On May 30, Nikol Pashinyan, Prime Minister of Armenia, sparked controversy with a series of posts sharply criticizing the Armenian Apostolic Church, provoking strong reactions from social media users and church officials.
Pashinyan’s posts, containing explicit language, caused outrage online, leading many users to call for his resignation and condemn his rhetoric. His wife, Anna Hakobyan, also posted comments criticizing the church, stating: “The country’s leading pedophiles are furious over the word ‘closet.’” She further described closets as “the dark corners of the lives of torturers who wear black robes” and accused the clergy of hiding perversions unworthy of the faithful.
During a government meeting, Pashinyan reiterated his accusations against the church, claiming that Armenian churches are “closetized” and filled with “bags of cement, old pieces of scrap metal, and rusty pieces of rebar,” contrasting this with the spiritual expectations of the faithful. He asked, “How can one be so false? How can one talk so much about holiness and be so ungodly?”
The clergy responded sharply to these statements. Archbishop Arshak Khachatryan, head of the office of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, suggested Pashinyan should focus instead on “Azerbaijan’s growing claims to Armenian shrines” and the “pressing issues of preserving shrines in occupied Artsakh.” Ovan Akopian, head of the Gugar Diocese, called the Prime Minister “the country’s chief demoniac.”
Pashinyan also raised questions about the clergy’s adherence to celibacy vows, stating on Facebook: “Some are concerned that I am not officially married. Half of our spiritual elite are in the same position... And what happens when a clergyman breaks his vow of celibacy? He is stripped of his position and priesthood.” He added that all clergy violating celibacy must leave the ministry, emphasizing the people’s right to spiritual and moral values.
The Prime Minister insisted that the Republic of Armenia should have a decisive role in electing the Catholicos of All Armenians, calling for candidates to undergo background checks to “resolve this issue once and for all.”
On June 2, Pashinyan noted a consensus that the matter of blasphemous “saints” must be addressed, humorously referencing a Soviet-era joke to underline the tone of public debate. He also quoted from the Bible and used crude language in his criticism, exemplified by his recent post stating: “Saint, go on violating your uncle’s wife, what business is it of yours?”
The Prime Minister stated that if Garegin II has broken his vow of celibacy and fathered a child, he cannot serve as the Catholicos of All Armenians. Pashinyan emphasized, “I say this with all due respect for everyone’s right to privacy in their personal and family life, but the Catholicos of All Armenians cannot have such a personal life.” He explained that he raises this concern both as a follower of the Armenian Apostolic Church, viewing it as a matter of spiritual security, and as Prime Minister of Armenia, considering it a matter of national security. He called on the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin to take a clear position on the matter, after which the issue would be further clarified.