Sharp conflict in Armenia: PM Pashinyan declared the Catholicos of All Armenians deprived of his ministry, accusing him of breaking his vows and seizing the throne

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan made a high-profile statement declaring Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II deprived of his dignity and accusing him of violating his vow of celibacy and seizing the patriarchal throne. This statement made in the parliament testifies to the unprecedented aggravation of relations between the state authorities and the leadership of the Armenian Apostolic Church (AAC), which has lasted for several months and is accompanied by criminal cases against a number of high-ranking clergymen.

According to Interfax.ru, Prime Minister Pashinyan said that the Catholicos’ lay name, Ktrich Nersisyan, «has long been deprived of his ministry and is not a representative of the clergy.» The head of the government emphasized: «He is a man who seized the patriarchal throne together with others like him.» Pashinyan also publicly demanded that the Catholicos explain to the public «why he has a wife and children.» In addition, he accused the Catholicos’ brother, Archbishop Ezras, who heads the Russian and New Nakhichevan diocese of the AAC, of being a «KGB agent,» promising to «lay down his life to free our holiness, our church from them.»

In protest of the Catholicos’ actions, Nikol Pashinyan announced his participation in a liturgy to be conducted by Priest Aram Asatryan at the Hovhannavank Shrine. Asatryan was recently deprived of his clerical dignity by the decision of the Catholicos, but Pashinyan expressed his belief that «a deprived of dignity (Catholicos — IF) cannot deprive another member of the clergy of his dignity,» thus questioning the legitimacy of Garegin II’s decisions.

The Prime Minister also touched upon the issue of church monuments, noting that many of them are on the balance of the government. He expressed the opinion that in places where «there is no spiritual life, but only intrigues», these monuments can be returned to the society, which may indicate possible changes in the management of church property.

These statements were the culmination of a series of events pointing to a deepening crisis. Earlier, Priest Aram Asatryan claimed on Armenian Public Television that the AAC leadership, including the Catholicos, forced clergy to participate in anti-government rallies in 2021. As a follow-up to this topic, the Investigative Committee of Armenia initiated a criminal case over the recording of a telephone conversation between high-ranking clergymen, where the coercion to participate in rallies was mentioned, as well as the name of the Catholicos of All Armenians.

In addition, other precedents were recorded: a court in Yerevan arrested for two months the head of the AAC Aragatsotn Diocese, nephew of Garegin II, Bishop Mkrtich Proshyan, on charges of coercion to participate in rallies. In early October, the court sentenced the head of the Shirak diocese, Archbishop Mikael Ajapakhyan, to two years in prison for calling for the seizure of power. In late June, Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan, leader of the «Holy Struggle» protest movement, was arrested in Yerevan and charged with planning terrorist actions and seizing power. Since late May, Prime Minister Pashinyan has regularly made harsh statements against Garegin II and the Archbishops, which emphasizes the seriousness and longevity of the confrontation.

As a reminder, Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II issued a statement condemning the Armenian authorities’ anti-church campaign and the arrests of clergymen. He emphasized that despite the pressure and persecution, the Armenian Apostolic Church (AAC) remains steadfast and faithful to its mission. The statement was made against the background of a mass pilgrimage in support of the Church, organized after the detention of a number of clerics.