Hierarchs of the Armenian Apostolic Church reaffirmed loyalty to Catholicos Karekin II

The bishops of the Armenian Apostolic Church (AAC) gathered in Austria issued a statement reaffirming their loyalty to Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II and the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin. This important event took place against the backdrop of increasing repression by the Armenian authorities against the Church and the arrests of a number of its hierarchs.

Initially, Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II appointed the Council of Bishops in the Austrian city of St. Pölten in response to the authorities’ attacks on the Church. However, according to RIA Novosti, the status of that assembly has changed due to a ban on travel from Armenia for the Catholicos himself and six other bishops and archbishops.

The statement, signed by 25 bishops and archbishops, including the head of the Western Diocese of the United States, Hovnan Terteryan, who has previously supported the Armenian authorities, strongly emphasizes: «We, the bishops of the Armenian Church, reaffirm our loyalty to the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin and the Catholicos of All Armenians as a symbol and guarantor of the unity, reconciliation and harmony of the Church… With the blessing of the Armenian Patriarch, we pledge to promote the periodic convening of the bishops’ assembly, to address and overcome the challenges facing the Church, to further strengthen our spiritual ministry in the life of our people.»

The participants of the assembly also appealed to the clergy of the Armenian Church to remain «unbending in their vocation and ministry.» Particular attention was paid to the appeal to the Armenian authorities to immediately stop persecuting the Church, respect its sovereignty and autonomy, put an end to repression against the clergy and the Catholicos of All Armenians, as well as to release the arrested hierarchs, acting exclusively within the framework of the Constitution and legislation of Armenia.

Separately, the hierarchs gave advice to the eight AAC bishops and archbishops who had previously supported the actions of the authorities. They were advised to act with awareness of the vow of loyalty to Echmiadzin and the Catholicos of All Armenians, to discuss and solve issues related to the inner-church life exclusively in the authorized instances of the Church, as well as to refrain from anti-canonical actions and schismatic steps.

The conflict between the authorities of the Republic and the Armenian Apostolic Church continues to be accompanied by the persecution of the clergy. Currently, four top hierarchs of the AAC are in detention on various charges, which the Church considers illegal.

Earlier, on February 14, the Armenian Prosecutor’s Office opened a criminal case against Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II on charges of obstructing the execution of a judicial act, which resulted in a ban on his departure from the country.