Catholicos Karekin II Warns Against Efforts to Undermine Armenian Apostolic Church During Cathedral Reconsecration

On Sunday, Catholicos Karekin II, the spiritual leader of the Armenian Apostolic Church, issued a strong warning against attempts to undermine the Church’s leadership. His message came during the reconsecration of the newly renovated Mother Cathedral in Etchmiadzin, Armenia’s most important religious site. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and members of his political circle attended the Mass, despite their increasingly strained relationship with the Church, which has been accused of meddling in politics.

The tensions between the Armenian Apostolic Church and Pashinyan’s government have been building, particularly after controversial events in recent months. Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan, a senior clergyman, led anti-government protests in May and June 2023, criticizing Pashinyan for territorial concessions made to Azerbaijan following Armenia’s defeat in the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war. These protests were backed by the Church’s Supreme Spiritual Council, which called for Pashinyan’s resignation.

In one notable incident on May 28, Catholicos Karekin II and other clergy were physically blocked by police from entering the Sardarapat war memorial, where Pashinyan was leading a delayed ceremony to mark the 106th anniversary of the first Armenian republic. Karekin and the clergy had to push through police cordons to lay flowers, which shows the growing friction between the Church and the state.

Despite these unprecedented tensions, Catholicos Karekin II extended an invitation to Pashinyan and other government officials to attend the reconsecration ceremony of the Etchmiadzin Cathedral, which had undergone nearly six years of renovation. Former Presidents Robert Kocharyan and Serzh Sarkisyan, both opposition figures, were also invited but chose not to attend, likely due to Pashinyan’s presence.

During his liturgy, Catholicos Karekin II reflected on the challenges faced by the Armenian Church throughout history. “The Armenian Church, with Holy Etchmiadzin at its spiritual center, has repeatedly faced attacks and persecution,” he said. “Yet with invincible faith, it has overcome difficulties and challenges.”

In a pointed message seemingly directed at Armenia’s current leadership, Karekin stressed that any efforts to undermine the Church would be an attack on the Armenian nation itself. “To battle against Holy Etchmiadzin is to battle against the existence and identity of the Armenians, to strike at the heart of Armenian statehood, and to drain Armenian life of its national and spiritual substance,” he warned.

Karekin also touched on the importance of preserving the integrity of Armenian history, in what appeared to be a subtle critique of Pashinyan’s unconventional interpretations of the country’s past. “We must keep our history free of falsehood and distortion,” he said, urging Armenians to remain true to their national identity.

The relationship between Pashinyan and the Church has deteriorated significantly since Armenia’s defeat in the 2020 war with Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh. Following the war, the Armenian Apostolic Church, including Karekin II, joined the opposition in calling for Pashinyan’s resignation. The Church has also been vocal in criticizing Pashinyan for Azerbaijan’s recent occupation of Nagorno-Karabakh in September 2023.

As tensions have escalated, Pashinyan and his political allies have distanced themselves from the Church. For the past three years, they have boycotted key religious ceremonies, including Christmas and Easter liturgies led by Catholicos Karekin II. The government has also threatened to impose new taxes on the Church, further straining the relationship.

Despite these challenges, Catholicos Karekin II remains resolute in defending the Church’s role in Armenian society. For Karekin and many others, the Armenian Apostolic Church is more than a religious institution—it is a cornerstone of the country’s cultural and historical identity.