Pashinyan referred to the Catholicos by the name of the basin; the opposition struck the tables.
24-08-2026 11:44 Armenia Politics
Azatutyun. The Prime Minister today also addressed the church in the National Assembly: Nikol Pashinyan referred to the Catholicos of All Armenians by the name of the baptismal font, after which the opposition factions began to bang their hands on the tables in protest. Meanwhile, the members of the ruling "Civil Contract" party were applauding.
"A number of clergymen, subject to the direct orders of Ktrich Nersisyan, call upon God from the altar during the Holy and Immortal liturgies to preserve the Republic of Artsakh, thus turning the church into an institution of war? This is a very interesting phenomenon. They make these calls and then say they should also plead to God for peace. If you are calling upon God for war, you shouldn't plead for peace; you should stand up for peace," the Prime Minister declared.
The program of the new government of Armenia is being discussed in the National Assembly today, where a separate chapter is dedicated to the church, stating that "the actual removal of the head of the Armenian Apostolic Holy Church (the call to rest) will be ensured, and the election of the Catholicosal deputy will be carried out in accordance with the established procedure."
Pashinyan's goal of deposing the Catholicos is also enshrined in the program of his party. In the electoral program, he promised to remove Garegin II by 2031. Pashinyan's campaign against the Mother See reached its peak especially in the last year. Criminal cases were initiated against the Catholicos and bishops supporting the Mother See. A group of high-ranking clergymen were in prison for months on various charges.
* This text was automatically translated by Artificial Intelligence (AI).
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