Major Armenian Cleric Urges Cut in Film Violence : Religion: Karekin II, leader of the Armenian Apostolic Church, is in Southland to participate in holiday observances. He says too many movies distort U.S. image overseas.

In another sign of growing concern about the content of Hollywood films, the spiritual leader of many of the world’s Armenian Christians has called on filmmakers to turn from the depiction of violence, sex and moral permissiveness.

On his fifth pontifical visit to the United States, His Holiness Karekin II of the Armenian Apostolic Church, headquartered in Beirut, said too many films distort the image of America overseas and encourage impressionable youths to copy what they see.

“Many young people not only are impressed temporarily and superficially. More than that, they begin to copy the things they see. They begin to consider this form of culture as normative for dignified civilization,” said Karekin, who arrived in Los Angeles Tuesday to participate in Christmas observances for Armenians, who celebrate Christmas today.

Karekin’s welcoming visit Tuesday night at St. Garabed Armenian Apostolic Church in Hollywood drew an excited crowd of several hundred faithful. The Armenian Apostolic Church is one of two major Armenian Orthodox bodies in the world.

“This is the first time I’m going to see him. Our people are very excited,” said Sonia Kasparian of Glendale, who had tears in her eyes. “It definitely is going to be a very special Christmas.”

Karekin’s pointed critique of what he called pseudo-culture comes at a time of growing criticism of theatrical motion pictures and television from a wide range of religious leaders. Last August, for example, Pope John Paul II said during World Youth Day activities in Denver that violence in any form is a denial of human dignity. The Roman pontiff specifically mentioned the media, among others, as having responsibility for what was happening in society. Religious broadcaster Pat Robertson and others have also complained about the content of television and motion pictures.

Last month, the Los Angeles Times Poll found that nearly four out of five Americans believe that violence in television entertainment programs directly contributes to the amount of violence in society.

Karekin was elected as a Catholicos, another term for pope, in 1983. His Armenian Apostolic Church and the separate Armenian Church of North America disagree on the number of members in each branch. There are an estimated 300,000 Armenian Orthodox Christians in Southern California. The Armenian Church of North America is led by His Holiness Vazken I and based in Etchmiadzin, Armenia.

In an interview Tuesday at the Universal Hilton Hotel, Karekin said that the America depicted overseas in films is not the America he came to know as archbishop in New York before he became Catholicos.

“I have seen the American life, I have seen the principles, the moral stature of these American family lives, (the) belonging to a family and the moral standards,” he said.

By contrast, he said, recent films--unlike earlier pictures that he said depicted “authentic” human life, great ideals and dedication--substitute technological violence for actors who are “personally present.”

“All these artificial weapons and futuristic means of showing the destruction of the world--nuclear annihilation and so forth--are so unreal,” he said. “They are directed toward violence, killings and sexual abuses, and different moral degradations. I must think . . . why all of this? I think it is all economic reasons.”

He added, “Civilization and culture are two things. . . . Civilization in my own understanding is the presentation of the human life and expression of the human life in its most authentic human aspects--not in the the ordinary walks of life that . . . are shared by the animals that we respect,” he said.

He questioned how much of the world’s cultural greatness was reflected in films. “Not much,” he said.

Asked what he would say to Hollywood executives if he had the opportunity, Karekin replied: “My appeal, if I can, to my American brothers and sisters of high responsibility is to think . . . of the people on the other end . . . “

Karekin celebrated Christmas Eve service Wednesday night at St. Mary’s Armenian Apostolic Church in Glendale. He is scheduled today to celebrate a Pontifical Divine Liturgy at 11 a.m. at Holy Martyr’s Armenian Apostolic Church in Encino and preside at a traditional Christmas dinner at the Universal City Hilton Hotel at 7 p.m.