Armenian bishop asks UK Christians to recognise ‘tragedy’ in Nagorno-Karabakh

Bishop Hovakim Manukyan argued that the bond between Christian communities made it a “necessity” to respond to threats to Christians around the world.

The head of the Armenian Apostolic Church in the British Isles warned that the destruction of Armenian heritage in the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region was “a tragedy for all Christians and humanity”.

Bishop Hovakim Manukyan of the Armenian Diocese of Great Britain and Ireland discussed “Ecumenism and Solidarity” in an address to the Advent dinner of the charity Fellowship and Aid to the Christians of the East (FACE) on 6 December at Allen Hall.

Putting aside his prepared remarks to “speak from the heart”, he described his experience of ecumenical relations between the Armenian and Catholic Churches, in particular the visit of Pope John Paul II to Armenia in 2001 to mark 1,700 years since its “baptism” as the first Christian state.

Bishop Manukyan argued that the bond between Christian communities made it a “necessity” to respond to threats to Christians around the world, including in Nagorno-Karabakh – also called Artsakh – which Armenia and Azerbaijan have contested for the past 30 years.

He said that conflict in the region in 2020 and the offensive by Azerbaijani forces in September 2023 had displaced 120,000 Armenians and led to the destruction of churches, monasteries and khachkars – the carved cross-stones distinctive to Armenian Christian culture. He also condemned the treatment of Armenian political prisoners held by the Azerbaijani regime.

“Artsakh’s heritage is a vital part of the world’s spiritual and cultural patrimony, and its erasure is an insult to all who value history and faith,” said Manukyan, arguing that the “spiritual connection” between Christians demanded mutual support amid crises.

“Ecumenism, at its core, is about hope. Hope that one day, the Body of Christ will be united, sharing in the same Eucharist,” he said. “This hope sustains us and inspires those Christians who suffer persecution in the Middle East and beyond. They know they are not alone – that their brothers and sisters are praying and acting on their behalf.”

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The chairman of FACE, John Adam Fox, said in his own address that it was essential “that Western Christians find all manner of means to support and encourage the Eastern Christians”, especially in the Holy Land and the Middle East where they are most threatened.

“Without Christians in those lands, the Catholic Church will be as a vine cut off from its roots and will be much the worse for it,” he said.

The event heard messages of support and thanks from the Melkite Greek Patriarch of Antioch and All the East Youssef Absi and the Chaldean Patriarch of Baghdad Cardinal Louis Raphaël I Sako, whose churches receive support from FACE. 

Absi said the charity’s “efforts to assist the poor, the sick, and the marginalised reveal the compassionate face of Christ”. Sako praised its work “for the good cause of helping needy people, whose numbers are increasing unfortunately due to injustice, conflicts, oppression and marginalisation, especially in our torn and wounded area”.

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