Aram I, Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia. (Source: Armenpress)
ANTELIAS (Armenpress) — Aram I Catholicos welcomes the discovery and publication of any document referring to the estates belonging to the Western Armenian and Cilician Churches.
“Such documents greatly contribute to national claims and particularly to our activities implemented on legal platforms. It is necessary to note that our approaches referring to these issues must be consistent and comprehensively observed, away from casual approaches, rapid comments and emotional expressions,” His Holiness said.
He highlighted the activities implemented on legal platforms. In his words, the Armenian claims will remain romantic and rhetorical unless based on precise legal grounds.
“We do not forget that our claims are political, but we must not neglect its legal component. To our conviction, we must start from our estates, giving priority to estates belonging to the Church and nation as the first concrete step towards “Hay Dat’s” legal proceedings. All of the Treaty of Lausanne, legal principles and scope of activities of the European Court of Human Rights, and the international laws in general give us some opportunities. We filed a lawsuit in Turkey demanding to return Sis Catholicosate considering all the aforementioned”, Aram I Catholicos added.
He stated that there are numerous documents in that relation. He informed that the list of the estates is preserved in the archive of the Catholicosate, with all the supporting documents. Referring to the future steps, the Catholicos mentioned that a consulting meeting will be organized with lawyers soon.
Director of the Armenia’s National Archives Amatuni Virabyan informed that it is planned to publish a book in the current year where documents referring to the estates of Western Armenian churches will be presented.
Source: Asbarez
Link: Church Claims Require Proper Documentation, Says Catholicos Aram I
