Armenian Diocese of Canada Issues Statement on Archbishop Bagrat’s Tenure

According to the statutes of the Armenian Diocese of Canada, decisions concerning administrative and financial matters are made by the diocesan council, not the bishop. Therefore, attributing fault to the bishop for issues outside of his jurisdiction as defined by the statutes is slanderous and defamatory.

The diocese released a statement addressing the information concerning its former leader, Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan. "It is unjust to retroactively analyze specific issues and phenomena from that period without detailing all pertinent information. We can confidently emphasize that His Grace, Archbishop Bagrat, worked diligently to reach the best solutions.

As for specific examples, it is inappropriate to make references to 'the value of his personal vehicle,' as the vehicle belongs to the Diocese and not personally to the Bishop, whose value is determined and approved according to diocesan regulations and rules," the statement reads.

The diocese also addressed the 'Tavush for the Homeland' movement, noting that alongside the global Armenian community, the Armenian community in Canada is closely monitoring events occurring in the homeland with deep concern and attention. "It is evident that the 'Tavush Movement,' led by His Grace Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan, who previously served as the leader of the Armenian Diocese of Canada, is increasingly facing inappropriate references concerning the Bishop's persona amidst various public exchanges regarding his tenure in Canada.

In response to numerous questions directed towards us, we affirm that Archbishop Galstanyan served as the third leader of the Diocese from 2003 to 2013. The Armenian Diocese of Canada has gone through many successive challenging phases of formation, one of which was undoubtedly during the tenure of Archbishop Bagrat. It is easy to freely make serious slanders and criticisms against the leading bishop of the diocese without having all the details of the discussed issues. In reality, during his ten years of service, apart from the current activities of the diocese, Archbishop Bagrat has worked tirelessly to ensure successful outcomes, especially in church construction projects," the statement concludes.