Armenian Supreme Spiritual Council Condemns PM Pashinyan’s “Shameful Anti-Church Campaign”

OCP News Service – 04/06/2025

Yerevan-Armenia: The Supreme Spiritual Council of the Armenian Apostolic Church convened today at the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, under the presidency of His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians. The meeting, which included bishops and primates from both Armenia and the Diaspora, addressed pressing national challenges, Church-State relations, and other matters of public concern.

Particular attention was directed towards the “recent shameful anti-Church campaign incited by the Prime Minister.” In response, the Supreme Spiritual Council issued a strong statement on June 2, 2025, unequivocally condemning Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s actions.

The Council’s statement described Pashinyan’s latest campaign as using “language unbecoming of a statesman—replete with insults and accusations—and positioning himself above the law.” It asserted that the publications, “saturated with obscene expressions and vulgar rhetoric, violate the most basic norms of civility, trample fundamental human rights, and gravely offend the religious sentiments of the faithful—all under the guise of feigned concern and contrived pretexts.”

The statement further characterized the anti-Church campaign as politically motivated, aiming “to erode the standing of the Armenian Church and its clergy, who are rightfully held in high esteem both in national life and within the international community.” The Council warned that such “Church-hating behavior” carries “destructive consequences and poses a serious threat to Armenian statehood and the unity of our people, both in the homeland and the diaspora.” It highlighted how these actions “fracture society, undermine the spirit of our nation, and erode the deep-rooted consciousness of patriotic devotion.”

The Supreme Spiritual Council explicitly linked Pashinyan’s actions to “agendas of external anti-Armenian forces fueled by Armenophobia” and the “slander and false accusations leveled against the Armenian people and the Armenian Church by the Azerbaijani propaganda apparatus.”

Reaffirming its sacred mission, the Council declared that the Armenian Church “will steadfastly pursue its spiritual and national calling, firmly opposing destructive forces and unwaveringly defending the highest interests of our nation, state, and sacred values.” It emphasized that “Matters of the Church are governed by ecclesiastical canons and regulations and lie beyond the jurisdiction of state and political authorities.”

The Council urged “competent state authorities to halt the Prime Minister’s unlawful and shortsighted policies,” stressing that there is “no justification for involving the Church in artificially manufactured agendas or provoking retaliatory actions.”

Finally, the Supreme Spiritual Council called upon the faithful children of the Holy Church to “stand united and of one spirit, with loyalty to both our homeland and the Holy Church, and with unwavering faith to overcome all challenges.” The statement concluded with prayers for the peace, prosperity, and progress of the homeland and for the steadfast preservation of Armenian statehood and the Holy Church.

Source:
OCP News Services