Joint statement of the Ecumenical Council of Churches in Hungary and the Hungarian Catholic Bishops’ Conference on the attack against the Cathedral of Shushi in Nagorno-Karabakh threatening with the escalation of the Armenian-Azerbaijani war.
The Ecumenical Council of the Churches in Hungary and the Hungarian Catholic Bishops’ Conference were saddened to learn that in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict on October 8, Azerbaijani forces caused severe damage to the Holy Savior Cathedral in the town of Shushi. We share in the pain of our Armenian Christian brothers and sisters. The attack could significantly contribute to the escalation of the fights, as ethnic conflict increasingly takes on a religious overtone. That is why we ask and call on the religious leaders, Christians and Muslims involved in the conflict to do their utmost to prevent further destruction, to end the fights and to find a peaceful solution to the conflict.
"Though he is not far from any one of us. For in him we live and move and have our being" (Acts 17,27-28).
Armenia has accused Azerbaijan of shelling a historic cathedral in territory controlled by ethnic Armenian forces in Nagorno-Karabakh as fighting over the breakaway Azerbaijani region continues to rage. Residents of the town of Shushi (known as Susa in Azeri) said that the Holy Savior Cathedral sustained exterior and interior damage after being hit twice within several hours.
Hungary Supports Armenian Civilians
The Hungarian Government, in cooperation with Church Aid organisations expressed its solidarity with Armenia in offerring financial support for civilians in Armenia displaced from Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh) region.