BY APPO JABARIAN
EXECUTIVE PUBLISHER/MANAGING EDITOR
USA ARMENIAN LIFE MAGAZINE
Many concerned members of parishes and supporters of Western Diocese are becoming increasingly aware of the fact that corrupted primate Hovnan Derderian is abusing his spiritual authority and status by holding hostage members of clergy. He is accused for using them as human shield to show that he is ‘popular’ among them and ‘supported’ by them.
This new tactic has emerged during the last few months against a backdrop of mounting criticism and runaway unpopularity.
Members of the wider community are Concerned about the questionable silence maintained by or forced onto members of clergy and many are asking: “Are these clergy keeping silent in the face of mushrooming corruption out of fear that they will lose their personal financial interests? Or are they similar to Derderian?”
What kind of preachers of spirituality and morality are they when they are ignoring at will the massive corruption at Western Diocese? Or are they also part of the corruption like Arch. Derderian, Pastor Manouk Markaryan of Hollywood’s St John Garabed church and his son Harout Markaryan Diocese Executive Secretary?
It is with what kind of conscience are these clergy conducting Holy Mass and offering their sermons to the flock when right under their nose, they witness rampant acts of corruption, lying, theft, forgery of documents, extortion and breaking all the Commandments of God by their superior Arch. Hovnan Derderian and company?
Are these priests a part of Diocesan religious council that facilitated the immoral and unjustified frocking and/or firing of numerous morally and spiritual healthy priests? If they were not part of Derderian’s cabal, will they muster enough courage to step forward and carry out their moral and spiritual duty by speaking up and openly criticizing a litany of wrongdoings by Arch. Derderian and company?
Many members of the wider community are asking: “Do they have enough integrity to be able to do so? Will they break open the wall of silence and stop being mis-portrayed as increasingly disliked Arch. Derderian’s allies?” The more they fail to speak up, the more they look like accomplices. “Staying silent is like a slow growing cancer to the soul and a trait of a true coward. There is nothing intelligent about not standing up for yourself or Truth!”
Recently, Arch. Derderian and Pastor Markaryan began appearing on various Armenian TV channels and programs in order to counter widening criticism within the Armenian American community. Their appearances are designed to promote themselves even when large segments of the community have now become aware of their numerous acts of corruption, lying, theft, forgery of documents, etc. Are the Diocese clergy comfortable with the idea of letting Western Diocese to be represented by the discredited Derderian-Markaryan duo? Do they feel comfortable with being associated with them?
Nearly a year ago, these clergy could have justified their silence by saying that they “were not aware of the wrongdoings.” But now, there are ample information and evidence of massive corruption by Derderian and they can no longer claim ‘being unaware’ of corruption. If these clergy continue to claim that they’re still unaware of so much facts of corruption, worry not, USA Armenian Life Magazine will continue to carry out its journalistic mission by sharing more evidence on many wrongdoings starting from Derderian’s very first days as primate of Western Diocese.
Stay tuned.