If Confirmed, Garegin II Cannot Be Catholicos of All Armenians: Pashinyan

If it is confirmed that Garegin II has indeed violated his vows of celibacy and has a child, he cannot be the Catholicos of All Armenians. This means that from the moment this fact is substantiated, he could no longer be considered a celibate priest. This statement was made by Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on his Facebook page.

“I emphasize this with the utmost respect for everyone's right to the privacy of their personal and family life, but the Catholicos of All Armenians cannot have such a personal life. I raise this issue as a follower of the Armenian Apostolic Church because I see a problem related to spiritual security, and I also say this as the Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia, because I see a problem related to state security. The Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin must position itself regarding this situation, after which further clarification of the issue will be conducted,” the Prime Minister wrote.

It is worth recalling that during a recent government session, the Prime Minister addressed the presence of various household items—like garbage, construction debris, old items, and clothing—in churches, noting that our churches have been cluttered. This statement was criticized by clergymen. Following this, Prime Minister Pashinyan made several controversial posts, in which he specifically pointed out that all clergymen who have violated the vows of celibacy should leave spiritual service, that the Republic of Armenia should have a decisive voice in the choice of the Catholicos, and that candidates for the position of Catholicos should undergo a moral integrity check.