Bloody covenant: Armenian Church calls for reprisal against Pashinyan Expert opinions on Caliber.Az

In the American city of Glendale, California, during a rally in support of the Armenian Church, a priest demanded to “cut off Pashinyan’s head.” It is noteworthy that this call by the clergyman did not provoke the slightest condemnation — on the contrary, part of the audience greeted his words with applause. This is just one example of how hatred toward the current Armenian government is being encouraged and stimulated by the Armenian Church.

Some analysts believe that by neutralizing a coup attempt involving oligarchs, Dashnaks, and clergymen, Pashinyan is forcing Armenian radicalism to reveal its true face — instead of calls for peace and humility, the clergy of the Armenian Apostolic Church, fearing loss of influence and power, are urging society through the diaspora and other pressure tools to take revenge on the country’s top officials.

Recognising the severity of the threat, Pashinyan appears ready to take decisive measures: recently, at a press conference, he stated that he would free the Catholicos’s residence just as he freed Armenia from the rule of Serzh Sargsyan.

What do foreign political experts think about this confrontation and the overall situation in Armenia?

Thus, Georgian political analyst and international expert Giorgi Gogua believes that the conflict between the church and the government in Armenia has long gone beyond public quarrels and has taken on a serious political dimension.

“This has led to institutional confrontation between the spiritual and political leaders of Armenia and indicates an attempt by Pashinyan to eliminate the Russian influence in the Armenian church once and for all. And that influence is undoubtedly present. The support of this issue by the Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has become proof that Russia is trying to maintain its ideological influence on Armenian society — by defending the church hierarchy,” the political analyst noted.

According to him, the part of the Georgian population that follows the news understands “what we are dealing with” — in Georgia, too, there are doubts about the loyalty of Russia among the highest church officials.

“In general, the church as an ideological instrument is a traditional method of control and domination used by Russia, which is coming to an end in Armenia. Now, in the struggle to remove the Catholicos, Pashinyan is trying to weaken the influence of Russian special services on Armenia’s domestic political life,” concluded Gogua.

In turn, according to Tajik political analyst Eraj Alimov, the statement by a representative of the Armenian Church at the rally in California once again proves that the Armenian Apostolic Church (AAC) is trying to raise the level of hatred toward its opponents, working according to a well-known pattern.

“Aggressive statements by representatives of the Armenian Church have always been shocking, and this time was no exception. Over the years, one could hear a wide variety of militant remarks, all of which resembled a performance more than a speech by clergymen. Moreover, calls to arms and struggle are a quite typical approach of the AAC to resolving any issues. The statements of this religious institution are very often filled with xenophobia and misanthropy. It is extremely rare to hear from the clergy calls for love, understanding, and justice.

In this regard, one can agree with some analysts who say that the AAC in its form resembles more a radical sect than a religious institution. So it is hardly surprising that the Armenian Church became an accomplice or possibly the inspirer of the attempted coup in Armenia — Armenian priests, particularly Garegin II, are worried about their lack of power and would like to expand its scope. There is an opinion that the Russian special services, having managed to involve the Catholicos in the coup project, promised to expand his powers with the arrival of new authorities in Armenia, to allow the Armenian Church to take control over various commercial and state facilities, and to strengthen the Catholicos’s influence in the media.

Thus, the calls for the physical elimination of Pashinyan are a clear indication that the AAC has mobilised all its forces in the Armenian diaspora, clearly preparing for a fight to the death,” said Alimov.