Armenian Church criticizes government over anti-church rhetoric
Catholicos of All Armenians and Nikol Pashinyan. Photo: panorama.am
On June 2, 2025, a session of the Supreme Spiritual Council was held in Etchmiadzin under the chairmanship of Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II. Hierarchs from both Armenia and the diaspora took part, according to News.am.
Earlier, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan had compared Armenian churches to “closets cluttered with junk,” criticizing their poor condition and calling for the introduction of standards for evaluating church premises.
In response, the Supreme Spiritual Council accused Pashinyan of attacking the Armenian Apostolic Church using “insulting language” and accusations deemed “inappropriate for a statesman.”
According to the clergy, such statements serve political purposes – namely, to discredit the Armenian Apostolic Church and undermine its influence in society.
"The Armenian Holy Apostolic Church stands united with its faithful and will continue its mission of national preservation, despite destructive processes," the statement reads.
It is worth noting that the Catholicos of All Armenians is elected for life by the National Ecclesiastical Assembly. Abdication is only possible if the Catholicos is found guilty of apostasy by the appropriate church authority.
Earlier, the UOJ reported that the Armenian Prime Minister insisted the Armenian Church must strictly comply with the country’s Tax Code.
Read also
Authorities decline to disclose Ukraine’s population size
The State Statistics Service acknowledged that it has up-to-date population estimates for the country, but has decided not to make them public.
Lithuanian govt vows to protect Orthodox Church from Russian intelligence
Lithuania’s Foreign Ministry has called for curbing the influence of Russian intelligence services on the Church, while an adviser to President Nausėda warned against labeling the entire structure a security threat.
During Ramadan, Patriarch Theodoros hosts Islamic iftar at his residence
Patriarch Theodoros of Alexandria hosted a meal for Muslim workers breaking their fast in the courtyard of the Patriarchate and thanked a sheikh for his “brotherhood.”
Lawsuit filed against Patriarch of Constantinople
A Turkish official has accused Patriarch Bartholomew and dozens of clergy of “illegal activity” and violating the Treaty of Lausanne.
OCU cleric buried with Church Slavonic funeral shroud
In the Ternopil Eparchy of the OCU, a cleric was buried under a funeral shroud bearing inscriptions in Church Slavonic.
Abp John about Gospel: "I felt the same joy that I had when I was a child"
The Primate of the Orthodox Church of Albania spoke about how reading the Gospel for the first time became a personal upheaval for him and the beginning of his journey to faith.