Catholicos Karekin II: Government Actions Threaten the Church and Armenian Statehood

A meeting took place in the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, the spiritual center of the Armenian Apostolic Church, between Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II and representatives of the “Five Human Rights Defenders” initiative. The discussion focused on increasing government pressure on the Church, including attempts to change the procedure for electing the Catholicos, the arrests of bishops, and Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s public statements about leading a movement to remove the head of the Church. This was reported by Sputnik Armenia.

According to Karekin II, the pressure on the Church is systemic and targets the spiritual and cultural foundation of the Armenian people. He described the government’s actions as a threat not only to the Church but also to Armenian statehood.

The arrests of Archbishops Bagrat (Galstanyan) and Mikael (Adjapahyan), accused of attempting to seize power, are viewed by the Church as politically motivated repression. Tensions between the clergy and the government have escalated since 2020, when Etchmiadzin publicly demanded Pashinyan’s resignation over his policy on Nagorno-Karabakh.

Human rights defenders expressed solidarity with the Church and proposed legal measures to protect its rights. The UN, in turn, expressed hope that the conflict would be resolved within the framework of the law.

It should be noted that Armenian Apostolic Church believers abroad are increasing their support amid growing pressure from the Armenian authorities. On Sunday, July 27, Armenian youth held a protest in Moscow under the slogan “Hands off Holy Etchmiadzin!”, demonstrating the mobilization of the Church diaspora.