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Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said he considers the Armenian Apostolic Church to be “seized” and sees the need for legislative changes to resolve the situation.
“The Church is neither the Catholicos nor the bishops; the Church is the faithful people. The faithful people have been excluded from the governance of the Church. The tradition of Church governance is parish councils, diocesan councils, and the National Ecclesiastical Assembly, which, contrary to what is prescribed, has not been held. Imagine if there were no Cabinet or National Assembly sessions in Armenia. Imagine if I had a status that precluded me from being prime minister, and everyone said, ‘Well, it’s okay, if he has made it to that office, let him sit there for himself,’” the Prime Minister said at a press briefing.
Referring to the recently published report on the Church crisis authored by the Information and Public Relations Center of the Prime Minister’s Office, Pashinyan said that an investigative commission should be established in the near future to examine the report.
“As a result, legislative changes should be made to end the seizure of the Church,” Pashinyan said.
The Pashinyan administration’s 2026–2031 program includes an agenda for reforming the Armenian Apostolic Church, including the removal of its current head, Catholicos Karekin II, from office and the holding of new elections for the Catholicos of All Armenians.
Pashinyan and other members of his administration have repeatedly accused Karekin II of illegitimately holding office and called on him to step down. He has so far refused to do so and denied any wrongdoing.