Armenian Prime Minister Pashinyan Proposes Parliamentary Investigation into Armenian Apostolic Church

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has proposed that parliament could establish an investigative commission into the Armenian Apostolic Church. This move would increase state involvement in the Church, despite constitutional protections that safeguard religious organizations’ autonomy.

In an interview with BOON TV, Pashinyan revealed that a state agency under his office had prepared a report addressing a crisis within the Church and suggesting potential resolutions. Although the report remains unpublished, Pashinyan has discussed its contents with his ruling party, Civil Contract, and anticipates its release. He expressed the possibility of forming a commission in the National Assembly to propose legislative changes based on the report’s findings.

Pashinyan described the current state of the Armenian Apostolic Holy Church as dire, attributing its condition to being “occupied” by Karekin II, the current Catholicos, whose secular name is Ktrich Nersisyan. This proposed investigation aligns with a broader government initiative to alter the Church’s leadership and governance structure. The government’s five-year program through 2031 includes objectives such as removing Karekin II, electing a locum tenens, adopting a new Church charter, and eventually electing a new Catholicos.

The government frames this initiative as a matter of “spiritual security.” However, analysts have raised constitutional and democratic concerns, noting that the policy blurs the lines between state and religious institutions. Armenia’s Constitution guarantees religious freedom, ensuring that religious organizations remain separate from the state while recognizing the Armenian Apostolic Church’s significant role in the spiritual, cultural, and national identity of Armenians. Despite this, the government cites a constitutional provision allowing for the regulation of state-Church relations by law as justification for potential legislative action.

As this situation unfolds, it highlights the delicate balance between governance, accountability, and the autonomy of religious institutions, echoing the biblical principle of seeking justice and integrity in leadership as found in Micah 6:8.

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