Pashinyan Announces Beginning of Renewal of Armenian Apostolic Church
The document bears the signatures of the head of the Armenian government and ten clergy: Archbishop Hovnan Terteryan, Archbishop Navasard Kchoyan, Archbishop Abraham Mkrtchyan, Archbishop Arakel Karamyan, Archbishop Sion Adamyan, Archbishop Vazgen Mirzakhanyan, Bishop Anushavan Zhamkochyan, Bishop Vrtanes Abrahamyan, Bishop Artak Tigranyan, and Bishop Gevorg Saroyan.
"We announce the start of the renewal of the Holy Armenian Apostolic Church, which will be carried out according to the following roadmap," the statement reads.
The document presents five points.
1. Announcement of the reform agenda
2. Removal of the de facto head of the Holy Armenian Apostolic Church
3. Election of the Locum Tenens Catholicos in accordance with the established procedure
4. Adoption of the Charter of the Holy Armenian Apostolic Church
5. Election of the Catholicos of All Armenians in accordance with the established procedure.
The clash between Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Catholicos of All Armenians Garegin II has escalated into one of the most intense domestic political disputes in Armenia in 2025.
On May 29, Pashinyan declared the "closetization" of all churches in Armenia, stating that these churches are being used to store various unnecessary items (rubbish, personal clothing, shoes, beds). He expressed astonishment at "the extent of falsehood one can exhibit, discussing the sacred, being an atheist, and desecrating holy things."
He accused the leader of the Armenian Apostolic Church and senior clergy of misconduct and breaching their church vows. In particular, Pashinyan openly challenged Catholicos Garegin II's commitment to celibacy.
In December 2025, Pashinyan claimed that the Catholicos was "influenced from outside," and alleged that the Catholicos's brother, Archbishop Yezras Nersisyan, had been a KGB agent during the Soviet period.
Pashinyan also pushed for reforms within church structures and called for a leadership change in the Armenian Apostolic Church, emphasizing the necessity for renewal and transparency.
The Supreme Church Council of the Armenian Apostolic Church condemned Pashinyan's remarks against the church and the Catholicos as a "disgraceful anti-church campaign," reminding that the government's anti-church actions and the initiatives against national values and the Church could lead to harmful repercussions.-0-