After a short break, Nikol Pashinyan, ignoring public discontent, once again reignited the issue of the Armenian Apostolic Church (AAC) and the Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians. This time, the trigger was a question raised by a ruling party MP during a question-and-answer session in the National Assembly on September 10, 2025, regarding the possible removal of the Catholicos, directed to the prime minister. It is quite possible that the question was orchestrated within the framework of internal agreements among members of the ruling political force. Judging by Pashinyan’s self-satisfied response, it seems the matter may soon come to a head: “I envision the culmination as a major event with spiritual content in the central square of Etchmiadzin,” he said, hinting at a large-scale rally near the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin to unseat the Catholicos.

Continuing his remarks, Pashinyan attempted to sound sincere and his best, but the effect was as always debatable: “The Church is our sanctity, our pearl; we cannot cast our pearl before swine. There will be no compromise! My stance will not change under any circumstances. Ktrich Nersisyan (the Catholicos’ baptismal name) must vacate the residence … Now we are discussing the timelines, as well as organizational and substantive matters.” The verdict, it appears, has already been rendered. The fact that the executive branch—and especially the prime minister himself—has no constitutional authority to hold such discussions or make such decisions seems irrelevant to him. According to Article 17, point 2 of the Constitution of the Republic of Armenia (adopted on December 6, 2015), religious organizations shall be separate from the State, which has no right to interfere in the internal affairs of the Church.

For Nikol Pashinyan, toppling constitutional order seems as easy as drinking a glass of water. During his seven and a half years in power, he has repeatedly violated the law, including the Constitution itself. But why has the confrontation between the authorities and the Church escalated now, just nine months before the next parliamentary elections? Could it be the results of recent polls conducted by the International Republican Institute (IRI) in June 2025, which show the AAC’s approval rating to be five or six times higher than that of the government? Does Pashinyan intend to replace Catholicos Garegin II with a “handpicked” successor, hoping to secure the votes of the Church’s thousands of followers in the June 2026 elections? We believe such hopes are futile.

Pashinyan and the Catholicos have long been on divergent paths. Since coming to power, the leader of the “Civil Contract” party has made tremendous efforts to bring the centuries-old Armenian Apostolic Church—tested by countless trials and always steadfast—under his control, yet all have failed. To this day, the Church remains the only national and state institution that has preserved its independence, serving as the final stronghold of the faithful Armenian people—and, regrettably, the main target of the current anti-national authorities. Other institutions—from the Yerkrapah Union of Volunteers to pan-Armenian diaspora organizations—have been dismantled during this period, not without Pashinyan’s “dedication,” of course.

As TV journalist David Sargsyan has noted, the attitude of the “Civil Contract” leadership toward religion and Christianity often resembles the practices of certain pastors and reverends in Protestant-Evangelical churches. According to Sargsyan’s observations, conversations held in parliamentary corridors frequently reveal a belief among ruling party members that no intermediary—especially a clergyman—is needed between themselves and God. In his view, this is a hallmark of Protestant-Evangelical theology.

Sargsyan’s remarks bring to mind a photo report prepared in the United States. Among the images was a striking photo from Pashinyan’s visit to the U.S. in January, showing him shaking hands with Arthur Simonyan, the head of the Evangelical “Word of Life” denomination. At the time, there was already talk that Pashinyan was following a typical sectarian-Protestant path. Indeed, for more than five years, he has had no connection whatsoever with the Armenian Apostolic Church—he has not visited the Mother See, has not bowed before the Catholicos, has not asked for forgiveness, has not attended liturgies, and has not honored the seven sacraments of the Apostolic Church. The facts speak for themselves.

“Hayatsk Yerevanits” journal