Armenian ruling party demands Catholicos’ resignation amid church-state turmoil

A senior member of Armenia’s ruling Civil Contract party, MP Vahagn Aleksanyan, has issued a forceful rebuke of Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II (Ktrich Nersisyan), calling for his resignation amid  escalating tensions between the Apostolic Church and the state.

Speaking at a press briefing in parliament, Aleksanyan accused the church leader of leading an “anti-church campaign” in collusion with opposition forces, Caliber.Az reports, citing Armenian media.

“I strongly condemn the actions of the leader of the anti-church movement, Ktrich (Karekin II), including the coercion of priests—even archbishops—to attend rallies alongside the parents of Robert Kocharyan or Serzh Sargsyan,” Aleksanyan said.

“This anti-church campaign must be halted, and Ktrich Nersisyan must step down from the Patriarchate. The term ‘anti-church’ is used too often, but if anyone truly embodies that term, it is Ktrich himself through his conduct.”

The MP’s statement was echoed by Arayik Harutyunyan, Chief of Staff to the Prime Minister, who took to Facebook to criticize the Catholicos’ recent actions and expressed solidarity with defrocked cleric Father Aram Asatryan.

“I am confident that the editors of newspapers and news websites in Armenia who value journalistic integrity will condemn the anti-church actions of Ktrich Nersisyan and the politically motivated repression of clergymen,” Harutyunyan wrote.

“I express my support for Father Aram,” he added.

By Vafa Guliyeva