Armenia's Pashinyan demands clarification from Catholicos Garegin II for fathering a child

Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan continues to raise questions concerning the moral character of the Catholicos of All Armenians, Garegin II.

The Armenian prime minister posted yet another message on this matter on Facebook, Caliber.Az reports.

“Let the Holy Mother See of Etchmiadzin clarify: according to the canons of the Armenian Apostolic Holy Church (AAHC), what happens when a celibate clergyman breaks his vow of celibacy and, after taking the vow, fathers a child?” Pashinyan writes.

In recent weeks, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has intensified his public criticism of the head of the Armenian Apostolic Church, Catholicos Garegin II, accusing him of violating his religious vows—specifically, the vow of celibacy required of high-ranking clergy in the church. Pashinyan’s allegations, disseminated through a series of social media posts, suggest that the Catholicos may have fathered a child after having taken his vow, a serious breach under the canons of the Armenian Apostolic Holy Church.

The prime minister’s most recent Facebook post posed a pointed question to the Holy See of Etchmiadzin, the spiritual center of the church, asking what the canonical consequences are when a celibate clergyman allegedly violates this commitment. His messaging implies a demand for accountability and institutional transparency, challenging the traditional silence of the church hierarchy on such matters.

By Khagan Isayev