From February 17–19, 2026, an Assembly of Bishops of the Armenian Apostolic Church convened in Sankt Pölten, Austria, at the invitation and with the blessing of His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians. At the conclusion of the three-day gathering, the 25 participating bishops issued a strongly worded statement addressing church-state tensions in Armenia, internal ecclesiastical divisions, and the ongoing detention of Armenian leaders in Baku.
Church–State Relations at the Forefront
The assembly brought together bishops from the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem, and the Armenian Patriarchate of Constantinople. Messages were also sent by Aram I of the Catholicosate of the Great House of Cilicia, Armenian Patriarch of Jerusalem Nourhan Manougian, and Armenian Patriarch of Constantinople Sahak Mashalian.
According to the statement, criminal proceedings deemed “unfounded” by the bishops prevented the Catholicos and six bishops from leaving Armenia to attend the meeting in person. As a result, Karekin II’s patriarchal address was delivered via videoconference.
During the sessions, participants examined the current state of church–state relations in Armenia and what they described as mounting pressure on the Church. The bishops called on Armenian authorities to:
- cease what they described as persecution of the Church,
- respect the Church’s historic autonomy and sovereignty,
- release four detained bishops, a priest, and lay supporters arrested in connection with church-related tensions,
- uphold constitutional guarantees of freedom of conscience and religion, and
- resolve disputes through dialogue rather than ultimatums.
Warning Against Internal Division
The statement also addressed internal divisions within the Church. The bishops urged what they referred to as “the eight errant hierarchs” to remain faithful to the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin and the Catholicos, to resolve disagreements within canonical church bodies, and to refrain from actions that could lead to schism.
They specifically described the omission of the Catholicos’s name during the Divine Liturgy as ecclesiologically unacceptable and harmful to church unity.
In early January, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and 10 bishops signed a joint declaration initiating a comprehensive reform process within the Armenian Apostolic Church. The declaration, which criticizes the current church administration for serving political agendas, outlines a concrete “roadmap” and the establishment of a Coordination Council to return the church to its spiritual mission.
Later, the ten bishops who had joined forces with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan declared the Supreme Spiritual Council of the Armenian Apostolic Church as an “invalid structure”.
Artsakh Leaders’ Trials in Baku
The assembly further expressed “deep concern” over what it called sham trials and unlawful verdicts against the leadership of Artsakh held in Baku. The bishops appealed to the international community and sister churches to continue efforts toward the swift release of detained Armenians.
Archbishop Derderian Turns
Archbishop Hovnan Derderian, who previously called for Catholicos Karekin II to step down and backed Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s church reform agenda aimed at ousting the Catholicos, has appeared to turn on Pashinyan by signing a statement urging Armenian authorities to ‘stop the persecution of the Church’.
Legal Cases Against Senior Clergy
Relations between the government and the Armenian Apostolic Church have remained tense for nearly four years. Clergy members who openly criticized Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan over his handling of the war and its aftermath faced heightened scrutiny, while pro-government media outlets accused the Church of overstepping its spiritual mandate and engaging in political activity.
The rift has deepened last year following the arrest of Russian-Armenian billionaire Samvel Karapetyan, a prominent benefactor of the Church, as well as the detentions of Archbishops Bagrat Galstanyan and Mikayel Ajapahyan, further escalating tensions between church and state.
An Armenian court on Thursday decided to extend the pre-trial detention of Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan by two months.
Armenia’s National Security Service detained Galstanyan last June while he was serving as head of the Armenian Apostolic Church’s Tavush Diocese. He is charged with fomenting public disorder and planning to seize power during the 2024 protest movement he led against the Armenian government’s plan to hand over border territories to Azerbaijan. Galstanyan has denied the accusations, while church representatives and opposition figures have described the case as politically motivated.
In a separate case, Armenia’s Criminal Appeals Court ruled to place Archbishop Mikayel Ajapahyan under house arrest, citing his poor health. Ajapahyan had been jailed after being found guilty of plotting against the Armenian government. His defense team had petitioned for the change in his detention conditions.
Ajapahyan, who is still regarded as primate of the Shirak Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church, has been detained since June 2025. He was sentenced last October to two years in prison.
Call for Unity
Reaffirming their loyalty to the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin and to Karekin II as a visible symbol of unity and reconciliation, the bishops concluded with a call for solidarity among the faithful worldwide. They urged Armenians to remain united around the Apostolic Church and to strengthen national and spiritual life through prayer and good works, while praying for peace and stability for Armenia and the broader world.
