There has long been no preaching on spiritual topics in ordinary churches in Armenia, while during the liturgy the priest must deliver a sermon at a certain part of the service. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan stated this in a video posted on Facebook regarding the Armenian Apostolic Church.

“They write, send political texts, say [to the priest], ‘Read.’ They have turned it [i.e. the Armenian Apostolic Church] into a political party, which is absolutely unacceptable and impermissible. That day’s episode, I did not know, they brought [it] to me, showed me that the acting head of the church [i.e. Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II] comes out at the [Yerevan international] airport, says ‘Where are the people?’ but there are no people [there]. The people are not [there] because he was not for the people, and the people are not there for him, because he has driven the people away from the church,” said the Armenian premier.