, they did not control the gathering they invited and the gathering of a small group of Pashinyan supporters who were "arrested" by various mechanisms.
They came from the Surb Gayane monastery to the vicinity of the Mother Cathedral under the surveillance of civilian-clothed security forces. They tried to read their anti-Church "demand", but, despite the two loudspeakers provided by the security forces, the rioters' voices were drowned out by the stormy waves of "Hu-da! Huda!" chants from the thousands of supporters of the Armenian Apostolic Church.
In short, firstly, what they were demanding there was not heard, secondly, it was heard all over the world what the crowd of those present think, how they perceive the Pashinyan bishops. Characteristically, almost immediately after this, when they left their "paper" at the guard post after a failed attempt to enter the Vehara, the Tiradov bishops, with the same re-dressed forces, apparently surrounded by the NSS, quickly left, if not looted, under the reproaches of the faithful. Pashinyan's anti-church "shock" resource was placed in 1 minibus.
We mentioned that, apart from re-dressed police officers, several hundred supporters of Pashinyan (according to different estimates, 200-300) were brought to the Cathedral. It is noteworthy that the Armenian Apostolic Church did not issue any appeal to its supporters, the Armenian Christians, when it became known about the attack organized by the executive power.
But thousands and thousands of people willingly came to the Mother See with their own funds. It is of key importance that almost all real anti-establishment forces and figures gathered near the Mother Cathedral to counter the planned attack: ARF, Armenia alliance, Our way movement, HayaVote national civil union, RPA, ANC and so on.
In other words, the need to protect the national Church united people in the same place, which in other circumstances is a little difficult to imagine standing side by side. This is a significant moment that must be strengthened and capitalized on. Yes, Nikol Pashinyan wanted to show strength. And this was not a mock or reconnaissance attack. But this adventurous undertaking of Pashinyan completely failed.
And his "show of force" test show made it obvious that there was no force. We especially emphasize the moment of Nikol Pashinyan, because it is obvious that even in his own CP, apart from a few noisemakers, not everyone is delighted with this war against the AAP. It is also worth noting in relation to the actual events that the police force that flooded the territory of the Mother See formally formed a "wall" and separated the anti-Churchists and the supporters of the Church from each other.
However, at a certain moment, when the Catholicos was giving a sermon in the Cathedral, the police allowed the anti-Churchists to attempt to break into the Cathedral. But that attempt, by and large, was prevented due to several circumstances. first, the believers and clergy inside the temple held the door from the inside until the people and clergy outside, forming a chain, pushed back the intruders. After that, only the police recalled the function of the "wall".
By the way, it was during that time that the well-being of the beloved priest Vrtanes worsened and, as it turned out later, he had a heart attack and underwent an operation. The exemplary behavior of the congregants of the Mother See, worthy bishops, priests, and deacons under the leadership and guidance of His Holiness the Patriarch should be emphasized.
Even in the most tense moment, the Catholicos did not stop his sermon, continued to call on the deviated bishops to return to the canonical field, continued the exhortations to unite around the Motherland and the Church.
