Bishop Gevorg Saroyan Files Lawsuit Against Mother See

Bishop Gevorg Saroyan (Arman Saroyan) has filed a lawsuit against the Armenian Apostolic Holy Church. The bishop is demanding that the decision of His Holiness Karekin II to relieve him from his position as the leader of the Masisatsotni Diocese be declared invalid, seeking to restore his position as the diocesan leader, according to "Hetq".

The lawsuit was filed yesterday, January 15, 2026, with the General Jurisdiction Court of the Armavir region and has been assigned to Judge Edgar Hovhannisyan, who is also a member of the Supreme Judicial Council.

It is noted that on January 10, 2026, by the directive of His Holiness Karekin II, Bishop Gevorg Saroyan was relieved from the position of diocesan leader. The grounds for the directive included allegations of misconduct, negligence in duties, and the exertion of pressure on the church members of the diocese.

As a result of this directive, Father Ruben Vardapet Zargaryan was appointed as the interim leader of the Masisatsotni Diocese, as stated in the message from the information system of the Mother See.

Bishop Gevorg Saroyan is among the 10 senior clergymen who have joined Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's initiative for "church reform." The bishop is also demanding that the Catholicos of All Armenians, Karekin II, step down from his throne.