Armenian Church Leader Greeted by Airport Throng

The 79-year-old spiritual leader of the worldwide Armenian Apostolic Church, stepping carefully because of an injury he suffered on the eve of his North American tour, was greeted on his arrival Thursday at Los Angeles International Airport by a small but enthusiastic group of well-wishers.

Vazken I, the Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, was met by three flower-bearing children from Armenian-American schools and about 50 clergy and church members.

‘Source of Joy

Referring to his White House visit last week, the patriarch, through a translator, told his audience that “It was a particular source of joy to be received by President Ronald Reagan, who showed great love and respect toward me and the Holy See of Etchmiadzin.”

The Armenian church headquarters, now a part of the Soviet Republic of Armenia, traces its history to the start of the 4th Century. The estimated 300,000 Californians of Armenian heritage represent the largest such group outside of Soviet Armenia itself, church officials said.

Vazken I postponed his visit to the first stop, Canada, when he suffered a sciatic nerve problem as he was about to leave Moscow on Oct. 14. He flew to New York instead of Montreal and was hospitalized for about 10 days.

“He has difficulty going up and down stairs but he is all right on level ground,” said the Rev. Vartan Kasparian, who is acting as translator.

Vazken I is making his first visit to the Los Angeles area in 20 years. Before he departs Wednesday for San Francisco, he will meet with Armenian schoolchildren today in Pasadena, attend a requiem for Armenian martyrs Saturday in Montebello and attend a banquet that night in the Los Angeles Convention Center.

The patriarch also is scheduled to celebrate a pontifical divine liturgy at the Hollywood Bowl on Sunday morning and attend an ecumenical service Tuesday night at Los Angeles’ St. Sophia Greek Orthodox Cathedral, hosted by Greek Orthodox Bishop Anthony of San Francisco.

Invitation Extended

It was not known Thursday whether the bowl service would be attended by a representative of the wing of the Armenian Apostolic Church that extends its allegiance to a See in Lebanon. The ecclesiastical division, which stemmed from political divisions in the 1930s, has remained despite the identical doctrines and traditions of the two churches.

A church official in the Vazken I party said that an invitation to Archbishop Datev Sarkissian of Los Angeles has been extended for the Bowl event, “but as of this time we have no response.”

The host archdiocese, whose cathedral in Hollywood was the scene of a welcoming service Thursday evening for Vazken I, has 20 parishes in Western states, nine of them in Southern California.

Richard Hrair Dekmejian, chairman of USC’s political science department, said the Armenian Apostolic Church represents the overwhelming majority of Armenian-Americans.

“Regardless of denomination, to people in the Armenian communities Vazken I is the symbol of Armenian continuity,” Dekmejian said.