Catholicos defrocks protester-priest

YEREVAN, JULY 17, ARMENPRESS. Catholicos of the Armenian Church Garegin II has defrocked Koryun Arakelyan, the priest who was leading the recent protests against the leader of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiatsin. Arakelyan was defrocked for “inadequate conduct and anti-canonical behavior, the Church said.

A conclusion of the disciplinary committee of the Mother See served as grounds for defrocking the priest, as well as ignoring a previous warning.

During the one week, the protesters led by the priest had even blocked the official vehicle in which the Catholicos was travelling.

Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan