The Armenian government, led by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, is reportedly intensifying efforts to remove the head of the Armenian Apostolic Church, Catholicos Karekin II, from his position. This development marks a significant escalation in the ongoing friction between the secular government and the religious institution.
According to the Operative Information Center-OMM, Narek Karapetyan, a prominent opposition figure, stated that the administration's pressure on the church leadership is primarily driven by the Catholicos's stance regarding the separatist entity formerly established in the Garabagh region of Azerbaijan. The government has increasingly viewed the church's political rhetoric as a challenge to its current diplomatic trajectory.
Prime Minister Pashinyan has previously criticized the church for including prayers for the separatist entity during religious services, arguing that such actions transform a religious institution into a vehicle for political and military propaganda. In response, the government's strategic program through 2031 includes provisions aimed at preventing religious institutions from becoming tools for "hybrid warfare" by foreign actors, while also mandating stricter financial transparency and regulatory oversight for clergy activities.
Karapetyan has accused the government of attempting to seize control over the church, characterizing the move as an authoritarian overreach. The Armenian Apostolic Church, which has historically played a central role in Armenian national identity, now finds itself at the center of a deepening domestic political crisis as the government seeks to consolidate its influence over public and religious discourse.
