A few days ago I received an email with the above title, bringing the “good tidings” regarding Father Barthev Gulumian’s appointment to a new post in Venezuela. The official announcement of the Catholicosate did not surprise me at all, for I had felt similar tricks on my own skin forty years ago, when the then Board of Trustees of the Hollywood church of the day, in collaboration with the New York Prelacy council, had denounced me falsely to the State Immigration Department in order to deport me from the United States and prevent me from fighting against their injustices and treacheries against me. Glory be to the Almighty, because all those acrobats for the most part have departed this world forever and are now busy, alongside with the Satan, with the beads of their lies and sins instead of the rosary of prayers.
On the eve of his departure from the U.S. I reminded Father Barthev of what happened to me in those days forty years ago. I suggested to him to not be excited by the “promises,” nay lies, of his superiors. The good but gullible Father thought that he would be able to keep his apartment locked for a while and then return to Los Angeles, because His Holiness Catholicos Aram had okayed it. During our last meeting, a few times I stressed to him: “Father Barthev, be wise and do not trust anyone! You are not coming back to Los Angeles: what they simply did was pull the wool over the public’s eyes by false statements. The whole thing was an acting in order to avoid a public storm, since your friends had started a petition that could have an undesirable outcome. That is why, to prevent all this, they coaxed you by cajolery to return with a contented smile to Antelias… They are going to sacrifice you to their calculations… Wake up and smell the coffee!”
The good Father was not convinced by my words. In order to be more convincing, I cited Father Muron Aznigian’s case of unjust expulsion from his pastoral position in Fresno. Since he had refused to submit to the instructions of Catholicos Aram, he had been divested from his cloak (“pilonazourg”), being the victim of the whims of certain people. Fortunately my ardent endeavors and telephone conversations with the Vehapar over a period of two weeks brought good results and he was reinstated before his return to the Holy See, although his vengeful opponents were not happy with it.
Notwithstanding these sad events of the past, Father Barthev embraced and took leave from us in an optimistic and innocent smile, determined to return to Antelias…
Dear Father Barthev, do you see now what happened? Indeed the proverb “Ask him who has the experience, and not the physician!” is true! You are but a tiny fraction in their big calculations: many are those who, like you, after being used, were sacrificed in this field of service to the people!
Today, however, your friends and sympathizers are challenging the Executive Council of the Prelacy and particularly Moushegh Serpazan. Below are some quotations from Facebook—
“For all those who doubt the information posted here regarding Serpazan, understand the following: Every fact is based on proof. For example, we all know that publicly Serpazan has said he and the Prelacy are actively working on Father Barthev’s legal papers. However, what people don’t know is that Serpazan had a letter written, which he had the Prelacy Executive Council members, including the chairman, sign and send to H. H. Aram I, which basically said that Fr. Barthev is NOT needed in the United States and that he can be sent elsewhere on another project…
“The ongoing petition and this Facebook page are directed to wake up this community into realizing one simple truth: if Serpazan wants and was working on Fr. Barthev’s paperwork to bring him back to Southern California, and if our Catholicos promised his return back to Southern California just a few moths ago, then WHY would Fr. Barthev be reassigned to Venezuela? There are so many secrets held back from the Armenian community that is not only hurtful, but an insult to our faith at its core.
“We are not here to cause hatred or stir up conflicts. The mission is simple: expose the truth that Fr. Barthev is desperately needed back in Southern California. This is not for any ONE person’s gain, or for one person’s selfish reasons, but for the spiritual benefit of thousands of local Armenians…”
“When twenty-five Armenian Christians visited Arachnortaran on December 13, 2011, during conversation Serpazan more than once said, ‘Goozek ne Hink Hazarov yegek…’
“Moushegh Serpazan thought people will be busy during New Year weekend, and won’t pay attention to Fr. Barthev. That’s why the announcement was on Antelias news the night of December 30.
“Well, Moushegh Serpazan is WRONG.
“We are stronger than before, and God willing we will bring Fr. Barthev back, with or without Serpazan’s approval.
“Serpazan should stop giving excuses, because Armenian Christians have lost faith in him.”
And lastly, Liliya Marlie Chobanian writes—
“[We have] lost faith in [Archbishop] Moushegh Mardirossian. We have done so long before Hayr Barthev came into our lives. Through Hayr Barthev we rebuilt our faith a tiny bit in him, thinking [that] to bring an Angel like Hayr Barthev Gulumian with all the capabilities he has into our lives and our community he probably had decided to follow the path of God, not the Evil. But it took less than few years for his jealousy to wrap around his neck again. There is a saying: He who laughs last, laughs BEST. Serpazan Hayr, don’t laugh too hard now. You’re laughing alone but pretty soon an entire community is going to laugh at you! …”
( http://www.facebook.com/pages/Bring-Back-Fr-Barthev/209992062422773 )
Dear fellow Armenians. Do not shake in vain the boat of the Armenian people which is already heavily laden with other worries of the world. Gold, no matter how forcefully thrown in the mud, remains the same gold. Cherish ardently in your hearts the Christian legacy brought to you by Father Barthev and do not despair! Jealousy emaciates only the jealous!
It is high time for the Armenian Church to unburden itself of this state of corruptness and to refresh itself with a new spiritual renewal.
Vosgan Mekhitarian
