Armenian official: Church reforms aim to strengthen, not weaken it

Processes currently unfolding around the Armenian Church are not directed against it but are being carried out for its benefit, Deputy Speaker of Armenian Parliament Hakob Arshakyan told journalists in the parliament.

Arshakyan made the remarks in response to questions about recordings of Prime Minister Pashinyan calling for the removal of the Catholicos and the “liberation” of his residence, as well as about Pashinyan’s readiness to lead a movement against the church, Caliber.Az reports, citing Armenian media.

“I can say unequivocally that these steps are taken for the Church, for its dignity, and for a proper church for the Armenian people. The actions being taken will lead to that,” Arshakyan said.

He added that those who do not follow their own vows cannot speak about morality.

“We have yet to hear responses to the questions posed to the Catholicos. It is unwise to attribute what is happening to individuals as a reflection of the entire system. And if it is attributed, it should be for the sake of reform,” Arshakyan noted.

The controversy follows Pashinyan’s June 25 detention of Archbishop Galstanyan on charges of coup plotting, which the government linked to alleged Russian-backed efforts to destabilise Armenia.

On July 3, Pashinyan proposed a snap election for the Catholicos, a move critics, including the National Democratic Alliance, condemned as an attempt to assert state control over the church.

The Armenian Apostolic Church has been at odds with Pashinyan since Armenia’s 2020 defeat in the Second Karabakh War, which triggered widespread protests. Garegin II called for Pashinyan’s resignation in December 2020, citing national instability. The tension escalated further following Armenia’s return of four border villages to Azerbaijan in May 2024, leading to protests led by the AAC and opposition figures such as Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan, head of the “Holy Struggle” movement, demanding Pashinyan’s resignation and accusing his government of betraying national interests.

In response, the Armenian government has conducted over 90 searches, detaining over a dozen individuals, including senior clerics and opposition activists, on charges of terrorism and plotting a coup. Pashinyan has publicly accused the AAC, particularly Garegin II, of corruption and moral violations, including breaching celibacy vows, and has called for his resignation.

By Khagan Isayev