Mother See's Response to Nikol Pashinyan's Remarks

Today, at the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, under the presidency of His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, a meeting of the Supreme Spiritual Council took place, which was attended by bishops and regional leaders from Armenia and the diaspora.

During the meeting, the issues related to the challenges facing the homeland, the relationship between church and state, and various concerns affecting society were discussed. In this regard, the Supreme Spiritual Council issued a statement.

“The Prime Minister of Armenia has launched yet another campaign against the Armenian Apostolic Holy Church, using language unworthy of a state figure, filled with insults and accusations, elevating his persona above the law. The hurried publications, laden with profanity and indecorous discourse, lack the basic norms of decency, violate fundamental human rights, grossly offend the religious sentiments of believers, and are concealed under the guise of false concern.

This church battle is evidently motivated by political objectives, aiming to undermine the authority of the Armenian Church, which commands respect in the national life and international spheres, to silence the voice of the Church, and to diminish its public influence. The anti-church behavior of the head of government and the initiated processes against national values and the Church carry devastating implications and pose a threat to the Armenian statehood, the unity of our people both in the homeland and in the diaspora.

Such actions fracture society, weaken the spirit of the nation, and diminish the high awareness of patriotism, especially under the current challenges. These reprehensible initiatives serve the ambitions of external anti-Armenian forces, being somewhat connected with the slanders and false accusations directed at the Armenian people and the Armenian Church by the Azerbaijani propaganda machine.

The Armenian Church, aware of its commitments, will steadfastly continue its salvific and nation-preserving mission, opposing detrimental and destructive trends, and will always seek to uphold the paramount interests of the state and nation, and to protect our sacred values.

Church matters are resolved according to ecclesiastical orders and rules and are beyond the jurisdiction of state and political figures. The Armenian Apostolic Holy Church is a single entity with its faithful followers and committed clergy, led by the chosen Catholicos of All Armenians.

We call upon the competent state authorities to put an end to the Prime Minister’s illegal and shortsighted policies. There is no need to drag the Church into artificial agendas and push it into retaliatory actions.

In the face of this new trial, we urge the faithful children of our Holy Church to be united and steadfast, to faithfully overcome all challenges that our people face, and never to allow the undermining of our national pillars. May these contemptible machinations not become a cause for disappointment and temptation.

We pray to our Savior, Lord Jesus Christ, that the harmful phenomena do not disrupt our national life, and that our people globally live in peace, prosperity, and progress. May the Lord preserve Armenian statehood and the bright Armenian Apostolic Holy Church, along with the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin and all its faithful children,” reads the statement.