Armenia’s Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan attended Sunday’s service at Hovhannavank Church as an individual, according to Minister of Justice Srbuhi Galyan.

Speaking with reporters Monday, and responding to a question about the prime minister’s repeated attacks on the Armenian Apostolic Church and his participation in a Sunday service conducted by a defrocked clergyman—thus exceeding his authority, the justice minister said that circumstances must be distinguished when discussing authority. According to her, it is necessary to differentiate between what someone does as an official and what they do as an individual citizen. At the same time, Galyan assured that “no one interferes in church affairs.”

Commenting on some experts’ view that Pashinyan’s attacks on the Armenian Apostolic Church have violated Armenia’s constitutional order, the justice minister stated that the church does not fall under the concept of “constitutional order.”

According to her, Pashinyan attended the aforesaid service outside his official powers—as prime minister. “It is a wish that anyone can have, including the prime minister,” Galyan clarified, urging that the actions of an individual should not be associated with the church.