Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II and the Papal Nuncio discussed the situation in the region and the strengthening of inter-church ties

Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II and the Papal Nuncio to Armenia, Archbishop Ante Yozich, held a meeting during which they discussed the current situation in the region, issues of further strengthening inter-church cooperation, as well as the current state of relations between the Armenian Apostolic Church (AAC) and the Armenian authorities.

As Sputnik Armenia reports with reference to the press office of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, the meeting focused on the development of brotherly relations between the Armenian Apostolic and Catholic Churches and the prospects of deepening their interaction. The interlocutors also paid attention to the difficult situation in the region and the relations between the Armenian Apostolic Church and the state structures of Armenia.

During the talk Garegin II conveyed words of greetings and best wishes to Pope Leo XIV. It was noted that in November 2025, the head of the Roman Catholic Church Leo XIV made an address during the liturgy at the Armenian Patriarchal Church of St. Astvatsatsatsin (Holy Mother of God) in Istanbul, where he greeted the Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II and the entire Armenian Apostolic Community of Turkey.

Earlier, the Armenian Parliament approved in the second and final reading a draft law that significantly restricts the right of the Armenian Apostolic Church (AAC) to freely dispose of its religious sites. This step, perceived by the opposition as another anti-church attack, obliges the AAC to obtain the government’s consent for the transfer of any religious buildings included in the state registers of monuments to a third party.