October 26 liturgy  in Hovhannavank aims to legitimize illegal  division of Church with state support: David Ananyan

ArmInfo.  The ongoing processes surrounding the Armenian Apostolic Church (AAC) are entering a decisive phase. This is a planned and state-directed  political program aimed at dividing the AAC and creating a controlled  infrastructure within it, subservient to political power, as stated  by David Ananyan, former head of the State Revenue Committee of  Armenia.

"The upcoming liturgy on October 26 in Hovhannavank,  led by the  defrocked priest, will be the symbolic start of this process, as  the  Prime Minister of Armenia previously stated. This isn't just a  spiritual ceremony: it's an attempt to legitimize the unlawful  division of the Church with state support and to give legitimacy to  the destabilization of a national institution. This step is dangerous  not just in terms of spirituality, but also in terms of preserving  national security and identity," Ananyan wrote on social media.

As the politician pointed out, the Armenian Apostolic Church has been  the bearer of the Armenian people's civilizational memory for  centuries, the pillar of the preservation of the Armenian language,  culture, and statehood.  "Its institutional weakening is tantamount  to a loss of national stability. The external context is more than  clear. For Turkish geopolitics, the Armenian Apostolic Church has  always been and continues to be the main barrier to the spiritual and  cultural unity of the Armenian people. And today, when the current  government deliberately participates in processes directed against  the Church, it acts according to the same logic, destroying the  historical defense system of the Armenian people from within.

This is no longer just an ideological or political matter. It is an  issue of our collective existence, national identidy, and  civilizational resistance. Defending the Church means defending the  core pillars of Armenia, including its faith, history, and dignity.  Defending the Church means defending Armenia.  Remaining silent in  this case is no longer neutrality, but rather a consent to the  destruction of one's own identity," David Ananyan concludes.

The day before, defrocked cleric Stepan Asatryan (formerly Father  Aram) called his deposition illegal and announced his intention to  continue conducting services at Hovhannavank Monastery, including the  liturgy on Sunday. Earlier, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan had  announced his intention to attend the Sunday liturgy at Hovhannavank,  thereby openly showing  support for the defrocked priest.