Armenian Apostolic Holy Church The Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin

On September 21, under the leadership of His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians; a Prayer for the Republic was held in the St. Gayane Monastery.

On the occasion of the Independence Day of the Republic of Armenia, the clergymen and the present faithful people raised a prayer to God for the peaceful, safe and secure life of our people of Armenia and Artsakh.

At the conclusion of the Prayer for the Republic, the Catholicos of All Armenians conveyed his patriarchal message to the entire Armenian people.

"Dear pious people,

Today is September 21, the Independence Day of our country.

More than three decades ago, our people reclaimed their independent statehood and secured their right to live freely at the cost of endless hardships and sacrifices during the struggles of the Artsakh liberation war.

We declared our independence with the vision of building a safe life for our people, strengthening our national identity, ensuring a dignified life and uniting all Armenians around the homeland.

Today, 31 years after independence, we welcome our most important national and state holiday with a troubled heart. Our hearts are broken by the enormous losses of the 44-day Artsakh war. We are saddened and disturbed by Azerbaijan's conquest ambitions and ongoing harassment of our country. It was days ago when the armed forces of Azerbaijan, violating all norms of international law, launched a large-scale attack against our country, inflicting devastating criminal attacks on peaceful settlements. As a result of Azerbaijan's aggression, we have many victims, wounded, captured and missing Armenians, thousands of displaced people. We pay our respects to the glorious and bright memory of the soldiers who gave their lives for the independence of the motherland. We wish a speedy recovery to our injured children.

Current developments prove that our people are facing ontological problems again. Dangers threaten the territorial integrity and security of independent statehood of Armenia, the right of Artsakh Armenians to live freely and independently in their native land, and the peaceful settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh issue.

Today, we are concerned about new losses, the uncertainty of the results of the Armenian-Azerbaijani negotiations and the recorded coercion, the haste of the Armenian-Turkish dialogue. We are concerned about the most serious socio-economic challenges in our country, the disunity and intolerance of each other in our society, the process of replacing urgent problems with secondary issues, the lack of determination to come together to confront the existing threats and fight together. We are concerned about the problems faced in the field of values and education, the certain mistrust created between diaspora communities, national structures and native authorities, as well as the lack of patriotic cooperation in Church-state relations. Division and fragmentation cannot give birth to good for overcoming this difficult situation. The Holy Scriptures instruct and teach us. "Have the same love among yourselves, be united, of one accord. Do nothing in a spirit of opposition" (Phil. 2:2-3).

Dear friends, the pillar of our being, the security of our statehood is our national union. The stronger that foundation was, the more stable our independent statehood and its cherished consciousness will be in us. We have to work hard and fight for independence every day. Independence is a supreme and non-negotiable value. Today, it is imperative that Armenians around the world unite around the motherland, acting and creating for the benefit of its dignified life and progress. Motherland and national dignity cannot be subordinated to personal and sectional interests and well-being. The homeland belongs to every child of the nation. And all of us are responsible for what we have done and omitted, achievement and loss for the motherland, we are responsible before God, before our sacred land, lost buildings and sanctuaries, we are responsible before our martyrs who gave their lives for the motherland and future generations.

Dear Armenian people, our fatherly appeal is that on this day of the Independence Day, let us vow again to assume all commitment and sacrifice for the sake of the motherland, Armenia and Artsakh. Let's live with true patriotism, with a high awareness of national and state interests, in order to avoid painful new losses. With piety and unwavering loyalty to our homeland, let's not give up, let's not despair in the face of trials and tribulations, and let's build a bright future for our people, a victorious new page in our history with united efforts. It is by the power of our faith that we will be able to overcome all the attacks of evil, because, as the apostle says, "everyone who is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that overcomes the world, our faith" (1 John 5:4). We urge the authorities of the Republic of Armenia, regardless of party and ideological differences, to cooperate and make common patriotic decisions with all the capable forces of the nation, in order to settle the existing complex and difficult situation, solve the problems faced, as well as to best serve the potential of Armenians for the national-patriotic interests.

The Armenian Church has always been a devotee of the strengthening of statehood, a pioneer in the defense of its steadfastness. The Church has kept the longing for freedom alive in the hearts and souls of its children, inspired the struggle for independence and the restoration of statehood, because our patriarchs and the entire spiritual class have had an unfading conviction that the guarantees of our existence, our national identity and consciousness are strong and unshakable in the conditions of independent statehood. With the same zeal, we will continue to bring efforts to the important task of strengthening independent Armenian statehood.

We convey our prayers and encouragement to the Armenian army, our soldiers to protect our sacred homeland, to face the enemy with courage. We pray for the repose of the souls of our fallen children and the speedy recovery of the wounded.

On the occasion of the sacred feast of Independence, we extend Our Patriarchal blessing to Our children around the world, asking that the Almighty Lord, under the auspices of His Holy Cross, grant peace to our homeland and keep the borders of our country safe. May the Almighty God keep and protect my Armenian nation in safety and well-being, today and always and forever.

May the Lord's love, grace and peace be with us now and always. Amen."