Pashinyan announces plans to intervene in the governance of the Armenian Apostolic Church

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has publicly declared his intention to initiate sweeping changes within the Armenian Apostolic Church, including a revision of its ancient internal structure and the removal of the current Catholicos of All Armenians, Karekin II. This was reported by the TASS news agency.

According to Pashinyan’s outlined plan, the first step would be to remove the current head of the Church, after which interim leadership, in his view, should be assigned to a married priest — a move that violates existing canonical norms, which prohibit a married cleric from serving as Catholicos.

The next phase, Pashinyan stated, would involve amending the Church’s statute — a foundational document governing church life since the 4th century. After those revisions, new elections for the head of the Church would be held.

The Prime Minister also announced his intention to lead a public movement in support of leadership reform within the Church. He invited participation from those who, as he put it, “pray daily,” “have read the Bible at least once,” and “have observed Great Lent within the past five years.”

These announcements have sparked strong reactions within Armenia’s legal and political communities. Critics accuse Pashinyan of violating the constitutional principle of separation between Church and state, as well as attempting to interfere in the internal affairs of a religious institution — an action some view as a threat to the country’s constitutional order.

It should also be noted that on July 20, 2025, Pashinyan published a series of statements on his Telegram channel comparing the situation surrounding Catholicos Karekin II to a matter of corporate ethics. He cited the case of the CEO of the company Astronomer, who resigned after revelations of marital infidelity, arguing that “family values are fundamental to corporate culture.”