Harutyun Agha-Sarkisyan, chairman of the All-Armenian Council for the Protection of the Armenian Church, accused Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan of interfering in the church's activities.
Modern.az reports that he stated that the Armenian Apostolic Church is not just a religious institution, but a national institution formed over centuries.
Agha-Sarkisyan criticized the authorities for prosecuting religious figures, demanding the resignation of the Catholicos, and trying to determine who will lead the church:
“The Catholicos is not subordinate to the prime minister, Etchmiadzin is not a government office, and the church is not a structure of the 'Civil Contract' party. The Armenian Church has maintained its existence under all authorities, and rest assured, it will remain after you.”
The council chairman also accused the Armenian authorities of taking a contradictory stance in relations with the diaspora. According to him, while the government expects investment and support from diaspora representatives, it considers their defense of the church as “political interference.”
“Governments and prime ministers are temporary, parties come and go, but national institutions and peoples remain. The Church, the diaspora, and Armenian identity existed before you, and will exist after you,” Agha-Sarkisyan emphasized.
