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SCANDAL IN ARMENIAN CHURCH: The names of homosexual clergymen within the Armenian Apostolic Church have been published

Posted on April. 7. 2019

BY HAROUT ARAIKYAN
September 5, 2018

Source: WWW.SHAME.AM
(http://www.shame.am/news/view/66480.html?fb_comment_id=2178303628906834_2280955271975002)

Editor’s note: Originally the article, titled “Shocking Scandal: The names of homosexual clergymen within the Armenian Apostolic Church are published,” originally appeared on September 5, 2018 on an Armenia-based shame.am. It was subsequently published on other sites such as infosarm.ru, newsbloger.pro and imarmenia.pro during the remaining months in 2018. The original version of the Shame.am investigative article was published in Armenian language on Jan. 25, 2019 in USA Armenian Life Magazine’s sister publication Hye Kiank Armenian Weekly. Editorial offices were bombarded by several readers of English-language USA Armenian Life Magazine complaining about the absence of the English version of the same article. And now, USA Armenian Life presents the translated version of that article.

Repeatedly shedding light on Armenian Apostolic Church’s activities, our site has made numerous revelations. However, the fact that the Catholicos has a daughter; archbishops carry lethal weapons, and, for example, Rev. Grigor the priest carries out under-the-table dealings with cash in the church, these are minor flaws. We now are getting ready to make full disclosure of many other questionable activities in this religious organization. All will be brought to you in time, one by one.
It is clear to everyone that many articles about the Armenian Apostolic Church were posted on our site based on facts provided by reliable sources in the church. By the way, the truthfulness of our information has never caused any doubts, and it is evidenced by the fact that the discoveries about the church, its priests and lay personnel were never denied, and no legal process was ever initiated. We have decided to coordinate the publication of all information that has been secured by our editorial staff in a series of brief easy-to-read presentations to the readers. Furthermore, from now on, our articles on the Armenian Apostolic Church will be free of analyzes and conclusions. They will be only facts.
Let’s start with Karekin II’s brother — Archbishop Yezras Nersisyan, Primate of the Armenian Diocese of Russia and New Nakhichevan who has been a pedophile. According to Artsruni (Rev. Grigor) Avetisyan’s testimony, during his years at the Kevorkian Seminary (in Armenia), Karekin II’s brother Yezras Nersisyan (secular name: Mkrtich) has repeatedly raped Michael (Marcello), an Armenian teenager from Argentina who was studying at the seminary. The rape victim was later ordained as Priest Masis Gyuyumjyan (Gyumhian), to serve in Spain. Mkrtich Nersisyan was ordained as a celibate priest “Yezras Nersisyan,” and was appointed by Karekin II as primate of Armenian Diocese of Russia and New Nakhijevan. (We have previously written about Yezras’ ‘courageous’ acts, but now it is worth repeating one more time).
At the seminary, Yezras had a classmate named Hakob, also a homosexual. Nicknamed “Judah,” Hakob was ordained as a deacon, then a priest and is named Father Khoren. Karekin II, knowing that this priest was homosexual and has been his brother Yezras’s partner not only presented him with the ‘gift’ of celibate priesthood but also sent him to Zagorsk for studying abroad and later appointed him as inspector of the Vazkenian School at Lake Sevan. Sometime later, Father Khoren self-defrocked and left the church career.
According to our sources in the Armenian Apostolic Church, we have compiled a list of well-known clergymen who have been involved in homosexuality. There are various facts about them that testify to the fact that these celibate priests at least have homosexual orientations. (Editor: How many of them are also pedophiles like Yezras of Moscow?)

1. Archbishop David Sahakyan (former monarch of Jerusalem’s Saints Hagopiants Monastery, now a deceased);
2. Archbishop Hovnan Derderian (Primate of the Armenian Church Western Diocese of the US);
3. Archbishop Nathan Hovhannisyan (Director of the Department of External Relations and Communications of the Mother See, nicknamed “Nanar”);
4. Archbishop Paren Avetikian (former Director of the Museum of the Mother Cathedral);
5. Bishop Narek Berberian (Primate of the Armenian Diocese of Brazil);
6. Bishop Anushavan Zhamkochyan (Spiritual Inspector of St. Gregory the Illuminator Church in Yerevan, Dean of the Faculty of Theology of Yerevan State University);
7. Bishop Vahan Hovhannisyan (Primate of the Armenian Diocese of France);
8. Bishop Taron Jerejian (Visiting priest of Southern France; Retired priest);
9. Bishop Marcos Hovhannisyan (Primate of the Armenian Diocese of Ukraine);
10. Very Rev. Khad Djundurian (Former Inspector of the Nativity Seminary in Bethlehem);
11. Very Rev. Zadig Avetiqian (Vicar of the Armenian Pontifical Legate in Belgium);
12. Very Rev. Aren Shahinian (vicar of the Western European Pontifical Legate in the Netherlands);
13. Very Rev. Makar Hakobyan (Vicar of the Syunik Diocese);
14. Very Rev. Khoren Arakelian (Vicar of the Diocese Greece);
15. Very Rev. Kyuregh Davtyan (Head of the Personnel Department of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin);
16. Very Rev. Garegin Hambardzumyan (Inspector of Kevorkian Seminary);
17. Very Rev. Zaven Yazidjian (former spiritual pastor of Singapore, Myanmar and Dhaka (Bangladesh));
18. Priest Anania Tsaturyan (Staff bearer of Catholicos Karekin II, nicknamed Mariamik (in French Mariamette));
19. Priest Geghard Vahouni (Defrocked, Former Staff bearer of Catholicos Karekin II);
20. Priest Hakob Grigoryan (Defrocked, Former Secretary of Chief of Staff of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin).
    This list is not final and it is subject to updates with periodic additions of new and scandalous names of celibate priests.
    In conclusion, we would like to underline that we will be glad to give voice to those clergy whose names have appeared in this published list, give editorial space for their explanations in favor of their defense, or perhaps even publish their justified denials.
    Upcoming articles will related to clergy’s economic (business) activities.
    P.S. The Armenian Apostolic Church has an exceptional value for us. It is the most important institution for the preservation of Armenian identity. We are simply fighting for the cleansing and self-cleansing of the Armenian Apostolic Church. That’s all.