On June 2, the Supreme Spiritual Council of the Armenian Apostolic Church, led by Catholicos Garegin II, convened at the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin and issued a strong condemnation of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s recent anti-Church rhetoric.
In a sharply worded statement, the Council accused the Prime Minister of using “profane and indecent language” in public communications, asserting that his comments violated fundamental human rights, insulted religious believers, and aimed to discredit the Armenian Church for political purposes.
“This anti-Church behavior,” the statement continued, “poses a threat to Armenian statehood and the unity of our people, both in the homeland and the Diaspora. Such reprehensible initiatives serve the aspirations of external Armenianophobic forces” and align with “slander and false accusations” propagated by Azerbaijani media.
Reaffirming its mission, the Armenian Apostolic Church pledged to continue “countering destructive processes” and “defending the supreme interests of the state and our sacred values.”
“The Church operates according to its own canon law, beyond the jurisdiction of state and political figures,” the statement emphasized. “The Armenian Apostolic Holy Church is united under the leadership of the Catholicos of All Armenians and its faithful clergy.”
The Council urged state authorities to halt what it described as the Prime Minister’s “illegal and shortsighted policy,” warning against drawing the Church into artificial political agendas.
Calling on the public to remain faithful and united, the statement concluded: “May the Lord keep Armenian statehood unshakable, and may the Holy Armenian Apostolic Church remain strong with all its faithful children.”