In a move following repeated calls for a return to canonical order, Catholicos Karekin II on Saturday removed the head of the Masyatsotn Diocese, one of the ten bishops who had aligned themselves with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. According to a decree published on the official Facebook page of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, Bishop Gevorg Saroyan has been relieved of his duties due to documented instances of abuse of office, failure to fulfill the responsibilities incumbent upon a diocesan primate, and cases of coercion and undue pressure against the clergy of the diocese.
Reverend Father Archimandrite Ruben Zargaryan has been appointed Acting Primate of the Diocese of Masis, according to the same decree.
Saroyan, who has publicly sided with Pashinyan in the struggle against the Catholicos, told Aravot a month ago that Catholicos Karekin II was allegedly acting as an agent. He did not provide specific evidence, stating only that documents and recorded meetings supported his view.
“Bishop Gevorg was dismissed by the Catholicos because he exercised coercion against parish priests, and there is documented evidence of this,” said Father Vrtanes Bagalyan, head priest at St. John’s Church in Byurakan. He added that Saroyan, along with defrocked priest Der Aram, tried to influence other priests to oppose the Catholicos.
According to Father Vrtanes, most of the clergy who aligned with Pashinyan did so against their will. “It is shameful. A devoted priest should not produce such a disgraceful statement and join Pashinyan’s anti-church campaign,” he said.
Pashinyan Responds
Prime Minister Pashinyan reacted to the bishop’s removal, asserting on social media that he does not recognize the Catholicos’ authority in this matter:
“I have already stated that Ktrich Nersisyan is not the Catholicos of All Armenians. Therefore, decisions made from that position are of no value to us. Bishop Gevorg Saroyan remains the head of the Masyatsotn Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church,” he wrote.
Following the statements, on Sunday, Pashinyan and Saroyan attended a liturgy at a church in the diocese until recently led by Saroyan.
Speaking to Factor TV on the same day, Bishop Gevorg Saroyan, addressing his removal, said that he does not consider any decision, whether collective or individual, to be legitimate, echoing the prime minister’s statement that any decision taken by the person occupying the Catholicosal throne is illegitimate.
Constitutional experts, however, warn that Pashinyan’s involvement in church affairs, including personally monitoring clergy declarations of loyalty, may be unlawful.
Constitutional expert Vardan Poghosyan, speaking to RFE/RL Armenia, said that Articles 17 and 18 of the Constitution of the Republic of Armenia clearly establish the separation of the Church from the state and recognize the unique role of the Armenian Apostolic Church in the spiritual life of the Armenian people, adding that all religious organizations have the right to autonomy and that the Constitution does not grant Armenia’s leadership any authority to intervene in their affairs.
Prime Minister-Backed Church Reform Faces Allegations of Coercion
On January 4, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan published a statement calling for a “reform” of the Armenian Apostolic Church and renewing demands for the resignation of Catholicos Karekin II. Pashinyan read the statement at his residence, where he was joined by ten senior clergy members who had previously called for the Catholicos’ resignation.
Following the statement, more than 20 clergy members reportedly aligned themselves with the reform agenda, according to Armenia’s ruling Civil Contract party.
Eight of them are from the Ararat Diocese, whose leader, Archbishop Navasard Kchoyan, also opposes Karekin II.
The prime minister-backed “Armenian Apostolic Church Reform Initiative” actively shares clergy pledges of loyalty to Pashinyan on social media.
One of the signatories featured on the initiative’s Facebook page, Father Vardan Nersisyan, said that he remains faithful to the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin and joins his primate, Archbishop Arakel (Karamian), along with other archbishops and bishops, in their initiative for the rightful reform of the Armenian Apostolic Church. Father Vardan serves as priest of St. Gevorg Church in Mayakovsky and St. Hakob Church in Aramus.
Bishop Arakel Karamian, head of the Kotayk Diocese, is believed to be the biological father of Argishti Karamian, a Pashinyan ally who served as head of the Investigative Committee until last December.
The participation in Prime Minister Pashinyan’s so-called reform of the Armenian Apostolic Church does not always appear to be voluntary.
One of the participants in the liturgy at St. Thaddeus Church in Masis town on Sunday told journalists:
“We were required to come, as employees. I work for the Vedi municipal services, we were told to come, so we came. What else could I do?” It was also revealed that the person had arrived at the service directly from the hospital, having undergone surgery and unable to stand for long periods. Following public outcry, the Union of Informed Citizens, an Armenian NGO filed a report about the incident with the Prosecutor General’s Office of Armenia on January 12.
The report stated that, according to video evidence, the individual was compelled to attend the liturgy immediately after leaving the hospital following surgery. The Union of Informed Citizens stated that there are apparent signs of a crime under Article 236 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Armenia.
