Pashinyan once again spoke out against Garegin

Nikol Pashinyan has once again spoken publicly about Catholicos of All Armenians Garegin II, stating that he considers it necessary to raise concerns regarding the current state of the Armenian Apostolic Church.

The Armenian prime minister accused Garegin II of actions and leadership approaches that, in his view, have caused serious damage to the Church and alienated many believers. Pashinyan noted that he himself had refrained from attending church services for a long time, explaining that the prevailing atmosphere discouraged him and many others from participating in church life. According to him, these circumstances have led tens of thousands of people to distance themselves from the Church.

“Through the actions of certain high-ranking church figures, thousands — if not tens of thousands — of people like myself have effectively been pushed away from the Church. It is simply impossible to remain in such an environment indefinitely,” Pashinyan said.

He further criticized Garegin II, holding him responsible for what he described as a crisis of faith and trust among believers, and accused him of undermining religious values rather than strengthening them.

As tensions between the government and the church leadership continue to intensify, speculation is growing in Yerevan that the upcoming Christmas celebration, observed by the Armenian Apostolic Church on January 6, could be Garegin II’s last in his current position.