Armenian Apostolic Holy Church The Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin

On May 22, in the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians; received students who won prizes in the Republican Olympiad in the subject "History of the Armenian Church".

At the meeting, Very Rev. Fr. Senior Archimandrite Zakharia Baghumyan, Director of the Christian Education Center (CEC) of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, presented to His Holiness the process of organizing the stages of the Olympiad and the results, emphasizing the popularity of the subject and its important role in the national-spiritual education and upbringing of the young generation

Then, the Catholicos of All Armenians conveyed his Pontifical Blessings and congratulations to the teenagers, noting with joy that the subject is an important achievement in the field of education of the newly independent republic.

His Holiness noted with regret that the teaching of the subject will be stopped in schools with the change of educational standards, expressing hope that the RA authorities will reflect on that decision and our children will be given the opportunity to receive spiritual knowledge and education to remain faithful to the ancestral heritage and national value system.

The Armenian Patriarch urged the students to continue their studies with fervor and zeal, to acquire new knowledge and to strengthen the spirit of devotion to the glory of the Motherland and the Mother Church with ecclesiasticism and patriotism.

At the meeting, His Holiness also conveyed his appreciation to Father Zakaria and the teachers for their dedicated work of educating young Armenians with the Christian and national value system for years, stressing that the students' successes are a vivid proof of this.

At the conclusion, the Catholicos of All Armenians answered the students' questions.