Touching upon the campaign against the Catholicos of All Armenians, deputy of the Prosperous Armenia faction of the National Assembly of Armenia Vardan Ghukasyan today told reporters that only saints can talk about the Catholicos of All Armenians.

“Out of the 132 Catholicoses of the Armenians, only 12 are among the saints. In general, kings and catholicoses are selected by God. People in Armenia have left everything behind and gone after the Catholicos to replace him. I don’t believe it’s right to change the Catholicos like this. People are discrediting everyone, starting from the Catholicos and ending with doctors,” the deputy said.

Asked if it was right for the Catholicos to talk about second President of Armenia Robert Kocharyan’s custody and if he still thinks Robert Kocharyan needs to be in liberty, Ghukasyan said the following: I have given an affirmative answer to that question a thousand times. The Armenian Church says let the oppressed and prisoners be in liberty and go on with your lives.”

When told that many citizens say the Catholicos didn’t say a word when ten people were killed during the events of March 1, 2008, Ghukasyan said he remembers that the Catholicos came out and asked everyone to be in solidarity and disallow bloodshed.