Russia is selling arms to both sides of the conflict, Movesian said, as it is historically Christian but the Russian Orthodox Church has associated with Byzantium, while Armenian Christianity has historic links to the Coptic and Syrian churches of the East.
Meanwhile, Turkish president Recip Erdogan has provided "unconditional support" of Azerbaijan in the conflict, said Armen Sahakyan, executive director of the Armenian National Committee of America, western region.
Sahakyan said Erdogan has become has tried to position himself as the leader of the Sunni Muslim world in recent years, noting that, in July, he reconverted the historic cathedral of Hagia Sophia into a mosque - a move that religious freedom advocates warned could effect far-reaching religious and geopolitical consequences.
In his Sept. 27 Angelus, Pope Francis prayed for peace in the region, asking those involved in the conflict "to perform concrete acts of good will and brotherhood that may lead to resolve the problems, not with the use of force and arms, but through dialogue and negotiation."
The chair of the U.S. bishops' international justice and peace committee prayed for a stop to the violence on Saturday. Bishop David Malloy of Rockford cited Pope Francis' new encyclical Fratelli Tutti and called for Americans to pray in solidarity with those affected by the conflict.
"The Caucasus is a far off and little-known region to most Americans. But those who suffer are always close to Our Lord and to those who follow Him," the bishop said.
Turkey's involvement in the conflict "fills Armenians with a particular dread," Movesian said on Friday, as the government has continued to deny that Turkey committed genocide against Armenians in the early 20th century.
Armenians think that if they surrender control of the region, genocide will continue, Movesian said, insisting that Western Christians cannot ignore the conflict.
"It's a sad thing about Mideast Christians sometimes," he said, observing that, for Americans, "Mideast Christians are too 'Mideast' for the right and too Christian for the left."
Matt Hadro was the political editor at Catholic News Agency through October 2021. He previously worked as CNA senior D.C. correspondent and as a press secretary for U.S. Congressman Chris Smith.