By Rashid Shirinov
The situation around the Armenian Apostolic Church (AAC) and Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II is heating up.
Protests against the Catholicos began immediately after the “velvet revolution” in the country, and since the government does not intervene in the issue, the protesters are becoming more and more active. They demand the resignation of the head of the AAC, which is mired in corruption, criminal and debauchery.
A few days ago, there was a new scandal – activists of the movement “New Armenia – New Catholicos” blocked the car of Karekin II and did not let him go to the place of pilgrimage.
“Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II made a pilgrimage to Gndevank, where activists of the movement blocked the way to the Patriarch. They blocked the road with cars and stones and shouted threats and insults at His Holiness,” priest Vahram Melikyan, Director of the Information Services Department of Etchmiadzin (mother church of the AAC), informed, adding that “the movement’s behavior oversteps the mark.”
Ultimately, Karekin II failed to make a pilgrimage. He was taken out by the police and returned to Etchmiadzin.
This incident forced to react somehow the Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, who had not previously commented on the conflict.
“The situation around the AAC creates a certain unpleasant atmosphere. I instructed the police to investigate the incident, to carefully assess it,” Pashinyan said, calling the conflict the Church’s internal problem. This means that the Armenian authorities are not going to interfere in the Church affairs.
“At some point, the government will take specific decisions, but it is not the right situation yet,” the Armenian prime minister added.
Thus, it seems that Pashinyan is not against the change of the head of the AAC and is literally ready to contribute to this by his non-interference. However, the possible resignation of Karekin II is unlikely to change something radically in the Armenian Church, since a complete change of its structure is necessary in order to achieve positive results.