Armenian Church accuses PM Pashinyan of political attack

By Zhanna Avagyan

Armenian Apostolic Church accused Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan of launching a politically motivated campaign to undermine the Church, in a sharply worded declaration issued at a June 2 meeting of its Supreme Spiritual Council at the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin.

The statement followed days of escalating attacks by the Prime Minister against senior clergy, including Catholicos Karekin II. Church leaders said Pashinyan had crossed legal and moral boundaries, describing his comments as “profane,” “unbefitting a statesman,” and a threat to national cohesion.

“The Prime Minister has once again launched an offensive against the Armenian Apostolic Holy Church, employing language and accusations that are unbecoming of a public official,” the Church said. His “vulgar and disrespectful discourse” was said to violate the norms of civil behavior and “grossly offend the religious sentiments of the faithful.”

Church leaders claimed the government’s posture was aimed at silencing its voice and diminishing its influence at home and abroad. “This anti-Church stance is clearly driven by political motives,” the statement read, warning of “destructive consequences” for Armenian statehood and the unity of the Armenian people, both in the homeland and the diaspora.

The dispute escalated last week after Pashinyan and his wife accused specific clergy of violating celibacy vows, notably Bishop Hovnan Hakobyan of the Gougark Diocese. The Prime Minister later wrote on Facebook that if Catholicos Karekin II had fathered a child, he could not remain head of the Church. Pashinyan did not provide evidence.

Also read: Pashinyan escalates conflict with Armenian Church

In response, the Church condemned efforts to impose “artificial agendas” and “drag the Church into political confrontation,” stating that “Church affairs are governed by canonical law and lie beyond the authority of political officials.”

The June 2 declaration also warned that such rhetoric could serve the interests of “external anti-Armenian forces,” connecting the prime minister’s language to Azerbaijani disinformation campaigns targeting the Church and the Armenian people.

Tensions between the Church and the government have been mounting since Armenia’s defeat in the 2020 Karabakh war. The Church has repeatedly called for Pashinyan’s resignation and backed protest movements led by senior clergy. In turn, the government has sought to challenge the Church’s privileges and proposed tighter oversight over its hierarchy.

Still, public trust in the Church remains strong. According to the most recent Caucasus Barometer survey, it is the most trusted institution in Armenia, far surpassing political parties and state bodies.

“There is no need to drag the Church into divisive agendas or provoke it into retaliatory actions,” the Church said in its appeal, urging state authorities to reverse course.

Also read: Armenians trust the church and army most, distrust politicians and media