The Armenian Apostolic Church Must Pay Taxes, Says Pashinyan

The Armenian Apostolic Church must pay taxes. Why is the clergy not filling out declarations? This was stated by Pashinyan while presenting the section of the Civil Contract party's electoral program concerning the church.

“Addressing the issue of having a valuable spiritual life, the reform of the Armenian Apostolic Church (AAC) is vital. Due to the activities of the de facto leadership of the AAC over the last decades, the faithful community has largely become alienated and continues to be estranged from the AAC, which is also a spiritual security issue, as it has created an opportunity for external forces to try to turn the AAC into a stronghold against the independence and sovereignty of Armenia in a hybrid warfare context.

The Civil Contract party supports the AAC reform agenda and adopts the following roadmap:

1. Removal of the de facto head of the AAC.
2. Election of a temporary Catholicos according to the established procedure.
3. Adoption of the AAC charter (the charter should define the procedures for ensuring the financial transparency of the principles enshrined and the moral conduct of the clergy).
4. Election of the Supreme Patriarch of All Armenians according to the established procedure.

The parliamentary majority formed by the Civil Contract party and the Government will begin including spiritual workers within the state system of social guarantees.

At the same time, the Civil Contract party respects the freedom of belief and religious conviction of all citizens and reaffirms that Armenia is a secular state, and that according to the Constitution, religious organizations are separate from the state. The AAC reform agenda serves the complete restoration of the constitutional order of Armenia by bringing the church out of politics,” he emphasized.