Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan led a march in central Yerevan on Tuesday targeting Catholicos of All Armenians, Karekin II, accusing the head of the Armenian Apostolic Church and his close circle of operating under what he described as “sectarian logic.”
The rally took place near St. Anna Church as Armenia was celebrating Christmas on January 6. Earlier in the day, Pashinyan attended a Christmas liturgy at St. Gregory the Illuminator Cathedral before leading the march from the cathedral to St. Anna.
The prime minister was accompanied by his wife, Anna Hakobyan, as well as senior government officials, including Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan, Defence Minister Suren Papikyan, Parliamentary Speaker Alen Simonyan, and other prominent members of the ruling Civil Contract party.
The march was attended by several hundred people. Some media outlets reported, without official confirmation, that administrative resources may have been used to mobilize participants.
‘Creating Peace Through Action’
At the conclusion of the march, Pashinyan framed the rally in explicitly religious terms.
“We marched today to tell Jesus Christ that we are following your message and creating peace,” he said.
Referring to a line recited during the liturgy, “Let us pray to God for peace,” Pashinyan argued that prayer alone was no longer sufficient.
“The time has come when we have understood that alongside praying to God for peace, we ourselves must create that peace through our decisions and our actions,” he said.
Accusations Against Church Leadership
During his speech, Pashinyan denied claims that his government was acting against the Armenian Apostolic Church, stating instead that it follows the same Christian doctrines. At the same time, he accused unnamed actors of attempting to use the Church as a “foothold” to act against Armenia.
Without presenting specific evidence, Pashinyan again referred to Catholicos Karekin II as the Church’s “de facto leader” and claimed that the Catholicos and the Church’s senior clergy were operating within what he described as “sectarian logic.”
“This means that the Church must be freed from schism and returned to the people,” he said.
Pashinyan also urged citizens to attend church services and encourage priests to support his proposed “reform” of the Armenian Apostolic Church.
His remarks appeared to contradict Armenia’s Constitution, which defines the country as a secular state and stipulates that religious organizations are separate from the state.
Church Responds
Catholicos Karekin II, meanwhile, delivered the Christmas liturgy at the Mother Cathedral of Holy Etchmiadzin. In his Christmas message, he said that the Armenian Apostolic Church continues to face pressure.
“Our Holy Church continues to be subjected to oppression,” Karekin II said. “This situation is a serious blow to the authority of our nation and state and a deep wound inflicted upon communities and believers.”
“Straying from the path shown by Christ turns the world into a stage for injustice, misery, and misfortune, plunges it into the darkness of delusion, and leads to the distortion of both personal and public life, the degradation and destruction of values, manifestations of which we also see in our present reality,” the Catholicos said.
Karekin II noted that today, mutual faith and trust are weakening, disrespectful and unrestrained behaviour is perceived as courage, and freedom of speech is replaced by hostility, intolerance, and the rejection of differing opinions.
He stressed that, “Despite unlawful and canon-violating actions,” the Church, “Remains strong and unshaken.”
“Our Apostolic Mother Church has endured numerous attacks throughout history, passed through severe trials and suffering, been martyred and persecuted, yet has never fallen into despair,” Karekin II said. “It has understood that true freedom and salvation lie in obedience to Christ and trust in Him. Life in Christ is filled with love and mercy, honesty and justice. Christ is the Way from darkness to light, from sin to holiness.”
‘Reform’ Initiative and Political Context
The march was announced by Pashinyan a day earlier as a Christmas event, though it carried a clear political agenda. Participants were called to support a Church reform initiative launched by the prime minister on Sunday and to protest what he described as the use of the Armenian Apostolic Church, “As a tool of hybrid warfare by foreign forces.”
The statement launching the reform initiative was signed by Pashinyan and 10 senior clergy members who have publicly called for Catholicos Karekin II’s resignation. A day later, Proto-Archimandrite Goossan Aljanian, acting head of the Armenian Diocese of Switzerland, joined the statement, bringing the number of signatory priests to 11.
Pashinyan has intensified his campaign against Karekin II months ahead of parliamentary elections scheduled for June 2026, amid growing tensions between the government and the Church, which has largely aligned itself with opposition forces.
Relations between the two sides sharply deteriorated in late May 2025, when Pashinyan accused Karekin II and other senior clergy of violating celibacy vows, questioning their eligibility to hold office. He has also alleged that Karekin II and his brother, Archbishop Yezras of the Diocese of New Nakhchivan and Russia, maintain ties with foreign intelligence services.
