THOUGHTS ALONG THE JOURNEY

I was on duty in St Peters Church this morning when the Armenian Archbishop came to say Mass. Having been born into the Maronite Tradition it was a great reminder of something I already knew only to well; the Latin (Roman) tradition is not the only valid expression of faith in that which we call the “one Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church”. The assisting priest had the most amazing voice, which was a good thing as most of the Mass is sung. With my rather pathetic singing voice there is no way they would have ordained me in the Armenian Church. The priest was a fat little man with an Elvis style slick back hair, I couldn’t but help and marvel at the exquisite sound coming from his mouth, both haunting and prayerful. Dressed in his cape and domed mitre he looked like dracula and the Bishop looked like Alec Guinness as Obi-Wan Kenobi, (check out the not-so-good picture which I took from the sacristy in the album section and two pics of the church in ‘St Petersv Jaffa’ album). I had done a little bit of reading on the plight of the Armenian church and so I knew something of their massacre in Turkey in 1951. I chatted with the sacristan about the plight of the 7 million or so stateless Armenians scattered around the world with no land of their own. We had a rather good chat as he retreated to the sacristy on numerous occasions to replenish the charcoal in the well and often swung thurible. From start to finish it was 3 hour extravaganza. I even got to kiss the archbishops ring, which I noticed is far smaller than that of Latin Rite bishops. Is that what you normally do to an Armenian archbishop?