Entry of Clergy into Prisons Prohibited: Mother See

The Mother See has issued a statement, saying: "By an illegal decision of the head of the Ministry of Justice's Penitentiary Service, the entry of clergy appointed by the Armenian Church into penitentiary facilities has been prohibited. The head of the penitentiary has effectively suspended the spiritual service of the Armenian Apostolic Holy Church in correctional institutions, while bypassing the Mother See and ignoring legal regulations, having signed employment contracts directly with individual clergy members. This action represents yet another targeted and anti-church campaign by the authorities to limit the mission of the Armenian Church in public life, which has also manifested in the Armed Forces and the education sector. The 10th article of the law on "The Relations between the Republic of Armenia and the Armenian Apostolic Holy Church" stipulates the mission of the Armenian Church to conduct spiritual activities in penitentiary facilities, and the 17th article of the "Law on Freedom of Conscience and Religious Organizations" considers the spiritual mission of the Armenian Church in correctional institutions as a monopoly of the national Church and guarantees through law the obligation of the state to not obstruct such activities.

Therefore, it is unacceptable that the head of the Penitentiary Service, disregarding the agreement concluded between his supervising ministry and the Armenian Church, has made unilateral decisions regarding the implementation of spiritual services in penitentiary institutions. It must be clearly stated that, according to the aforementioned laws and the agreement signed between the Ministry of Justice of Armenia and the Armenian Apostolic Holy Church, the entity conducting spiritual activities is not the individual priest, but the Armenian Church itself. Such behavior is a gross interference in the internal affairs of the Church and undermines the organized pastoral service of the Church, turning it into an individual initiative and administrative arbitrariness. The ongoing illegal actions against the Church leave no doubt that the ruling political force has transformed anti-church sentiment into state policy, which is disastrous and, therefore, must be unequivocally condemned.

For years, the spiritual service in penitentiary institutions has been an important mission of the Armenian Church aimed at providing spiritual care for incarcerated individuals, transforming them through repentance, and their dignified return to society. The Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin urges the Ministry of Justice of RA to respect the law and the ecclesiastical order, and to restore the normal course of spiritual service in penitentiary institutions without obstructing the Church's mission."