The Armenian Apostolic Church does not have a Catholicos of All Armenians. But instead, there is a person who is in that status unlawfully, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan told a press briefing Thursday.

Pashinyan complained that reporters do not wish to seek clarifications regarding the “information about Ktrich Nersisyan [i.e., Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II] and his brother [i.e., Archbishop Yezras Nersissian, Primate of the Armenian Diocese of Russia and New Nakhichevan of the Armenian Apostolic Church].”

“Why is this question not being raised in Armenia? If Ktrich Nersisyan has a child, and that child was born after he took the vow of celibacy, can he occupy the throne of the Catholicos of All Armenians? Ktrich Nersisyan is not a Catholicos,” the Armenian premier said.