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.

Speaking to the crowd, Karekin II thanked them for their support and delivered a message about the latest developments affecting the Church. “While we were in Marseille, we learned the sad news that Bishop Arshak was arrested on a baseless and fabricated charge, and later, through predetermined justice, a two-month detention was set for him.”

Archbishop Arshak Khachatryan, the Chancellor of the Mother See, was charged by Armenia’s Investigative Committee on Thursday. The following day, a court ordered his two-month detention. The accusation relates to a case dating back to 2018, in which the Archbishop is alleged to have illegally distributed drugs in coordination with others. He denies all allegations. His legal team has stated that they will appeal the detention ruling. Archbishop Arshak is the fourth member of the clergy to be jailed in recent months as the standoff between the government and the Church deepens.

Karekin II said that the Church has repeatedly called on the authorities to end what it describes as anti-church actions and repression. He told the gathered citizens, “We believe that together with you, dear Armenian children, we must be able to make justice, truth, love, peace, and solidarity the highest values at the foundation of our people’s life,” expressing hope that with God’s will, the community will overcome the current difficulties.

After the Catholicos' message, he and those gathered offered prayers for all clergy members currently detained, for businessman Samvel Karapetyan, and for “all sons who are being unlawfully kept in prison.”

The confrontation between church leadership and the government has been escalating for months. Since May, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has publicly accused the Catholicos of violating the vow of celibacy and has demanded that he step down. This week, speaking from the parliament podium, the Prime Minister went further, accusing Karekin II of acting under the influence of foreign intelligence.

“I don’t need a Catholicos who obeys me, I need a Catholicos who does not obey a foreign intelligence service’s senior lieutenant and does not report daily to the lieutenants of foreign intelligence services,” Pashinyan said.

The situation continues to evolve, with no signs of easing tension. The Church leadership insists that the recent arrests are politically motivated, while government representatives maintain that the cases are part of ongoing law enforcement efforts. With several high-ranking clergy now in detention and strong statements coming from both sides, the confrontation appears likely to further shape Armenia’s domestic political landscape in the coming weeks.

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