'Catholicos of All Armenians has no intention of deserting' – Head of Holy See’s Office
Garegin II will not abdicate throne
Archbishop Arshak Khachatryan, head of the Holy See’s Office in Etchmiadzin, said today: “I see no grounds for the Catholicos of All Armenians to abdicate. He cannot step down simply because certain circles, including questionable ones, are pushing such an agenda. Nor can he step down even if ten bishops demand it.”
His press conference came in response to a statement by ten senior clergy members of the Armenian Apostolic Church, who called on the Catholicos to resign. Last week, they also met with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. In effect, they expressed solidarity with the Prime Minister, who has long argued for church reforms and for the Catholicos to be removed. He claims that the Patriarch broke his vow of celibacy and has a child.
The clergy statement reads: “We expect Garegin II, for the love of our Church and our people, to assess the situation soberly, avoid causing unnecessary turmoil to our nation and Church, and voluntarily retire. This would allow new elections to be organised.”
Meanwhile, Archbishop Khachatryan emphasized that the National Church Assembly elects the Catholicos. Accordingly, a voluntary decision to step down “would amount to desertion.”
“I am confident that the Catholicos will not make such a decision and cannot act in this way. He possesses an exceptionally strong sense of belonging to the Church,” Archbishop Arshak Khachatryan stressed.
During the press conference, he also addressed not only the potential resignation of the Patriarch but discussions about his alleged violation of the vow of celibacy, as well as a private video that reportedly shows him.
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Context
At the end of last week, ten senior clergy members issued two statements. In the first, they criticised the Patriarch’s inaction for failing to remove the head of his office from service:
“The Catholicos is trying at all costs to conceal the sacrilegious actions of Archbishop Arshak, thereby becoming a protector of sacrilege.”
The archbishops and bishops appealed to the Catholicos, urging him to suspend Archbishop Khachatryan from his duties. The clergy based their call on a private video that reportedly shows the head of the office.The video appeared on Telegram channels at the end of October. Since then, the scandal surrounding the senior Armenian Apostolic Church clergyman has continued. However, the Catholicos chose not to take any action regarding the matter.
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan met with the clergy who condemned the Catholicos, thanking them for publicly expressing their “principled position.”
“Then, on 28 November, the Holy See of Etchmiadzin scheduled a session of the Supreme Spiritual Council. However, the clergy who signed the statement and belonged to the council boycotted the session, so it did not take place.
After the first statement, senior clergy issued a second statement expressing hope that the Catholicos would voluntarily resign.
In response, other senior clergy reaffirmed their loyalty to Garegin II. Members of the Russian and New Nakhichevan dioceses condemned the statement by the ten clergy members. The head of this diocese is Ezras Nersisyan, brother of Garegin II. The primate of the Shirak Diocese, Archbishop Mikael Adjapahyan, who is under arrest on charges of calling for a seizure of power, supported him. The primate of the Tavush Diocese, Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan, also expressed solidarity with the Catholicos. He is also under arrest, accused of planning “terrorist acts and a seizure of power.”
Archbishops Mikael Adjapahyan and Bagrat Galstanyan proposed that the Patriarch end the “service of disobedient” clergy members and appoint new diocesan heads.
‘A treacherous step’: bishops’ statement sparks controversy
“That which they have done is treason, apostasy, a blatant step toward division,” Archbishop Arshak Khachatryan said, describing the actions of the “disobedient clergy.”
According to him, these clergy members have betrayed God, the Church, and themselves by taking the path of “self-denial.” He did not rule out that their actions might receive “an appropriate assessment” in the near future.
“The only thing I rule out is that we will retreat or give in to this pressure,” he added.
Khachatryan also said that the Patriarch will decide which body will consider the matter and make a ruling. For this purpose, they could establish a disciplinary commission.
‘Patriarch has a large army of supporters‘
Archbishop Arshak Khachatryan spoke about unity within the Church and the support the Catholicos enjoys from the clergy:
“The Patriarch is not alone. Only ten bishops issued a statement [condemning the Catholicos]. To demonstrate the clergy’s unity with the Catholicos, it is not necessary for all clergy members to issue a statement,” he said.
“Moreover, according to the head of the Holy See’s Office, even if no clergy member supported the Patriarch, no one could claim that he gave up the throne.”
“Even if such a situation arose—which it would not—and everyone abandoned him, no one can claim that he gave up his position while he continues to serve in it,” he explained.
Khachatryan stressed that Garegin II has a large army of supporters. He added that the Catholicos shows no intention of yielding or stepping down.
‘Are the children of clergy really the main problem in Armenia?‘
Journalists asked Archbishop Arshak Khachatryan to comment on the reports that the Catholicos may have broken his vow of celibacy.
He said he did not consider himself in a position to answer the question and described the reports as “an artificial provocation aimed at discrediting the Church.”
“Is the main problem in Armenia today really the private relationships of clergy and their alleged children? Will obtaining exhaustive answers to these questions strengthen our country’s security? Can we make our borders inviolable? And will societal divisions disappear? Of course not. It is clear that someone is raising these issues to deepen the split. I do not understand the claim that clergy have no right to a personal life. That is basic ignorance, whoever says it. Everyone has a right to a personal life.”
‘I have not committed any acts I should be ashamed of‘
The press conference also addressed a video that reportedly shows Archbishop Arshak Khachatryan. He said that the videos circulating on social media are “lies, forgeries” and have no connection to him. He even suggested that someone might have created them using artificial intelligence.
“I will take all measures to present an objective picture, including conducting an international expert examination,” he said.
The archbishop added that he has “never acted against the Church” and has nothing to be ashamed of. In his view, he has become a target because he does not praise the authorities:
“They want to persecute everyone who does not share their political agenda, who criticizes them. They have found individual ways to target each person. And this—[the dissemination of a private video]—fell to me. It has become our cross, and we must bear our cross.”
Speaking about a possible temporary suspension from duties, he noted that “if it is necessary in the interests of the Church, I am ready to take any step.”
At the end of October, an unknown Telegram channel was the first to publish a private video reportedly featuring the head of the Holy See’s Office. Reports say that someone recorded the footage using hidden cameras that the clergyman had installed in his living room and bathroom. Reports said the video shows Archbishop Arshak Khachatryan and his uncle’s wife.
The Investigative Committee is examining a criminal case, and audiovisual and facial recognition experts confirmed that Archbishop Arshak Khachatryan appears in the video.”
‘Pashinyan is interfering in the church’s autonomy‘
“The head of state, without having such authority, is directly interfering in the autonomy of the Church. He decides who should become the Catholicos and what procedures will guide their election. Moreover, he reserves the right to carry out a kind of morality assessment of the clergy,” the clergyman said, describing the program of “church renewal” announced by the Prime Minister.
Archbishop Arshak Khachatryan believes that all of this is happening to distract people from real problems. According to him, Pashinyan takes such steps based on geopolitical, political, or personal factors:
“[Nikol Pashinyan] wants a controllable clergy that will serve his interests.”
Khachatryan assured that as long as Garegin II remains Catholicos, “this approach will not happen.”
‘We can resolve the situation only by rejecting this government‘
The clergyman stressed that “illegal processes” are taking place around the Church.
“An illegal process cannot have a lawful resolution. Obvious political or geopolitical considerations drive these actions. Legal resistance may yield some results, but it will not fully dispel our concerns,” he said.
The archbishop believes that no political or external force can interfere in the life of the Church in a legally or canonically acceptable way.
He emphasized that if external forces influence church processes, the Church will stop fulfilling its mission and will serve “outside agendas.”
“The solution must be resistance. We need patience and a rational use of the tools available. I do not have ready-made recipes to say: let’s do this or that,” he said.
At the same time, he noted that the problem of “attacks” on the Church stems from events that took place in Armenia after the 44-day war in 2020.
“To address the issue, we must reject this government and their agenda. By lawful, constitutional, non-violent—again, I emphasize, non-violent—means. I will not give them the satisfaction of provoking another criminal case on this basis,” he concluded.
Garegin II will not abdicate throne
