‘No alternative to removing Catholicos of All Armenians,’ politician says
Catholicos must step down
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan plans to attend a liturgy at Hovhanavank Monastery on 2 November. He also visited the same church last Sunday, where Father Aram Asatryan led the service. Although the Supreme Spiritual Council defrocked him, the priest of Hovhanavank refused to step down and continues to perform religious rites.
By attending the service, Pashinyan not only showed his support for the defrocked cleric but also announced the start of what he calls the church’s “practical phase of liberation.”
For several months, Pashinyan has argued that Catholicos of All Armenians Garegin II broke his vow of celibacy and must step down from the throne. He insists that the patriarch has effectively “defrocked himself” by violating his oath. Therefore, Garegin II has no authority to strip other clergy of their rank.
Arman Babajanyan, leader of the “For the Republic” party, told a local TV channel that the church must reform itself from within. He said bishops should lead the initiative. He also revealed that senior members of the clergy have already met with the Catholicos.
“During that meeting, participants said that the Patriarch cannot remain on the throne. The higher clergy are preparing to meet with the head of state to discuss possible next steps,” Babajanyan said.
The politician added that Garegin II’s continuation in office “is no longer under discussion.” He said he expects “positive news from the Holy See of Etchmiadzin in the coming days.” He even mentioned a specific date — after the Supreme Spiritual Council meeting scheduled for 4 November.
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Another statement from the prime minister
On Friday morning, Armenia’s prime minister posted another video message on Facebook. He announced that he plans to attend Sunday’s liturgy at Hovhanavank Monastery once again.
He said:
“This is essentially sensational news from Ktrich Nersisyan [the secular name of the Catholicos]. He suddenly remembered that the Armenian Apostolic Church has a book of canons. Referring to it, he now claims that Father Aram Asatryan cannot conduct the liturgy in Hovhanavank because the church defrocked him.
But that is exactly the problem. According to the same book of canons, Ktrich Nersisyan cannot serve as the Catholicos of All Armenians because he broke his vow of celibacy. Therefore, he has effectively defrocked himself. And if a defrocked person cannot defrock others, Father Aram has every right to conduct the liturgy in Hovhanavank.”
Earlier, on 26 October, Pashinyan said that the liberation of the Mother See of Etchmiadzin forms part of a broader effort for the “spiritual renewal of the Church.” He added that attending the liturgy in Hovhanavank represented an important step in renewing his own soul and spiritual life. The prime minister expressed hope that supporters of the Church’s renewal would begin the process by first renewing their own souls.
“On the path to liberating the Mother See of Etchmiadzin and renewing the Armenian Apostolic Church, we must prove ourselves worthy of our Holy See,” Pashinyan stressed. He also announced that he would attend the liturgy in Hovhanavank the following Sunday.
Commentary
Arman Babajanyan, leader of the For the Republic party, reminded that Garegin II was elected Catholicos of All Armenians on 27 October 1999 — the same day a terrorist attack struck the Armenian parliament. Eight people died, including Speaker of the National Assembly Karen Demirchyan and Prime Minister Vazgen Sargsyan.
“From that day, the Catholicos aligned his actions with the systems that came to power to turn Armenia into a vassal state,” Babajanyan said, referring to the rise of former president Robert Kocharyan, widely seen as pro-Russian. “They transformed the country into a criminal-oligarchic system. Armenia endured years of political persecution and killings, and the Church never opposed it.”
He added that the Catholicos “legitimised himself among those who subordinated the state to Russia.” In this context, Babajanyan said, statements from Moscow claiming that “the Church is the last bastion of the old regime” come as no surprise. The Church’s silence in response also does not.
“People must decide whether the Church should guide their spiritual lives or drag the country back into a corrupt past,” Babajanyan concluded.
According to Arman Babajanyan, there is no alternative to removing the Catholicos of All Armenians from office. He believes the next step should be to discuss how this process will unfold.
“I’m glad these sentiments are becoming increasingly clear,” Babajanyan said. “Several bishops are preparing to meet with the Patriarch soon. I hope they will also meet with the prime minister to discuss a roadmap for further action.”
Although the internal crisis in the Church has drawn public attention, Babajanyan insists it should be resolved within the Church itself. He stresses that senior clergy — bishops and archbishops — must take responsibility and confront the Patriarch directly.
“I know that this discussion has already begun,” he said. “A meeting of the Supreme Spiritual Council has taken place, and it was made clear that things cannot continue this way. Another meeting is scheduled for 4 November, with bishops from overseas dioceses also invited. They, too, understand that the limits of what is acceptable have been crossed. In the coming days, we will see concrete steps.”
Commenting on the defrocking of Father Aram, Babajanyan said one member of the disciplinary commission opposed the decision and presented strong arguments against it.
“This means the decision was arbitrary and unfounded, and therefore should be annulled,” he said. “I hope that by attending the liturgy in Hovhanavank this Sunday, the bishops will demonstrate whether the service complies with Church canons. I believe their presence will, in fact, legitimise it,” Babajanyan concluded.
Catholicos must step down
