Pashinyan accuses clergy of defiling Armenian Apostolic Church, renews push for reform

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has once again voiced strong criticism of the country's clergy, accusing parts of the spiritual leadership of desecrating the Armenian Apostolic Church.

His latest remarks, posted on Facebook, follow a series of confrontations between the government and senior church figures over questions of morality, transparency, and church-state relations, Caliber.Az reports.

In his post, Pashinyan directly quoted a recent statement made by Archbishop Mikael Ajapahyan:

“Quoting: What’s it to you whether a monk broke his vow of celibacy or not? Why do you care? It’s none of your business. The articles of the (church) code don’t concern you!”

Responding to these words, Pashinyan said the archbishop’s position reveals a deep misunderstanding among segments of the church hierarchy about the role and essence of the Armenian Apostolic Church.

“This statement by Mikael Ajapahyan, made just yesterday, clearly shows that some high-ranking clergy do not understand that the Armenian Apostolic Church is the people’s church. It belongs to each and every one of us. It is the sanctity of the people, the sanctity of every individual. It is the dwelling place of the nation’s soul, the soul of each one of us,” Pashinyan wrote.

“As a devoted follower of the Armenian Apostolic Church, as someone who reveres the church, believes in Jesus Christ and worships Him, I say this: the Armenian Apostolic Church is the dwelling place of our soul. And you are desecrating this house by violating the vow of celibacy—and not only by that,” he continued.

“Clergy who have broken their vow of celibacy cannot continue to serve spiritually. They must vacate the dwelling place of our soul.”

The post is part of a broader campaign by Pashinyan’s government to challenge the perceived impunity and influence of the church hierarchy. He previously said it was still unclear how many clergymen who had formally pledged celibacy were secretly maintaining family lives. He has also argued that the Armenian state should play a decisive role in the selection of the Catholicos of All Armenians — the church’s highest spiritual leader.

In parallel, the ruling Civil Contract party, led by Pashinyan, is reportedly preparing legislation to bring the church’s financial activities under state oversight. The proposed bill would require the Armenian Apostolic Church to submit to financial accountability measures and disclose its finances to the state.

By Tamilla Hasanova