Armenian Prime Minister again demands resignation of head of Armenian Apostolic Church

On August 28, 2025, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan once again publicly demanded the resignation of the head of the Armenian Apostolic Church, Catholicos of All Armenians Garegin II. Pashinyan noted that the Catholicos’ resignation would be a “spiritual renewal” for the Armenian Church and society as a whole. This was reported by Arminfo.

“My position will not change under any circumstances – Ktrich Nersisyan (Catholicos of All Armenians – Garegin II) must leave the Catholicos’ residence. I said that I would lead this process, and soon you will witness its first manifestations,” – Pashinyan said.

The politician added that Garegin II’s presence as Catholicos of All Armenians is a “spiritual contamination” of the Armenian Church. In this regard, Pashinyan proposed to carry out a “spiritual renovation” of the Armenian Apostolic Church, which, in his opinion, will benefit all of Armenia.

“The Armenian Apostolic Church is the epicenter of our moral values, and if this epicenter is polluted, then talking about the existence of a value-oriented community agenda is, at the very least, frivolous. And this process must begin with the First See of Echmiadzin. I urge him to voluntarily accept this decision. And now is a very appropriate moment for this. My schedule is full of international visits, but I will find time for this important process. And it is important that he does not miss this opportunity and makes the decision that he must make and cannot fail to make,” – he said.

On June 27, employees of the Armenian National Security Service stormed the territory of Echmiadzin, where a meeting of the clergy led by Catholicos Garegin II was taking place. The target of the operation was Archbishop Mikael Ajapayan of the Shirak Diocese, accused of allegedly preparing a terrorist attack and attempting a coup d’état.