Catholicos Karekin II: The Armenian Apostolic Church will maintain its independence despite pressure from the authorities

Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II stated the determination of the Armenian Apostolic Church (AAC) to defend its internal autonomy and resist any attempts of state interference in the affairs of the clergy. During the meeting with media editors, the head of the Church stressed that the AAC will continue to fulfill its historical mission of preserving the national identity and spiritual values despite political pressure and criminal persecution of the clergy.

As ArmInfo news agency reports, Garegin II expressed a clear position: the Church will not allow any power structure to subordinate itself to its will. The Catholicos noted that although the AAC does not engage in party politics, it considers it its duty to speak out on issues that may pose a threat to the security of the country and society. According to him, the authorities’ attempts to initiate a change of the Catholicos contradict the internal church canons, according to which the head of the church is elected for life.

The situation around the AAC has escalated against the background of more than ten criminal cases against representatives of the clergy. According to the source, four high-ranking clergymen are currently in custody on charges, which the Church considers far-fetched. Garegin II suggested that the reasons for the pressure could be the active defense of the Artsakh people’s interests, the work on the return of prisoners of war from Baku and the efforts to preserve Armenian cultural heritage in the territories that have fallen under Azerbaijani control.

Despite the fact that international political structures preferred to consider the conflict as Armenia’s internal affair, the World Council of Churches and the Conference of European Churches expressed support for the AAC. Garegin II emphasized the unity of the Armenian Church, thanking for the support of the Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia Aram I, as well as the Patriarchs of Jerusalem and Constantinople. It should be reminded that according to the Constitution of Armenia, under the secular nature of the state, the exclusive mission of the AAC in the life of the nation is recognized, which makes the current attempts to “renew” the Church through political mechanisms legally questionable.