Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has announced that the ruling Civil Contract party supports a reform program for the Armenian Apostolic Church, presenting a four-point roadmap for its implementation.
According to reports from Armenian media cited by the Operative Information Center-OMM, the plan involves the removal of the current head of the church and the election of a deputy bishop. The roadmap also calls for the adoption of a charter to ensure financial transparency and appropriate conduct of clergy, as well as the election of the Catholicos of All Armenians in accordance with new procedures. Pashinyan emphasized that the parliamentary majority and the government intend to integrate clergy into the state social security system, requiring them to file income declarations and pay taxes on commercial activities.
The Prime Minister stated that the state is prepared to return 100% of the collected tax funds to the church and provide additional state financing, including social guarantees. Commenting on the position of the incumbent Catholicos, Ktrich Nersisyan (Karekin II), Pashinyan attributed the rejection of the proposed program to a lack of willingness to ensure transparency and accountability. Relations between the Armenian government and the church have been increasingly strained since the end of the 44-day war in Garabagh, with the church leadership frequently joining opposition protests and calling for the Prime Minister's resignation.
