Frequently Asked Questions
Does the Armenian Church have any thoughts to share regarding the abuse of children by some Roman Catholic priests?
In regard to abuse of children the Lord says: "Temptations to sin are sure to come; but woe to him by whom they come! It would be better for him if a millstone were hung round his neck and he were cast into the sea, than that he should cause one of these little ones to sin." [Luke 17:1-2]
The Armenian Church condemns all sexual activity that is outside of marriage. Abuse of children, a crime according to the state and most civilized people, obviously falls under that category. Sexual misconduct by either a priest or a layman, whether married or not, is unacceptable to the Church.
If either a clergyman or a layman is accused of having an illicit relationship, the Church conducts an official inquiry about the conduct of the person and at first tries to establish his/her guilt or innocence. If proven guilty, the seriousness of the situation is taken into consideration and the person is advised to do penance, which may involve abstinence from the sacraments for a certain amount of time, exclusion from the church services for a period, fasting and doing good works, including community service. Refusal to do so or repeated misconduct can lead to full excommunication from the Church.As for the issue whether church authorities should inform the state about abuse, communal confession has for many decades become the usual practice in our churches and our faithful rarely go to their priest for personal confession. Also, in the Diaspora, where we live in dispersion, the authorities are usually the first to be informed of the illegal activity of an Armenian parishioner. Our circumstances are such that our priests and bishops are not privy to serious "secrets" involving criminal activity. Also, the fact that lay people have much to say in our church has contributed to the accountability of every priest and lay office holder, from Catholicos down to parish sub-committee member.