Pashinyan says Catholicos’ activities threaten Armenia’s security

Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan/Catholicos of All Armenians Garegin II. Photo: News Armenia

On January 15, 2026, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said that the activities of Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II constitute a threat to the country’s national security. He stated this during a briefing at the government in Yerevan, according to the News Armenia agency.

The prime minister noted that, as head of government, he is obliged to respond to any threats to the security of the state. “Ktrich Nersisyan (the secular name of Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II – ed.) by his activity threatens the security of the Republic of Armenia together with his brother – a KGB agent,” Pashinyan said.

At the same time, he emphasized that he considers himself a faithful follower of the Holy Armenian Church and a member of the church community. “To deal with the affairs of the Church can in no way be in contradiction with my position. For Jesus Christ says in the New Testament: ‘Where three gather in My name – that is the church.’ So yes, the clergy are pillars of the Church, but the Church is the people, its faithful followers,” the prime minister said.

According to Pashinyan, in many churches across the country, services are held in empty sanctuaries. “We accuse Ktrich Nersisyan of effectively closing the doors of churches to the believing flock; we accuse him of alienating the believing flock from the Church. And there is no contradiction in these two of my statuses,” he said.

Answering a question from journalists about clergy who, according to them, spoke out against the Catholicos, Pashinyan stated: “In this context there is one traitor – Ktrich Nersisyan. He betrayed Jesus Christ, betrayed the Holy Armenian Church, its followers, and his believing flock. He is not the Supreme Patriarch; he is an ordinary traitor who betrayed Jesus Christ.”

Earlier, the UOJ wrote that Armenia’s authorities created a coordination council for reforming the Church.

Read also