On January 28, the Armenian Army celebrated its 33rd anniversary. As part of the “Church and Law” interview series, Iravaban.net spoke with Father Trdat Gevorgyan, chaplain and spiritual pastor of the Holy Mother of God Church in Qanaqer under the Spiritual Leadership of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Armenia.
How did church-army cooperation develop in Armenia, and what are its historical prerequisites?
“Even during the Battle of Vardan, Priest Ghevond participated in the war with his clergy. During the First Republic, we see that Catholicos Gevorg V Surenyants issued a directive for spiritual advisors to be present in the Armed Forces. In 1997, through the efforts of Catholicos of All Armenians Garegin I and Defense Minister, Commander Vazgen Sargsyan, the Spiritual Leadership of the RA Armed Forces was established. In 2000, a declaration was signed between Catholicos of All Armenians Garegin II and the Minister of Defense. For about 27 years now, our chaplains have been serving in the RA Armed Forces.”
How do servicemen exercise their rights in the army from a spiritual perspective?
“In the army, we have about 99 percent followers of the Armenian Apostolic Church, but there are also servicemen who belong to other religious organizations serving in the RA Armed Forces, as well as national minorities – Yazidis, Assyrians. However, these servicemen are also constantly under the spiritual care of our chaplains to ensure they don’t face any pressure from their fellow servicemen.”
Do they approach the clergy, do you discuss religious topics?
“They approach very often, but there are also servicemen who don’t avoid it but don’t take the initiative to approach the clergy themselves.”
What are the main directions of spiritual service in the army, and how are they implemented in practice?
“Right at the central gathering point where new recruits are drafted into the army, our chaplains meet them there and from there escort them to their permanent military unit. In the military units, the chaplain is among the first to meet the new recruits. They have individual conversations with them, and during this period, the chaplain forms an understanding of individuals, identifying those who are a bit distressed about service, and more extensive work is done with these servicemen to help them adapt in a short time. During these two years, chaplains are constantly beside the soldiers both in the military unit and in combat positions. And they have also been constantly by the servicemen’s side during military operations.”
How does the church support the psychological and moral stability of servicemen, especially during combat operations?
“All our chaplains have studied in seminaries, and during their 6 years of study, they gain great experience in working with people. Several times throughout the year, seminars are organized where psychologists share their knowledge with chaplains, who then use these tools to conduct moral and psychological work with soldiers. During combat operations, especially in recent times, our chaplains have played a major role and have been by the soldier’s side, participating in combat operations with them. I want to note that, unfortunately, we also had martyrs and missing persons.”
What are the characteristics of church ceremonies performed in the army, and how are they conducted?
“We try to involve soldiers in spiritual ceremonies as much as possible. Large military units have small chapels, and if weather conditions permit, we perform liturgies with open altars. We also accompany our servicemen to nearby churches, and they regularly participate in liturgies.”
What are the spiritual-psychological methods for preventing suicides among servicemen, and how does the church cooperate with military psychologists?
“As I mentioned, the chaplain has private conversations with new recruits and maintains a list of servicemen who are difficult to mentor or have self-harm tendencies. The chaplain also cooperates with the commander’s deputy for moral and psychological affairs and the psychologist. There have been many cases where the chaplain has prevented suicide or self-harm attempts. Very often, servicemen themselves come to approach the chaplain.”
We have the commandment “Thou shalt not kill,” how do you explain to servicemen that the homeland must be defended even by killing? Isn’t there a contradiction?
“Our Republic has lived for centuries next to enemy countries and has constantly been in wars. Our servicemen have been forced to kill enemy army servicemen. Some people find this contradictory. In my nine years of experience, I’ve had two cases where a serviceman told me that if an enemy appears before them, they will keep the commandment ‘Thou shalt not kill.’ Through extensive work with them, we explained that when protecting borders, we are protecting our identity and sacred values.”
By Hasmik Sargsyan
Details in the video.
