Media: Armenian PM allegedly plans to remove Catholicos Garegin II

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has reportedly approved a plan to remove Garegin II, the Catholicos of All Armenians, according to the Yerevan-based publication Zhoghovurd.

“Nikol Pashinyan has finally approved a scenario to remove the Catholicos of All Armenians, Garegin II. Whereas earlier he declared from the parliamentary podium that, together with people who read the Bible, he intended to go to Echmiadzin to hold a ‘spiritual assembly’ through the creation of a council, this idea has now turned into a concrete plan,” Caliber.Az quotes Zhoghovurd as stating.

According to the newspaper, the authorities intend to use the statements of priest Ter-Aram Asatryan, who expressed dissatisfaction about pressure within the church and claimed that they were being forced to participate in opposition rallies.

“According to Pashinyan’s plan, he will attempt to frame his actions as ‘protecting the rights of the clergy’ based on these statements, putting forward the thesis that the Catholicos is exerting pressure on his subordinates, and that the state must protect the church from the Catholicos.

In this scenario, it would be a real ‘gift’ for Pashinyan if Garegin II decides to reprimand or defrock Ter-Aram. This would be presented as yet another punitive measure, and the authorities would use the moment to attack the Holy Etchmiadzin (Veharan) under slogans such as ‘spiritual assembly,’ ‘spiritual dialogue,’ and similar.”

According to Zhoghovurd, this scenario is considered within the authorities as a major political step, to be implemented after the leadership elections of the Civil Contract party but before the general elections.

“Today it is already clear: Pashinyan’s goal is not peaceful coexistence between church and state, but a new staging — ‘on behalf of the people’ — to knock on the doors of Etchmiadzin and remove the Catholicos of All Armenians.

The authorities intend to appoint Ter-Aram as acting Catholicos, since he is a married priest rather than a monk, after which new elections for the Patriarch of All Armenians would be organised,” writes the Yerevan-based newspaper.

By Vugar Khalilov