Pashinyan Intends to "Liberate the Church" from Those Who Broke Their Vow of Celibacy

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has once again stated his intention to personally lead a movement to «liberate the Armenian Apostolic Church» from clergy who, according to him, have violated their vow of celibacy. This was reported by TASS.

«I could curse them, but I won’t. I only said I would lead the movement to liberate the Church from them. There’s no need for curses,» said the Armenian head of government, emphasizing that he plans to act using the same methods as the 2018 Velvet Revolution, through which he came to power.

In response to such statements, the Armenian diaspora in the United States harshly condemned the current government’s policy. A rally in support of the Armenian Apostolic Church took place outside the Armenian Consulate General in Glendale, California. Protesters demanded the release of those detained in Yerevan, including two hierarchs — Archbishops Mikael Adjapahyan and Bagrat Galstanyan.

«The current Armenian authorities are trying to do what our enemies have failed to achieve for centuries,» the demonstrators said. In their view, the pressure on the Armenian Apostolic Church is not only an attack on a religious institution but a direct threat to the foundations of the Armenian national identity.

Participants emphasized the importance of uniting Armenians worldwide in defense of their sacred heritage and spiritual values.

It is also worth noting that Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has proposed holding early elections for the Catholicos of All Armenians. He announced this initiative on his social media account.