Armenian PM Pashinyan’s Obscene Attacks on Church Spark Outrage Amid Constitutional Concerns and Azerbaijani Claims

OCP News Service – 30/05/2025

Yerevan-Armenia: Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has ignited a storm of outrage among opposition leaders, public figures, and ordinary citizens after reportedly using obscene language to publicly condemn senior clergymen of the Armenian Apostolic Church. This marks a significant deterioration in his already strained relationship with the ancient church, to which the vast majority of Armenians belong. Some critics, including followers of the Armenian government, have even called for Pashinyan’s excommunication. (Source: Azatutyun.am, May 30, 2025; Civilnet.am, May 30, 2025).

The controversy erupted after Pashinyan, during a cabinet meeting on Thursday, May 29, claimed that many churches across the country resembled “closets” and were filled with construction waste, though he offered no concrete examples. This came after a recent visit to four churches in Syunik province, three of which are undergoing repairs, according to Archbishop Makar Hakobian, head of the provincial diocese (Source: Azatutyun.am, May 30, 2025).

In a swift and angry response, Bishop Hovnan Hakobian of the Lori province diocese branded Pashinyan “the country’s main sick man” and “main traitor,” linking the Prime Minister’s remarks to Azerbaijan’s condemnation of a recent international conference in Switzerland on preserving Nagorno-Karabakh’s Armenian religious and cultural heritage, which Catholicos Garegin II attended (Source: Azatutyun.am, May 30, 2025).

Pashinyan then escalated the verbal assault on social media, reportedly using profanities and alleging that many senior clergymen have engaged in secret sexual affairs, violating their celibacy vows, and should be defrocked. While the Mother See in Echmiadzin did not immediately issue an official statement, Archbishop Arshak Khachatrian, head of its chancellery, strongly retaliated against both Pashinyan and his wife, Anna Hakobian, who had joined in the verbal attacks, suggesting the couple was headed for “the abyss of destruction.” (Source: Azatutyun.am, May 30, 2025).

The Prime Minister’s conduct has drawn widespread condemnation, with opposition lawmakers like Artur Khachatrian accusing him of “hooliganism.” Public sentiment appears largely critical, with many social media users and interviewed Yerevan residents expressing shame and disappointment, urging the Prime Minister to focus on national security and socioeconomic issues.

These internal attacks on the Church coincide with serious external threats to Armenian religious heritage. At a recent Council of Qadis meeting in Baku, Sheikh-ul-Islam Allahshukur Pashazade claimed that historic Armenian religious sites, including the Mother Cathedral of Holy Etchmiadzin, are located on Azerbaijani territory and labeled the Armenian Apostolic Church a “destabilizing force” in the region. The Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin has firmly rejected these claims as false and inflammatory. (Source: PanARMENIAN.Net, May 27, 2025).

Human rights defenders have accused Pashinyan of deliberately undermining the constitutional order, highlighting his public statements about the Republic of Armenia playing a “decisive role” in electing the Catholicos of All Armenians and calling for a “vetting process” for candidates. These actions are viewed as a direct threat to the Church’s autonomy and a violation of the constitutional separation of church and state, potentially constituting a criminal offense under Armenian law. However, skepticism remains regarding legal recourse due to perceived political compromise within law enforcement institutions. (Source: PanARMENIAN.Net, May 31, 2025; Civilnet.am, May 31, 2025; Panorama.am, May 31, 2025).

Pashinyan’s relationship with the Armenian Church has deteriorated significantly since the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war, with clergymen blaming him for the defeat and subsequent events, while the Prime Minister accuses them of political meddling.

Source:
OCP News Services