Conflict in Armenia: Court demands restoration of priests, Church insists on autonomy

A serious public conflict between the judiciary and the Armenian Apostolic Church is breaking out in Armenia. The reason was the court decision to temporarily reinstate two previously deprived clergymen, Stepan Asatryan and Aramais Takhmazyan. However, the representatives of the clergy of Aragatsotn Diocese declared their refusal to execute this order, considering it as unlawful interference in the internal affairs of the religious organization.

As gorthodox.com reports, citing Tsargrad, the dispute escalated after the court applied interim measures and obliged the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin to temporarily return the priests to service until the final consideration of the case. According to the court’s ruling, one of the clerics was to take up duties at Surb Hovanavank Monastery and the other at the Talin region. The ruling drew sharp reactions from church hierarchs.

The official statement of the clergy emphasizes that the secular authorities do not have the competence to oblige the clergy to perform actions that contradict the Church canons and their religious obligations. The representatives of the Church refer to the norms of the national legislation of Armenia and the provisions of international documents, including the Convention on Human Rights, which guarantee the autonomy of religious organizations and their independence from state interference.

At the moment it remains unclear how this legal and canonical conflict will be resolved, as well as what legal consequences may arise for failure to fulfill the court decision.

Recall, earlier we reported that 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.