Public discontent grows as Armenian church raises prices for candles
By Rashid Shirinov
Greed of Armenian oligarchs crossed all bounds and now they keep their eye on what is considered holy for many Armenians.
A couple of years ago a candle in Armenian churches could be purchased at the price of 5 drams (10 cents). But, over the past 10 year, the price hit 60 drams for the cheapest candle, Hraparak newspaper reporter writes, revealing that the reason behind is that the Mother See of Etchmiadzin that has a monopoly in the candle market and a desire to derive as much profit from sales as possible.
“The candle sale is one of the sources of income for the Armenian Apostolic Church. Candles are produced in a foundry near the Saint Gayane Church and are then distributed all over Armenia,” the newspaper reports.
“Believers are deeply convinced that candles produced by the church are better because they are ‘sanctified.’ This gives [the church] a business advantage over their competitors – the old people who sell candles outside the churches of Etchmiadzin. It’s difficult to calculate the exacnt number of candles sold annually in each of the churches. Holy Etchmiadzin neither presents public reports nor issues receipts for the sold candles nor pays taxes. However, the dynamics of the candle market are quite calculable.”
Press secretary of the Catholicos of All Armenians, Priest Vahram Melikyan, refused to comment on the rise of the candle price. He said he is driving the car and will call back, and deceived the reporter.
“He lied, which is not at all unexpected from the press secretary of Garegin II.,’ the reports wrote. “We were rescued by Google, where we found Echmiadzin’s official position on the issue: ‘Lighting candles is a pious tradition. It’s the Armenians’ donation to the church. It is worth noting that the lighting of candles, in addition to its symbolic meaning, is a source of income for the Mother See of Etchmiadzin and the dioceses. Therefore, the rise in candle prices is not based only on economic calculations. The money generated candle sales helps the church to cover its administrative expenses’.”
Thus, the church sets prices on its own, based on its needs, according to Hraparak. There was the case, the author writes, when priests complained about the fact that due to the emigration the sale decreased.
At last year's meeting with the representative of the secular power, the governor of Lori oblast Artur Nalbandyan, Archbishop Sepuh Chuljyan talked about emigration and social situation of the villages, and the diocese accountant referred to the financial crisis. He complained that the fall in the candle sales and reduction of cash volume remittances from abroad negatively impacted the livelihoods of the usual diocese.
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