YEREVAN—Just days following an international conference in Bern, Switzerland that focused on the protection of Armenian spiritual and cultural heritage in Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh), Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan launched an unprecedented public campaign against the Armenian Apostolic Church, triggering a storm of controversy across religious and political circles.
The conference, titled “Religious Freedom: Preserving the Armenian Spiritual, Cultural and Historical Heritage in Artsakh/Nagorno-Karabakh,” was organized by the World Council of Churches and the Protestant Church of Switzerland and convened at the initiative of His Holiness Karekin II, Catholicos of All Armenians. The event brought renewed international attention to the destruction of Armenian heritage under Azerbaijani control and underscored the Church’s role in advocating for the displaced population of Artsakh.
Soon after, during a government session on May 29, Prime Minister Pashinyan criticized the physical state of Armenian churches, describing them as disordered and neglected. “Our churches have essentially become storerooms,” he said, listing bags of cement, scrap wood, rusty rebar and discarded personal belongings as examples. “How can one speak of sanctity and act in such unholy ways? How can one trample on sacredness and then exclaim, ‘Something happened in the complex’?”
In subsequent remarks, Pashinyan escalated his criticism, using language widely condemned as inappropriate. In a particularly controversial Facebook post on May 30, he addressed a bishop, writing: “Srbazan, keep banging your uncle’s wife. What’s your problem with me?”
Pashinyan then went on to question the moral integrity of the clergy, suggested the state should play a role in electing the Catholicos and implied that Karekin II may have violated his vow of celibacy. Calling for institutional reform, Pashinyan demanded that the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin clarify whether the Catholicos has a child, arguing that such a personal life is incompatible with the role of the Church’s spiritual leader.
The prime minister’s comments prompted immediate responses from the Supreme Spiritual Council and senior clerics.
The Supreme Spiritual Council of the Armenian Apostolic Church convened on June 2 at the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin and issued a strong statement accusing the prime minister of launching “yet another attack” against the Church.
The Council criticized the prime minister’s language as “profane, inappropriate and unbecoming of a state official,” stating that his comments not only disrespected the Church and its clergy but also insulted the religious sentiments of the Armenian faithful. They stressed that such rhetoric violates basic norms of civility and is cloaked in “false moral concern.”
The statement warned that these actions align with the interests of anti-Armenian forces, echoing narratives promoted by Azerbaijan’s propaganda machine. It emphasized that internal Church matters are governed by canon law and are not subject to political interference.
The Council called on relevant authorities to halt what it described as the prime minister’s “unlawful and shortsighted campaign,” warning against the politicization of sacred institutions. It urged unity among believers, calling on the faithful to remain strong in their devotion to the Church and homeland.
Archbishop Arshak Khachatryan, Chancellor of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, also responded to Pashinyan’s comments. While welcoming the recognition of the government’s responsibility to preserve sacred sites, he criticized the tone and depth of the prime minister’s remarks.
“It is commendable that the sitting prime minister has finally acknowledged his and the government’s responsibility in safeguarding sanctuaries with heritage status,” Archbishop Khachatryan wrote. However, he lamented the manner in which the issue was raised, adding, “It is regrettable that even when speaking on such a sensitive matter, a person in such a high office cannot refrain from displaying a lack of the recently ‘fashionable’ value—education—as well as a profound crisis in public communication and understanding of the issue.”
Khachatryan stated that the Church has made multiple formal appeals to government institutions since early 2019, raising concerns about the condition of heritage sanctuaries and proposing joint discussions. “Unfortunately, those efforts have remained unanswered by both the relevant state bodies and the government itself,” he noted.
“This unexpected attention may carry some consoling potential. Perhaps the head of state might now also turn his attention to the increasing Azerbaijani claims over Armenian sanctuaries, and more critically, to the urgent need for preserving those at risk of destruction in occupied Artsakh,” the archbishop concluded.
Bishop Hovnan Hakobyan of the Diocese of Gougark responded more sharply, referring to Pashinyan as “the chief madman of the country.”
Bishop Hakobyan refrained from addressing the prime minister’s comments in detail, stating that the Church would not dignify what he described as yet another “shameful episode” that has already stirred “righteous anger among the faithful,” as seen across public discourse and social media.
Instead, Bishop Hakobyan highlighted a contrasting development: the international conference in Bern, dedicated to the preservation of Armenian spiritual and cultural heritage in Artsakh. The event addressed issues such as safeguarding sacred sites, the right of return for displaced Artsakhtsis and the immediate release of Armenian prisoners held in Azerbaijan.
“This international gathering has undoubtedly caused unease and discontent in Azerbaijan,” the bishop noted, suggesting that the prime minister’s attack on the Church was “not coincidental,” but timed to echo the frustrations of a hostile foreign power. “As the enemy expresses its outrage over the conference, the chief betrayer of our country seems to mirror that outrage—choosing this very moment to initiate an assault on the Church,” Hakobyan concluded.
Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan, leader of the “Tavush for the Homeland” movement, also sharply criticized Prime Minister Pashinyan and his wife for what he described as ongoing disrespect toward the Armenian Apostolic Church. Speaking in an interview with 168.am, Archbishop Galstanyan stated that their recent statements and social media posts reflect a broader pattern of irreverence displayed by the current administration.
“Years ago, I said that these individuals didn’t come from institutions of statehood but from the streets, and they still do not understand who they are, what offices they hold, or the standards of conduct and lifestyle those roles require. Nothing has changed,” Galstanyan said.
According to the Archbishop, the disrespectful rhetoric toward the Church is not new, but rather consistent with the government’s broader attitude. “This behavior has always been present under this administration. What we are seeing now is only a continuation,” he noted.
He went on to condemn the personal conduct of Armenia’s leaders, stating, “It is appalling to witness the behavior of the country’s top official and his spouse. They constantly speak about education and modern values, yet this is the example they set. Their behavior should be exemplary, but what we see is completely unacceptable.”
In addition to sharp rebukes from the Armenian Apostolic Church, the prime minister’s inflammatory remarks have sparked criticism from a broad spectrum of civil society organizations, legal experts and political figures.
Former Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanyan criticized the prime minister for initiating an “unprecedented and reprehensible rhetorical campaign” against the Church, suggesting that Pashinyan’s actions are an attempt to please Baku and Ankara.
The “Armenia” faction of the National Assembly accused the ruling administration of deepening internal divisions and undermining the nation’s spiritual and moral foundations, emphasizing the Church’s constitutional role in preserving national identity.
Human rights defenders warned that Pashinyan’s comments could be seen as efforts to undermine constitutional order, noting that the separation of church and state is a fundamental principle enshrined in Armenia’s Constitution.
The Genesis Armenia think tank described the prime minister’s statements as politically motivated attacks aimed at eroding public trust in the Church and deepening ideological polarization ahead of elections.
“We strongly condemn the ongoing campaign against the Armenian Apostolic Church, viewing it not only as a deliberate attack on the nation’s core values and identity, but also as a politically motivated attempt to undermine moral boundaries, erode public ethics and deflect attention from serious national security challenges in pursuit of political self-preservation,” the think tank stated.
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