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Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan strongly rejected on Thursday accusations that his administration has been “attacking” the Armenian Apostolic Church.
Pashinyan has repeatedly called for the resignation of Catholicos Karekin II, accusing him of illegitimately holding office. The Church leadership has denied these accusations and, in turn, accused the Prime Minister of conducting an “anti-church” campaign.
“There is nowhere in the documents of the Armenian Apostolic Church that states the person holding the position of Catholicos and the Church are the same, or that a bishop and the Church are the same. There have been numerous cases where a Catholicos was removed from office and left. Did the Church collapse? No. In the past, there have been cases in Armenia where bishops were held criminally responsible and spent years in prison,” Pashinyan said.
He ruled out any connection between the recent developments around the Church and the peace process with Azerbaijan.
Pashinyan previously stated that Catholicos Karekin II is illegitimate, alleging that he violated his vow of celibacy by fathering a child.
Pashinyan has described himself as a “devoted follower of the Armenian Apostolic Church” who is fighting against those who have "desecrated the Church’s sanctities."