make preferablePM Pashinyan announces start of Armenian Apostolic Church ‘reform’
00:02, 05.01.2026
He, together with the ten bishops and archbishops demanding the resignation of the Catholicos, adopted the text of a statement on the respective roadmap...
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, together with the ten bishops and archbishops demanding the resignation of Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II, adopted the text of a statement on the roadmap for the “reform” of the Armenian Apostolic Church.
According to that statement, they are preparing to implement—step by step—a program of reform of the Armenian Apostolic Church.
According to that program, as the first step, they plan to carry out “public announcement of the reform agenda”, and then remove the Catholicos. After that, according to that program, the election of a Catholicosate locum tenens shall take place, then the adoption of the Armenian Apostolic Church charter, which shall establish “mechanisms to ensure adherence to established principles, financial transparency, and good conduct of clergy [of the Armenian Apostolic Church].”
As the last step, according to the statement, the election of a Catholicos of All Armenians shall take place “[in accordance] with the established procedure.”
Also, Pashinyan and the aforesaid bishops and archbishops called on the Armenian Apostolic Church clergy and followers to support and join their program.
They announced that they are forming a coordinating council that will deal with organizational matters of thus program’s implementation.
By the way, the statement was adopted at the prime minister’s residence.
In addition, Pashinyan announced that the “important events” on the way to this program’s implementation are the candlelight service to be held at Saint Sarkis Church in Yerevan Monday, and the Armenian Christmas service to be held at the Saint Gregory the Illuminator Cathedral in Yerevan on Tuesday.
