Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin says unprecedented state pressure on Armenian Church

The Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin issued an official statement following the annual meeting of the clergy, in which it condemned attempts of state interference in the internal affairs of the Armenian Apostolic Church and calls for the resignation of the Catholicos of All Armenians.

As ArmInfo news agency reports, the document, adopted on May 26 under the chairmanship of Garegin II, emphasizes that the canonical system and internal life of the Church are not subject to the dictate of political forces. The clergy characterized the current actions of the authorities as «illegal and anti-constitutional campaign», which directly threatens national unity and the foundations of statehood.

The statement expresses extreme concern about the activities of persons deprived of their ministry, who, under alleged state patronage, are seizing church structures and property. The Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin calls these actions a deliberate attempt to undermine the Church unity from within. A special appeal was made to the clergymen involved in schismatic processes with the demand to exclude any actions that violate the Church canons.

In the context of the current political processes in Armenia, the Church called on the faithful to display civic responsibility, avoid spreading disinformation and using hate speech. It is emphasized that any attempt to violate the Church order will meet the firm and unwavering resistance of the entire Church community.