Armenian top lawmaker rejects Catholicos, labels church leadership “illegitimate” He will leave anyway

Armenian Parliament Speaker Alen Simonyan publicly refused to recognize Catholicos Karekin II, branding the latter’s institution as “illegitimate,” while also condemning the Etchmiadzin Supreme Patriarchate’s recent decision to defrock Father Aram Asatryan.

“Catholicos? I don’t know such a person. This man has violated his sacred oath,” Simonyan declared emphatically, Caliber.Az reports, citing Armenian media.

Addressing the Etchmiadzin decision to strip Father Aram Asatryan of his priesthood—thereby revoking his right to conduct liturgies on behalf of the Armenian Apostolic Church—Simonyan dismissed the ecclesiastical authority responsible as illegitimate.

“This is an illegitimate structure. Ktrich Nersisyan [Catholicos Karekin II] should understand that, as he himself warns, ‘they are approaching our homes,’ and he should not push things to the limit… He will leave anyway,” Simonyan asserted.

In a further indication of his stance, Simonyan announced that he would abstain from attending the liturgy at the Hovhannavank Monastery, which Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan plans to attend and which is set to be led by the defrocked Father Asatryan. 

By Vafa Guliyeva