Asphalt paved by Apostolic Church, while heterodoxies are deprived of charity
06:58, June 14, 2013 | News | Freedom of thought, conscience and religion
In 2012 the Armenian Apostolic Church carried out charity of 2,67 milliard AMD (approximately 6,46 million USD) in the event that other religious organizations registered in Armenia don’t even have a right to carry out charity outside of their structures, since charity is the monopoly enjoyed by the Armenian Apostolic Church.
In conformity with the statistics published by the Armenian government, 17 out of the 18 benevolent projects implemented by the Armenian Apostolic Church during the previous year were categorized as spiritual activities and only one of them, being fencing of Nersisian park playground, was deemed as urban planning activity.
In the meanwhile, the activities categorized as spiritual included, but were not limited to the purchase of cars for transporting the professors from Gevorkian Theological Seminary and Vaskenian Theological Academy, the purchase of furniture for “Vatche and Tamar Manoukian” Manuscript Depository, furnishing of “Vatche and Tamar Manoukian” Manuscript Depository and Gevorkian Theological Seminary, setting up of Ruben Sevak museum, making of uniforms for the apprentices from Gevorkian Theological Seminary and Sevan’s Vaskenian Academy, purchase of furniture for Gyumri Hayordats house.
A number of other construction activities were also categorized under the umbrella of spiritual charity, for example, the first stage of reconstructing one-story buildings adjacent to the Baptistery, Preparation and installation of Monastic Residence staircase hewn banisters, “Vatche and Tamar Manoukian” Manuscript Depository area improvement and planting of greenery, the flooring of Old Pontifical Residence, installation of anti-freezing systems in Old Pontifical Residence, installation of anti-freezing systems in Administrative Building, reconstruction of Old Pontifical Residence, construction of parking lots adjacent to Synod’s residence and school of Fine Arts, asphalting of land section near the Printing House.
Two of the charities categorized as spiritual were the publication of books dedicated to the 60-th birthday of the Supreme Patriarch and the Holy Gospel Fragments albom-calendars. The installation of anti-freezing systems in Administrative Building was also among charitable projects.
In compliance with the RA law “on Charity” one of the goals of charity is supporting “the implementation of projects directed at the preservation and restoration of historical, architectural, cultural and art monuments. While the projects are qualified as charity by the Government, specifically, by the Charities Coordination Committee.
Article 17 of the law “On Freedom of Conscience and Religious Organizations” stipulates that charity is the monopoly enjoyed solely by the Armenian Apostolic Church. Hence, the legislation allows the Armenian Apostolic Church to carry out charities, while, the Committee adjacent to the Government approves of their projects including the aforementioned 18 projects implemented in 2012.
However, contrary to the monopoly granted to the Armenian Apostolic Church, the same Article 17 of the law “On Freedom of Conscience and Religious Organizations” also entitles other religious organizations to implement charitable activities. Nonetheless, the other religious organizations face challenges when they try to exercise this specific right.
Karen Khachatryan, Pastor of Rhema Church of Evangelical Faith and the Vice President of Union of Churches of Evangelical Faith states that they are unable to carry out charities due the monopoly granted solely to the Armenian Apostolic Church. “The fact that issues related to carrying out charities exist is undeniable, since it is solely the right enjoyed by the Apostolic Church. We are entitled to carry out charities inside our organizations, but not outside of them”.
“We have applied to support the Day Center for socially vulnerable children located in Ajapnyak, but the head, consulting with the Ministry of Social Welfare, told us that we couldn’t support the children since that rights was only enjoyed by the Apostolic Church”, added Khachatryan.
Artur Sakunts: There are contradicting provisions in the law.
Human rights activist Artur Sakunts, Chairman of Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly Vanadzor, also notes that there are contradicting provisions in the same law, which, however, he considers lawful for Armenian legislative field.“Since the black-on-white law provides that religious organizations can carry out charities, upon facing challenges, the latter can apply to the court via making a reference to this specific law provision”. Another serious challenge for the representatives of religious organizations to carry out charities is also the fact that Article 13 of the law “On Freedom of Conscience and Religious Organizations” prohibits receiving financial aid from spiritual centers located outside of Armenia.
As tert.am reports, in April of 2013 Aleksandr Amaryan stated that they were examining charities which included ones being implemented by a number of religious structures.
“And it appears that the charitable goods arrive in Armenia, the Government exempts them from taxes and instead of giving it out to the people, those goods get sold to them”.
However, none of the religious organizations registered in Armenia were enrolled in the government’s list of organizations having carried out charities in 2012.
Samvel Navoyan sees even greater challenges to charity in the bills currently in the drafting stage.
Samvel Navoyan, spiritual pastor of Armenia’s all-evangelical church sees ever a greater danger to impede charities in the new bill “On Freedom of Conscience and Religious Organizations” that is being drafted in the Ministry of Justice.
“In the draft law “any preaching influence of religious character” is considered as improper conversion, which is manifested by the provision of “material or social advantage”. Hence, it is suggested that expressions of charity during religious preaching in Armenia should be viewed as improper conversion attempts being criminally punishable. It can only be assumed that the authors of the draft law deprive the religious organizations of charity right in Article 8 for that specific reason.”
“But they forget, mentions Navoyan that pursuant to paragraph B of Article 6 of the UN Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Intolerance and of Discrimination Based on Religion or Belief ratified in 1981, freedom of conscience also includes the right to establish and maintain appropriate charitable or humanitarian institutions along with carrying out their special full activities.”