ENGLISH LANGUAGE DEBATE

On Saturday afternoon, the Assembly discussed a vernacular language badarak proposal that would allow more leeway for parishes to obtain permission to use English in more portions of the Divine Liturgy.

The highly charged issue was tabled at the request of the Diocesan Council, which will commission a study that will research and study other non-Armenian churches, conduct surveys and focus groups of parishioners, interview and survey parishes with experimental programs, research other Armenian dioceses, conduct a theological evaluation of vernacular language use in Armenian liturgy, consider other existing research, and evaluate sociological and linguistic issues.

The survey will begin on May 31 and the preliminary findings of survey will be brought before the Diocesan Council in September. Following discussion, the Council will bring the issue up before Catholicos Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, when the council members travel to Armenia in November.

The Primate said the issue of the language of the badarak was discussed one year ago during a Supreme Religious Council meeting in Etchmiadzin, resulting in a policy on where limited English can be used in the liturgy.

"This has been a topic of discussion for many years," the Primate said. "We all understand that it is, as we say, a hot topic. No matter if you are on one side or the other, it is a difficult topic."

The Primate said while he was in Etchmiadzin two months ago, he had a two hours discussion with the Catholicos which covered the use of English in services.

"It was a very open and sincere conversation. His Holiness is very sensitive not only on the issue of language, but in many other issues related to the modern world and how the Armenian Church can respond to the needs of our churches and dioceses," he said. "His Holiness' recommendation was that the Diocesan Council bring this request in November, and this will be a good format to discuss this issue."