Mother See of Etchmiadzin urges Ministry of Justice of Armenia to  restore  normal functioning of spiritual ministry in penitentiary  institutions

ArmInfo. The Mother See of Etchmiadzin called on the Ministry of Justice of Armenia to respect the law and the established ecclesiastical order, to refrain from obstructing the Church's mission, and to restore the normal  functioning of spiritual ministry in penitentiary institutions.

The statement from the press office of the Armenian Apostolic Church  (AAC) reads as follows: "By an unlawful decision of the Head of the  Penitentiary Service of the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of  Armenia, clergy authorized by the Armenian Church have been  prohibited from entering places of detention.

Thus, the Head of the Penitentiary Service has effectively suspended  the spiritual ministry of the Armenian Apostolic Holy Church in  penitentiary institutions and, at the same time, disregarding  applicable legal norms and bypassing the Mother See of Holy  Etchmiadzin, has entered into employment contracts with individual  clergymen.

This step constitutes yet another manifestation of a deliberate  policy aimed at restricting the pastoral mission of the Armenian  Church in public life as guaranteed by law. Similar actions have  already taken place within the Armed Forces of the Republic of  Armenia and in the education sector.  Article 10 of the Law "On the  Relations Between the Republic of Armenia and the Armenian Apostolic  Holy Church" enshrines the Armenian Church's mission to provide  spiritual care in places of detention. In turn, Article 17 of the Law  "On Freedom of Conscience and Religious Organizations" recognizes the  spiritual mission of the Armenian Church in penitentiary institutions  as the exclusive prerogative of the Armenian Church and imposes upon  the state the obligation not to obstruct such activity.

In this regard, it is unacceptable that the Head of the Penitentiary  Service, disregarding the agreement concluded between the agency  under his authority and the Armenian Church, has unilaterally assumed  authority over the organization of spiritual ministry in penitentiary  institutions. It must be clearly stated that, in accordance with the  above-mentioned laws, as well as the agreement between the Ministry  of Justice of the Republic of Armenia and the Armenian Apostolic Holy  Church, the entity authorized to carry out spiritual ministry is not  an individual priest, but the Armenian Church itself.

Such a practice constitutes a gross interference in the internal life  of the Church. It disrupts its canonically established and organized  pastoral ministry, turning it into a sphere of individual initiative  and administrative arbitrariness. The continuing unlawful actions  against the Church leave no doubt that the ruling political force has  elevated anti-church policy to the level of state policy, which is  destructive in nature and therefore deserving of the strongest  condemnation.  For many years, spiritual ministry in penitentiary  institutions has been an important mission of the Armenian Church,  aimed at the spiritual care of inmates, their moral transformation  through repentance, and their dignified return to society.

The Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin calls upon the Ministry of Justice  of the Republic of Armenia to respect the law and the established  ecclesiastical order, to refrain from obstructing the Church's  mission, and to restore the normal functioning of spiritual ministry  in penitentiary institutions."

Recall, Defense Minister Suren Papikyan  signed a decree abolishing  the Spiritual Service of the Armenian Apostolic Church under the  Ministry of Defense in the Armenian Armed Forces, effective February  1, 2026. Lawyer Ara Zohrabyan pointed out that with this decision,  the minister violated the requirement of Article 10 of the Law "On  Relations between the Republic of Armenia and the Armenian Apostolic  Holy Church," which stipulates that the Armenian Apostolic Church has  the right to have a permanent spiritual representative in military  units. As a result of this decree, only 8 out of the 42 two-person  chaplains of the Primate, were allowed to continue serving in the  Armenian Armed Forces.