AAC Supreme Spiritual Council  considers Pashinyan`s accusations  against the Church made in the European Parliament, as unacceptable

ArmInfo. The Supreme Spiritual Council of the Armenian Apostolic Church has called Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's accusations against the Church made in the European Parliament unacceptable and fabricated. 

"The Supreme Spiritual Council considered unacceptable the fabricated  accusations made by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan during his speech  to the European Parliament on March 11, 2026, against the Armenian  Church and its clergy, accusing them of being 'agents of foreign  influence,' 'a war party,' etc., which are clearly an attempt to  create grounds to justify the illegal actions committed by the RA  authorities against the Church and the planned further repressions,"  the Supreme Spiritual Council said in a statement following its  meeting on March 10-13. 

The event was chaired by His Holiness Karekin II, Catholicos of All  Armenians. According to the press office of the Mother See of  Etchmiadzin, the Supreme Spiritual Council, while also emphasizing  the importance of respecting and preserving the rights and autonomy  of the Church, and the principles of justice and democracy, condemned  the arbitrary and discriminatory actions of the Armenian authorities,  the persecution of the Armenian Church and its clergy, imprisonment  on trumped-up charges, as well as attempts to artificially obstruct  the Church's activities through state influence, restrict its  activities, and unlawfully interfere in church affairs.

The Council also mentioned the recently submitted draft laws and  regulations by the authorities that restrict the legal status and  activities of the Armenian Apostolic Holy Church, whose adoption is  viewed as a convenient pretext for the expression and unimpeded  dissemination of anti-church theses. It was noted that such  initiatives undermine the constitutional foundations of relations  between church and state, in particular the right to freedom of  conscience and religion.

The meeting discussed the situation that has developed following the  resignation of the Primate of the Masyatsotn Diocese. It was noted  that the defrocked Arman Saroyan, with the illegal support of state  authorities, is hindering the pastoral, canonical, and administrative  activities of the diocese, causing tension among the clergy and  faithful. It was also noted that the majority of the diocese's clergy  continue their pastoral ministry, remaining faithful to church order  and canons.

Dr. Gevorg Danielyan,  Ara Zohrabyan, attorney and candidate of law  sciences presented reports on legislative initiatives in the context  of church-state relations, on the progress of criminal,  administrative, and civil cases brought against Holy Etchmiadzin and  clergy illegally imprisoned and subjected to other preventive  measures, as well as on the adopted judicial decisions.

The agenda also included reports on the convening, agenda, and  formation of the organizing committee of the Church Representative  Assembly, scheduled for September 2026. Discussions were held on the  termination of clergy service in the Armenian Armed Forces, the  pressure exerted on priests, and the issues that have arisen. In this  regard, it was emphasized that the Minister of Defense's unilateral  decision contradicts the provisions of the RA Constitution, the Law  "On Relations between the Republic of Armenia and the Armenian  Apostolic Holy Church," and the corresponding government decree,  which provide for clergy service in the Armed Forces.

Emphasizing the importance of priestly service in improving the  spiritual, moral, and psychological atmosphere in the army, it was  deemed necessary to discuss new regulations on service and ways to  restore them to the legal level.