Media: Armenian leader plans to establish new religious organisation

Concerns have emerged within Armenia’s power circles that Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan intends to establish a new religious organisation.

The publication notes that these concerns intensified after Pashinyan, on the eve of Christmas on January 5, announced the creation of a coordination council for reforming the Armenian Church and presented a “roadmap”, Caliber.Az reports via Yerevan-based Hraparak newspaper.

The newspaper suggests that, as a result, the prime minister will create a structure that will be officially registered as a religious organisation.

On January 6, Pashinyan called on citizens to pressure clergy to back reforms in the Armenian Church, labelling Catholicos Garegin II and his allies as adherents of “schism and sectarian thinking”.

Speaking after a religious procession in Yerevan, Pashinyan stressed that the Church must be returned to the people, criticising its long-standing isolation from public influence. The move deepens tensions that emerged after the 2020 Karabakh war, when parts of the Church leadership opposed Pashinyan’s policies, including calls for his resignation.

Over the past year, Pashinyan has accused Garegin II and senior clergy of political interference, corruption, and violations of religious vows. In June 2025, he publicly claimed that Garegin II broke his vow of celibacy, further escalating the standoff.

In late 2025 and early 2026, Pashinyan unveiled a reform roadmap with 10 dissident bishops, aiming to remove Garegin II, adopt a new church charter, and elect a new head under updated procedures. A coordination council has also been established to oversee the changes.

By Aghakazim Guliyev