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Armenian Court Lifts Travel Ban on Catholicos Karekin II as Government-Church Clash Continues
An Armenian court has lifted a travel ban that had been placed on Karekin II earlier this year, in a case that shows the deepening tensions between the Armenian Apostolic Church and the government of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. The restrictions were introduced about two months ago by law-enforcement authorities and applied not only to the Catholicos but also to six bishops. The move came after charges were filed in connection with Karekin II’s decision in January to defro
The Armenian Report Team
Apr 13
Pashinyan’s Party Promises New Catholicos by 2031, Puts Church Leadership at Center of Election Agenda
Armenia’s ruling Civil Contract party has made a major and controversial promise to voters ahead of upcoming elections, saying that by 2031 the country will have a new Catholicos. The pledge is included in the party’s pre-election program, placing the leadership of the Armenian Apostolic Church alongside major state development projects as part of its political agenda. The program outlines several national goals, including the TRIPP project, the creation of an academic city,
Armenian Authorities Block Catholicos Karekin II From Traveling to Ilia II Funeral
The investigator has rejected a motion that would have allowed the Catholicos of All Armenians, Karekin II, to travel to Georgia, according to lawyer Ara Zohrabyan. The decision prevents the head of the Armenian Apostolic Church from attending the funeral of the Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia, Ilia II, who passed away on March 17 at the age of 93. The Georgian Church had officially invited the Catholicos to attend the funeral ceremony and take part in the Divine Liturgy
The Armenian Report Team
Mar 23
Catholicos Karekin II Removes Archbishop Abraham Mkrtchyan as Primate of Vayots Dzor After Joining Pashinyan’s Anti-Church Campaign
By the directive of His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, Abraham Mkrtchyan has been relieved of his duties as Primate of the Vayots Dzor Diocese. The decision was announced by the press service of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin. According to the official statement, the decision was made through a Pontifical directive issued by the Catholicos on March 16, 2026. “By a Pontifical directive dated March 16, 2026, His Holiness Karekin II,
The Armenian Report Team
Mar 16
Armenian Government Opens Criminal Case Against Catholicos Karekin II, Imposes Travel Ban Before Bishops’ Assembly
Two days before the upcoming Bishops’ Assembly in Austria, Armenia’s Prosecutor’s Office launched a criminal case against the head of the Armenian Apostolic Church and imposed a travel ban on Karekin II, preventing him from leaving the country. Attorney Ara Zohrabyan confirmed that the Prosecutor’s Office has initiated criminal prosecution against the Catholicos of All Armenians and that an investigator attempted to question His Holiness. According to Zohrabyan, the Catholico
The Armenian Report Team
Feb 14
Catholicos Aram I Issues Strong Warning to Armenian Authorities Over Threats to Church Unity
Catholicos Aram I of the Great House of Cilicia has issued a strong warning to Armenia’s authorities, calling on them to stop any actions that could undermine the unity of the Armenian Apostolic Church. He delivered this message during a liturgy in Cyprus, where he spoke about his concerns regarding the growing tensions around the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin. Aram I said that church leaders have been watching the situation with increasing concern in recent months. He expla
The Armenian Report Team
Dec 8, 2025
Catholicos Karekin II Returns to Armenia and Addresses Growing Tensions Between Church and Government
Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II returned to Armenia on Saturday evening after completing a visit to Switzerland and France. His arrival at Zvartnots International Airport took place at a tense moment for the Armenian Apostolic Church, following the recent arrest of one of its senior clerics. A group of citizens gathered at the airport to welcome the Catholicos, chanting “Ve-ha-par”. The Armenian Report’s Ani Khachatryan was at Zvartnots Airport covering the return. Spe
The Armenian Report Team
Dec 6, 2025
Catholicos’s Brother and Nephew Jailed as Pashinyan’s War on Karekin II Intensifies
The conflict between Armenia’s government and the Armenian Apostolic Church has entered a new and tense stage. Law enforcement authorities have arrested the brother and nephew of Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II, intensifying the standoff between Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian’s government and the Church leadership based in Holy Etchmiadzin. According to lawyer Ara Zohrabyan, both Gevorg Nersisyan, the Catholicos’s brother, and his son Hambardzum Nersisyan were detained
The Armenian Report Team
Nov 3, 2025
Catholicos of All Armenians Meets Pope Leo XIV in Castel Gandolfo, Extends Invitation to Visit Armenia
On September 16, His Holiness Karekin II, Catholicos of All Armenians, met with His Holiness Pope Leo XIV, the Holy Father of Rome, at...
The Armenian Report Team
Sep 16, 2025
Feast of Holy Etchmiadzin: Thousands Gather as Catholicos Karekin II Warns of Threats to Armenia’s Unity and Urges Defense of Church, Nation, and Identity
On June 22, thousands of faithful from across Armenia and the diaspora gathered at the heart of the Armenian Apostolic Church to...
The Armenian Report Team
Jun 22, 2025
Armenian Minister Insists New Catholicos Will Be Chosen Lawfully, as Government Denies Undermining Church Authority
The Armenian government has stated that any process to elect a new Catholicos of All Armenians will be done strictly within the bounds of...
The Armenian Report Team
Jun 11, 2025
Pashinyan Unveils Step-by-Step Plan to Oust Catholicos, Calls on Armenians to Join Him
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan announced the creation of a new council designed to organize the removal of the Catholicos, triggering...
The Armenian Report Team
Jun 10, 2025
Catholicos Aram I Calls Government Attacks on Clergy “Unacceptable” as Cilicia Platform Warns of National Division
The leaders of the Armenian Apostolic Church are speaking out about the growing hostility that Armenia’s state authorities are showing...
The Armenian Report Team
Jun 9, 2025
Pashinyan Demands Catholicos Karekin II Resign, Escalates Attack on Armenian Apostolic Church
In another attack on his social media pages on June 8, Pashinyan accused Karekin II of breaking his religious vow of celibacy and...
The Armenian Report Team
Jun 9, 2025
Armenia’s Etchmiadzin Cathedral Restored After Six Years: A Historic Rebirth Unveiled
The Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, the spiritual hub for Armenians worldwide, has undergone extensive renovations, marking an important...
The Armenian Report Team
Sep 17, 2024
Catholicos Invites Armenian Government to Re-Consecration of Holy Etchmiadzin Cathedral Despite Tensions
In a gesture of reconciliation despite ongoing tensions, Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II has extended an invitation to the...
The Armenian Report Team
Sep 10, 2024
Catholicos of All Armenians Urges Ukraine to Preserve Orthodox Unity Following Ban on Russian Church
The head of the Armenian Apostolic Church, Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II, has voiced strong concerns over recent developments in...
The Armenian Report Team
Aug 23, 2024
Catholicos Aram I’s Powerful Message for Unified Action on Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day
On the solemn occasion of the 109th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, Catholicos Aram I of the Great House of Cilicia of the Armenian...
The Armenian Report Team
Apr 24, 2024
Armenia's Public TV Company Responds to Missing Catholicos' Address on New Year's Eve Broadcast
Armenia’s Public Television Company has issued a response to the significant event that occurred on New Year’s Eve, which marked the...
The Armenian Report Team
Jan 3, 2024
First Time In Armenia’s Modern History, Catholicos' Annual New Year's Address Absent from Public TV's Midnight Broadcast
A long-standing tradition in Armenia faced disruption this New Year’s Eve as the anticipated annual message from His Holiness, the...
The Armenian Report Team
Dec 31, 2023
