A statement was issued Wednesday on behalf of the self-proclaimed coordinating council of the so-called “reform movement” of the Armenian Apostolic Church, which once again distorts the realities and attempts to mislead the faithful people, the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin noted in a statement it released on Thursday.

The Mother See’s statement added as follows: “The Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin deeply regrets the anti-church campaign and the divisive course adopted by the ten bishops who supported the defrocked [clerics] involved in it.

The reality is that the appeals and invitations addressed by the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin to the bishops affiliated with the movement initiated by the prime minister of Armenia have so far remained unanswered, and the proposals to return to the canonical field, examine the issues in church instances have been ignored. At the same time, both in the past and especially today, the aforementioned bishops have not in any way indicated the realistic ways to normalize relations between the [Armenian Apostolic] Church and the [Armenian] authorities; on the contrary, under obvious influence, they are constantly making attempts to resolve the issues through non-canonical, condemnable ways.

It is unacceptable to question the jurisdiction of church bodies, in whose work many of the aforementioned bishops have participated, made decisions, and assumed responsibility related to the activities of the [Armenian Apostolic] Church for decades. The necessary clarifications in this connection have already been officially provided.

One of the ways to overcome the worrying situation created as a result of the unconstitutional steps of the [Armenian] authorities is also the invited Bishops’ Synod, the canonicality of which is in no way conditioned by the place of [its] convening. The most important issues of concern to church life, including the issues raised, must be examined and appropriate solutions found in accordance with the perceived order of the [Armenian Apostolic] Church, exclusively in church assembly bodies. There is no need to form prejudiced moods and attempt to thwart the convening of the synod abroad with baseless reasoning and false accusations, when various repressions in Armenia against the [Armenian Apostolic Church] clergy are obvious.

The renewal and strengthening of church life is a continuous process that requires prayerful unity, continued and united work and pilgrimage.

Faithful to its Divine Grace mission, the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, both in the past and today, will bring its efforts through its worldwide church structures to the strengthening of the independent Armenian statehood, the peaceful, prosperous, and progressive life of our people.”