Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has declined to specify which article of the Armenian Constitution he relies on for his actions against Catholicos Garegin II and several senior clerics of the Armenian Apostolic Church, according to Sputnik Armenia.
"I am primarily acting within the framework of the agenda to renew and save the Armenian Apostolic Church," he said.
Pashinyan emphasized that he is guided by his faith as a follower of the Armenian Church, which he considers sacred. “I act, first and foremost, as a faithful believer. It also happens that I am the Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia. For me, the Armenian Church is sacred,” he stated.
He underscored the importance of “preserving the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin as the spiritual and moral core of the Armenian nation”, affirming that he believes this continues to be the case.
He added that ignoring known problems without seeking solutions would amount to abandoning the church’s moral and spiritual values.
Pashinyan also declared his willingness to personally lead the "liberation" of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, saying, "The site of the house of Christ is seized by an anti-Christian, immoral, anti-national, and anti-state group." Previously, he stated that no area in the enlarged community of Vagharshapat could be off-limits to law enforcement.
