Illuminating Faith is concerned about the state of Christianity worldwide and conducts extensive research to see what church leaders are doing right and what they are doing wrong. One such situation we came across is a recent interview by the Catolicos of the Armenian Apostolic Church with the Al Mayadeen Arabic television station. On July 4, 2016, the Al Mayadeen Arabic television station conducted and hour long interview with the Catholicos of the Armenian Apostolic Church, Karekin II.  This interview came shortly after Pope Francis visit to Armenia.  After listening to the interview on YouTube, I honed in one odd point the Catholicos made which shocked and amazed me. The interview in general was politically motivated and sounded more the rhetoric of Pope Francis who has been striving to appease Muslims and other non-Christians.

For the most part the interview seemed bland (regular political statements) to me until I reached 18 minutes and 25 seconds of the interview.  The Catholicos went in depth into his explanation about the brotherhood among sister churches and oddly, brotherhood among other religions.  Moreover, he was commending the availability/presence of the Armenian Diaspora for being able to foster these warm relations.  However, this discussion takes a more interesting turn when the Catholicos begins to speak about the Armenian Diaspora being a witness to the Gospel of Christ in particular to Christ’s teachings on brotherly love.  He states that the Christ teachings on love is also found in other religions.  For those that speak Armenia, I encourage you to listen to the interview between 18:25 minutes and 20:05 minutes where he mentions this odd statement.

Those of us who are true Christians and have been baptized in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit have no fellowship/brotherhood with the unbeliever or people of other faiths.  There is mutual respect and love for thy neighbor, but there is no brotherhood/fellwoship among Christians and Muslims (for example).  I think the Catholicos is walking down a dangerous path and the timing of this interview is very suspicious as it was shortly after Pope Francis’ visit to Armenia.  Paul the Apostle says in 2 Corinthians 14-18 states, Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? 15 What harmony is there between Christ and Belial ? Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? 16 What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God,  and they will be my people.” 17 Therefore, “Come out from them and be separate, says the Lord.  Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you.” 18 And, “I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.”

Essentially, we are moving in a direction of one religion which has been one of the areas of emphasis by Catholic church and Pope Francis.   The Catholicos speaks about Christ’s teachings on love and with an emphasis on brotherhood, which oddly resembles a recent Catholic church video with representatives of different faiths coming together under the banner of “love”. 

There is a significant global push among blasphemous churches of all denominations and branches in particular to unite all faiths.  One such example is a faith called Chrislam.  The definition of Chrislam is the merger of Christianity and Islam.  In the Pontiff’s video you will see more than one religion represented and the attempt to bring people under a notion of a universal god represented under a banner of love – “I believe in love”.  For those of us that are “True” Christians –not Christians In Name Only (CINO), understand how dangerous this concept is because it bypasses our Lord Jesus Christ and the Trinity.  It’s purpose is political and destructive which most say is Satan’s attempt to water down salvation by Christ only.  For those that don’t understand, Christianity is not the same as Islam, Hinduism, Druidism, Buddhism, etc.  Christianity is based on the fall of mankind and Christ the Redeemer, who came to this world to die for our sins, rose again on the 3rd day and has given us a path to salvation based on Grace – not merits.  The Apostle Paul says in Romans 10:9 (NIV) 9 If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.  Now, whether you are Orthodox, Catholic or Protestant (Evangelical), you believe in repentance and salvation through Christ.

What the Catholicos is saying is truly disturbing and absolutely political.  He is watering down the message of Jesus Christ and replacing it with a generic message of love.  I leave you the reader to listen to the interview and make a decision for yourself.  The host asks the questions in Arabic and the Catholicos responds in Armenian.  I encourage true Christian Armenians around the world to write to the Catholicos for further elaboration and an explanation for his statement.