Armenian PM demands expulsion of clergy who broke celibacy vows

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has intensified his public criticism of the Armenian Apostolic Church, accusing certain clergymen of breaking their vows of celibacy and insisting they should be removed from religious service.

In a strongly worded post on Facebook, Pashinyan declared:

“These so-called holy fathers apparently don’t even observe the Great Lent.
All clergymen who have broken their vow of celibacy must be removed from spiritual service. There is no other option.”

The statement came in response to comments from Archbishop Mikael Ajapahyan, head of the Shirak Diocese, who reacted to the previous day’s accusations made by Pashinyan and members of his team. They had publicly claimed that some members of the Armenian clergy were violating their celibacy vows.

Ajapahyan fired back with a caustic rebuke:

“Let one of these idle talkers try living a month without a woman.”

The war of words did not end there. Pashinyan responded not only with criticism but also with scripture, quoting Psalm 5 from the Bible to drive home his point:

“Lead me, O Lord, in Your righteousness because of my enemies; make Your way straight before me.
For there is no faithfulness in their mouth; their inward part is destruction.”

Pashinyan has long had a strained relationship with the Armenian Apostolic Church, often accusing it of meddling in politics and failing to live up to spiritual and ethical standards.

By Tamilla Hasanova