Armenia’s Hraparak daily writes as follows: Judging by certain signs, we can say that senior clergy appear to have decided to step away from the Christian stance of “if someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to them the other also” and are taking certain countermeasures against the authorities.

Days after the fake liturgy at Hovhannavank [Church] last Sunday and the seizure of the church by defrocked priest Stepan Asatryan, a report about a crime was filed regarding that incident, and yesterday the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin issued a strongly worded statement.

According to our information, it took several days to convince the Catholicos [of All Armenians, Karekin II] that some resistance should be shown and that a report [on a crime] should be filed regarding the fake liturgy at Hovhannavank, and [attorney] Ara Zohrabyan submitted that report to the prosecutor’s office the day before. Before Sunday’s “liturgy,”

Ara Zohrabyan had already filed another report, concerning the creation of obstacles to the conduct of a religious ceremony as well as the need to prevent the seizure of the temple. Also, he demanded that Stepan Asatryan be expelled from Hovhannavank, which is designated exclusively for clergy. And yesterday, the Mother See announced that “the actions being carried out under the guise of religious ceremonies at Hovhannavank are desecration,” and that “the church of Hovhannavank is subject to reconsecration.”