Armenian archbishop claims church leader chooses politics over faith

The head of the Armenian Apostolic Church’s Baltic diocese, Archbishop Vazgen Mirzakhanyan, has accused the Catholicos of thinking politically rather than spiritually.

Speaking to Armenian media, the archbishop said the establishment of a Coordination Council, first proposed by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan last summer, had been delayed but is now operational, Caliber.Az reports.

He expressed confidence that other figures will join the council to advise on navigating the current situation.

Mirzakhanyan criticised the Catholicos, suggesting he is constrained by both internal and external pressures and surrounded not by clergy but by representatives of political parties. “The Catholicos cannot make decisions freely,” he said, “because he is held in a vice of influence.

We have seen how secular figures control him to ensure he follows the path they want. But once he chooses to retire peacefully, allowing the Church to move forward, no one will be able to obstruct him.”

He added that the process is entering a new phase and predicted forthcoming spiritual changes, while dismissing opposition media efforts to distort the situation. “Truth is light, and with its arrival, darkness disappears,” he said.

By Aghakazim Guliyev