Garegin II will not abdicate throne
Archbishop Arshak Khachatryan, head of the Holy See’s Office in Etchmiadzin, said today: “I see no grounds for the Catholicos of All Armenians to abdicate. He cannot step down simply because certain circles, including questionable ones, are pushing such an agenda. Nor can he step down even if ten bishops demand it.”
His press conference came in response to a statement by ten senior clergy members of the Armenian Apostolic Church, who called on the Catholicos to resign. Last week, they also met with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. In effect, they expressed solidarity with the Prime Minister, who has long argued for church reforms and for the Catholicos to be removed. He claims that the Patriarch broke his vow of celibacy and has a child.
The clergy statement reads: “We expect Garegin II, for the love of our Church and our people, to assess the situation soberly, avoid causing unnecessary turmoil to our nation and Church, and voluntarily retire. This would allow new elections to be organised.”
Meanwhile, Archbishop Khachatryan emphasized that the Catholicos is elected by the National Church Assembly. Accordingly, a voluntary decision to step down “would amount to desertion.”
“I am confident that the Catholicos will not make such a decision and cannot act in this way. He possesses an exceptionally strong sense of belonging to the Church,” Archbishop Arshak Khachatryan stressed.
During the press conference, he also addressed not only the potential resignation of the Patriarch but discussions regarding his alleged violation of the vow of celibacy, as well as a private video in which he is reportedly involved.
Context
At the end of last week, ten senior clergy members issued two statements. In the first, they criticised the Patriarch’s inaction for failing to remove the head of his office from service:
“The Catholicos is trying at all costs to conceal the sacrilegious actions of Archbishop Arshak, thereby becoming a protector of sacrilege.”
The archbishops and bishops appealed to the Catholicos, urging him to suspend Archbishop Khachatryan from his duties. The call was based on a private video in which the head of the office is reportedly involved. The video appeared on Telegram channels at the end of October. Since then, the scandal surrounding the senior Armenian Apostolic Church clergyman has continued. However, the Catholicos chose not to take any action regarding the matter.
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan met with the clergy who condemned the Catholicos, thanking them for publicly expressing their “principled position.”
Then, on 28 November, a session of the Supreme Spiritual Council was scheduled at the Holy See of Etchmiadzin. However, it did not take place, as the session was boycotted by the clergy who had signed the statement and were members of the council.
The first statement was followed by a second, in which senior clergy expressed hope that the Catholicos would voluntarily step down.
In response, other senior clergy reaffirmed their loyalty to Garegin II. The statement by the ten clergy members was condemned by members of the Russian and New Nakhichevan dioceses. The head of this diocese is Ezras Nersisyan, brother of Garegin II. He was supported by the primate of the Shirak Diocese, Archbishop Mikael Adjapahyan, who is under arrest on charges of calling for a seizure of power. The primate of the Tavush Diocese, Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan, also expressed solidarity with the Catholicos. He is also under arrest, accused of planning “terrorist acts and a seizure of power.”
Archbishops Mikael Adjapahyan and Bagrat Galstanyan proposed that the Patriarch end the “service of disobedient” clergy members and appoint new diocesan heads.
‘A treacherous step’: bishops’ statement sparks controversy
“That which they have done is treason, apostasy, a blatant step toward division,” Archbishop Arshak Khachatryan said, describing the actions of the “disobedient clergy.”
According to him, these clergy members have betrayed God, the Church, and themselves by taking the path of “self-denial.” He did not rule out that their actions might receive “an appropriate assessment” in the near future.
“The only thing I rule out is that we will retreat or give in to this pressure,” he added.
Khachatryan also said that the Patriarch will decide which body will consider the matter and make a ruling. For this purpose, a disciplinary commission could, in particular, be established.
‘Patriarch has a large army of supporters‘
Archbishop Arshak Khachatryan spoke about unity within the Church and the support the Catholicos enjoys from the clergy:
“The Patriarch is not alone. Only ten bishops issued a statement [condemning the Catholicos]. To demonstrate the clergy’s unity with the Catholicos, it is not necessary for all clergy members to issue a statement,” he said.
Moreover, according to the head of the Holy See’s Office, even if no clergy member supported the Patriarch, he could not be considered to have “abdicated the throne.”
“Even if such a situation arose—which it would not—and he were left alone without any support from the Church, no one can consider him to have abdicated while he continues to hold the position,” he explained.
Khachatryan stressed that Garegin II has a large army of supporters. He added that the Catholicos shows no intention of yielding or stepping down.
‘Are the children of clergy really the main problem in Armenia?‘
Journalists asked Archbishop Arshak Khachatryan to comment on the reports that the Catholicos may have broken his vow of celibacy.
He said he did not consider himself in a position to answer the question and described the reports as “an artificial provocation aimed at discrediting the Church.”
“Is the main problem in Armenia today really the private relationships of clergy and their alleged children? Will obtaining exhaustive answers to these questions strengthen our country’s security? Will our borders become inviolable? Will societal divisions disappear? Of course not. It is clear that these issues are being raised to deepen the split. I do not understand the claim that clergy have no right to a personal life. That is basic ignorance, whoever says it. Everyone has a right to a personal life.”
‘I have not committed any acts I should be ashamed of‘
The press conference also addressed a video in which Archbishop Arshak Khachatryan is reportedly featured. He said that the videos circulating on social media are “lies, forgeries” and have no connection to him. He even suggested that they might have been created using artificial intelligence.
“I will take all measures to present an objective picture, including conducting an international expert examination,” he said.
The archbishop added that he has “never acted against the Church” and has nothing to be ashamed of. In his view, he has become a target because he does not praise the authorities:
“They want to persecute everyone who does not share their political agenda, who criticizes them. They have found individual ways to target each person. And this—[the dissemination of a private video]—fell to me. It has become our cross, and we must bear our cross.”
Speaking about a possible temporary suspension from duties, he noted that “if it is necessary in the interests of the Church, I am ready to take any step.”
At the end of October, an unknown Telegram channel was the first to publish a private video reportedly featuring the head of the Holy See’s Office. The footage was reportedly recorded using hidden cameras installed in the living room and bathroom of the clergyman’s home. Reports said the video shows Archbishop Arshak Khachatryan and his uncle’s wife.
As part of a criminal case being investigated by the Investigative Committee, audiovisual and facial recognition examinations confirmed “the presence of Archbishop Arshak Khachatryan in the video.”
‘Pashinyan is interfering in the church’s autonomy‘
“The head of state, without having such authority, is directly interfering in the autonomy of the Church. He decides who should be the Catholicos and under what procedures they should be elected. Moreover, he reserves the right to carry out a kind of morality assessment of the clergy,” the clergyman said, describing the program of “church renewal” announced by the Prime Minister.
Archbishop Arshak Khachatryan believes that all of this is happening to distract people from real problems. According to him, Pashinyan takes such steps based on geopolitical, political, or personal factors:
“[Nikol Pashinyan] wants a controllable clergy that will serve his interests.”
Khachatryan assured that as long as Garegin II remains Catholicos, “this approach will not happen.”
‘The situation can only be resolved if we reject this government‘
The clergyman stressed that “illegal processes” are taking place around the Church.
“An illegal process cannot have a lawful resolution. These are actions driven by obvious political or geopolitical considerations. Legal resistance may yield some results, but it will not fully dispel our concerns,” he said.
The archbishop is convinced that “any political or external interference in the life of the Church” cannot be justified either legally or canonically.
He emphasized that if church processes are carried out under external pressure, the Church will cease to fulfil its mission and become “a servant to outside agendas.”
“The solution must be resistance. We need patience and a rational use of the tools available. I do not have ready-made recipes to say: let’s do this or that,” he said.
At the same time, he noted that resolving the problem of “attacks” on the Church is linked to events in Armenia following the 44-day war in 2020.
“To address the issue, we must reject this government and their agenda. By lawful, constitutional, non-violent—again, I emphasize, non-violent—means. I will not give them the satisfaction of provoking another criminal case on this basis,” he concluded.
Garegin II will not abdicate throne
Garegin II will not abdicate throne
Garegin II will not abdicate throne
Garegin II will not abdicate throne
