Clergyman: “Clergyman is also a soldier in the Army”

Today clergyman of Armenian Armed Forces Koryun Clergyman Karapetyan met journalists today and spoke about the spiritual service in Armenian Army. The clergyman underlined that now sects have less activity than they had some years ago. 

“We have meetings with the sect followers and try to assist them. We often success in our aim as the young people do not understand that they have chosen. Parents often have a great influence on children’s choice. There are also such soldiers who do not want to serve and announce that some sects do not let them take the weapon. After some conversations everything is in order and they also take a weapon”, the clergyman announced.

According to Father Koryun there are few believers from the sects who are strong in their belief and at the same time try to spread it among others.

The speaker also informed that 47 clergymen are serving at Armenian Army now and as the number of the clergymen is not very great they are spread mostly at the border military units.

“The spiritual service has been officially organized since 1997, when Garegin I was Catholicos of All Armenians and Vazgen Sargsyan was the Armenian Minister of Defense. We must educate spiritual values in the soldier and must protect the right values in him. We try to spread love between them, love to each other as love gives born to love”, he underlined.

Father Koryun also underlined that the clergymen are engaged not only in spiritual service but they are also soldiers and if it is needed they are advisers for the commanders.

Answering to the question about the problems which the clergymen enface in the Army, Father Koryun said: “There are many types of problems. May be the commander is atheist and it may become a problem as the clergyman works not only with the soldiers but also with the officers. Every morning I go to the commander I ask about him about his family. When you show human character he also accepts the soldier as a person first of all”.