The Fight Is Against Businessmen Priests, Says Ani Khachatryan

“There has not been a campaign against the church; there has never been cooperation between the church and the state. Unfortunately, the church has had businessmen priests for the last two decades, and today the fight is precisely against these businessmen priests,” stated Ani Khachatryan, a member of the Yerevan City Council’s Republic faction, during a conversation with journalists.

“I go to church and would really like to receive a blessing from those priests who uphold the commandments of God. Unfortunately, I find myself lighting a candle before God instead,” she added.

When asked whether she agrees that the Catholicos should resign, she responded, “The war that is going on between the political forces and the church, I do not intend to be caught in the middle.” However, her personal stance as a member of the Republic party is no different: “I have not accepted the Catholicos as a Catholicos; he is the same Catholicos who concealed the events of October 27 at the National Assembly for several hours to ensure that his elections would not fail.”