Armenian priest accuses top cleric of losing authority in Church

Priest Ter Aram, the abbot of Hovhanavank, has announced that Catholicos of All Armenians Garegin II has been deprived of his clerical rank, Caliber.Az reports via Armenian press.

“Dear believers, we once again inform you that Ktrich Nersisyan (Garegin II), who previously served in the Aragatsotn Diocese, and Samvel Khachatryan (former Bishop Arshak), have been deprived of their clerical status, and none of the ‘rites’ performed by them (baptisms, weddings, funerals, liturgies, house blessings, or any other ‘rituals’) are valid.

We consider it our duty to inform you of this so that you do not mislead yourselves out of ignorance and commit sin,” the clergyman said.

Priest Ter Aram, whose secular name is Stepan Asatryan, was among the first Armenian religious figures to openly challenge Catholicos Garegin II. He previously accused the Catholicos of openly “encourages sin, seeking to make everyone like himself.”

Following these accusations, Garegin II stripped Ter Aram of his clerical rank. However, Armenian authorities have said they do not consider the Catholicos’s decision legitimate.

By Tamilla Hasanova