This Shows the Actual State of Affairs in the Church Under Katrych Nersisyan's Leadership - Pashinyan

Following the removal of Katrych Nersisyan, the second point of the roadmap I proposed for the reform of the Armenian Apostolic Church pertains to the adoption of its statute. I want to emphasize that this agenda is officially recorded by the Mother See itself. This was announced by Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.

“In November 2011, the statute of the Armenian Apostolic Church was registered at the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Armenia, which states the following: ‘In the near future, a constitution of the Armenian Apostolic Church will be formed, which will be the main value of its hierarchical structure’,” he noted.

Essentially, what it indicates is that, twelve years after Katrych Nersisyan's elevation to the status of Catholicos, there is still no corresponding, comprehensive statute, and as stated back in 2011, it would be adopted soon. Fourteen years have passed since 2011. This shows the actual state of affairs within the Armenian Apostolic Church under Katrych Nersisyan's leadership. Moreover, this state of being is deliberately crafted to create ambiguity regarding the existence of a formal statute, allowing for the current situation to persist.

Therefore, it is crucial that the Armenian Apostolic Church, immediately following Katrych Nersisyan's removal and the election of an interim leader, proceeds with the development and adoption of a new statute. This new framework should introduce clear, transparent rules that are understandable and visible not only to the clergy but also to the public. It should be public and transparent, clarifying how the Church operates in terms of rules and values, as well as the mechanisms for public and internal oversight,” he stated.