Armenia Faces Church–State Crisis After Pashinyan Calls for National Anthem Before Liturgy

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has created new controversy by proposing that the national anthem of Armenia be performed inside Armenian Apostolic Churches before the Sunday liturgy. In a Facebook video titled “The supreme state and the Republic of Armenia,” he also suggested discussing the placement of the Armenian flag inside or at the entrance of the churches.

Pashinyan wrote: “In 301, the Armenian Apostolic Church was created by the [Armenian] state, by decision of the [Armenian] state. I think it would be right for choirs in all [Armenian Apostolic] churches to perform the national anthem of the Republic of Armenia before Sunday liturgies, at 10:55.”

These remarks have deepened ongoing tension between the government and the Church. Many Armenians view Pashinyan’s approach as an attempt to interfere in religious life and weaken the spiritual authority that has guided the nation for centuries.

Despite Pashinyan’s claims, Armenia’s Constitution clearly protects the independence of all religious organizations:

“Article 17.

 State and Religious Organizations

• The freedom of activities of religious organizations is guaranteed in the Republic of Armenia.

• Religious organizations are separate from the State.”

The Law on Freedom of Conscience and Religion also prohibits the state from interfering in church life. Legal experts note that the prime minister’s proposal directly contradicts these principles.

Human rights advocate Hovhannes Ishkhanyan strongly criticized Pashinyan’s proposal in a detailed Facebook post. He described the prime minister as “the constitutional violator who surrendered Artsakh,” and said that forcing the national anthem into church services is “a constitutional violation.”

He argued that every believer must reject this pressure: no state anthem and no state flag should appear in a church unless the religious institution itself decides so.

He also accused Pashinyan of disrespecting state symbols by placing political figures above them, saying this has contributed to the loss of Armenian territory where “the Azerbaijani anthem and flag are now present.”

Ishkhanyan urged citizens not to fall into “the trap of the traitor’s formality,” and said the prime minister’s proposal is “a violation of the Constitution and civilization,” adding that there will one day be accountability for his actions.

The Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin has also issued a statement, directly connecting Pashinyan’s recent actions with broader concerns about state interference in the Church.

The Church stated:

“The Mother See firmly condemns the ‘Liturgies’ organized in the dioceses by the authorities, under the leadership of the Prime Minister, carried out through coercive pressure by law enforcement bodies and accompanied by gross violations of ecclesiastical order, as well as of the Constitution and laws of the Republic of Armenia, which offend the spiritual sensibilities of the faithful and sow division.”

According to the Mother See, government-led religious ceremonies that bypass the spiritual authority of local church leaders represent serious canonical violations. The statement highlighted a case in the Shirak Diocese, where a bishop participated in such a service without the consent of the diocesan primate. This, the Church said, was a direct violation of centuries-old ecclesiastical rules.

The statement continued:

“The participation of any bishop in such ‘Liturgies,’ bypassing the spiritual authority of the diocesan primate and disregarding the established ecclesiastical order, constitutes a grave canonical violation… While refraining at present from applying strict measures, the Mother See calls upon the bishops who have contravened the canons to abandon their misguided course… to return to the bounds of canonical order, uphold and preserve the centuries-sanctified traditions of the Holy Church, act solely within the spiritual sphere, and maintain a profound awareness of legality and unity — the solemn duty, sacred mission, and calling of a bishop endowed with apostolic succession.”

This rare and strongly worded condemnation shows the seriousness with which the Armenian Church views the government’s attempts to influence religious life.

The Armenian Apostolic Church has served as the guardian of Armenian identity for more than 1,700 years. Today, many believe that this sacred institution is facing political pressure and attempts at control from the country’s leadership.

Church leaders, rights advocates, and citizens all warn that bringing political symbols into religious rituals threatens both the purity of worship and the independence of the Church. They argue that if the government can decide what happens inside a church, then no religious space is safe from political manipulation.

For many Armenians, the Church must remain a place of prayer, not a stage for the government’s agenda.

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