ETCHMIADZIN (Jamanak)–A delegation of three bishops visited His Holiness Karekin I–Catholicos of All Armenia’s Friday and handed him an official letter asking that he consult the college of bishops before signing any religious statement while representing the Armenian Church.
Representing the many clergy and concerned parishioners who have expressed concerns regarding the recent statement signed by the Catholicos and Pope John Paul II–were Archbishop Tiran Gureghian of Moscow–Bishop Hagop Kilinjian of Uruguay and Bishop Barkev Martirossian of Artsakh.
The aforementioned clerics believe that the Catholicos has actually signed a document which prescribes to the Charter of Chalcedony.
Authoritative commen’s against the charter cosigned by the Catholicos and the Pope were published by the Rev. Nerses Nersessian of the British Museum–Rev. Father Mesrop Aramian of the Ganzasar Theological Center and Prof. Hagop Nersoyan.
The joint declaration between the Pope and Karekin I suggested that "His Divinity is united to His humanity in the Person of the Only-begotten Son of God." The aforementioned scholars believe that this was a repetition of the fundamental statement of Caledonian theology and was a serious diversion from he theological tradition of the Armenian Church.