Armenian PM Says Government May Reclaim Churches Amid Rift With Catholicos

Nikol Pashinyan. Photo: primeminister.am

YEREVAN — Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan announced during a parliamentary session that the government plans to reclaim several churches, including Hovhannavank, returning them to state administration. His remarks came in response to Catholicos Karekin II’s decision to defrock Fr. Aram Asatryan (now Stepan Asatryan), Hovhannavank’s former pastor.

According to reporting from Armenia Today, Pashinyan argued that Hovhannavank, like many historical monuments, is technically government property but had been granted for use to the Armenian Apostolic Church. He argued that sites lacking genuine spiritual life but filled with “intrigues, schemes, and fake displays of religiosity” should be returned “to the people.”

Expressing open support for Asatryan — who made allegations of corruption and dysfunction within the Church —Pashinyan said, “We will support Fr. Aram and priests like him in every possible way so that they can restore genuine spiritual life in Armenia.” He added that he intends to receive communion from Asatryan, dismissing Karekin II’s authority:

“Ktrich Nersisyan [the Catholicos] has long been defrocked and cannot defrock anyone. How can he defrock a priest if he himself has a wife and children?”

The controversy follows a new wave of clergy arrests linked to Asatryan’s statements about forced participation of priests in political rallies in 2021. Twelve clergymen were detained after searches of church offices, and Bishop Mkrtich Proshyan and Fr. Garegin Arsenyan were later jailed. Asatryan was officially defrocked on October 21 but announced he would celebrate liturgy at Hovhannavank on October 26, with Pashinyan confirming his attendance.

Previously, UOJ reported that multiple clerics had been arrested in Armenia as as the Armenian Apostolic Church faces accusations of an attempted coup.

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