Father Ararat Poghosyan has expressed concern over a troubling trend in Armenia: the application of direct or indirect political pressure by the authorities on the Armenian Apostolic Church—particularly on Catholicos of All Armenians Кareкin II—with the aim of forcing his resignation.
He emphasized, “The Church is not a political party, and the Catholicos is not a prime minister.”
“Prime Minister Pashinyan is directly steering this process, turning it into a false agenda, declaring that just as the people removed Prime Minister Serzh Sargsyan in 2018, now they can ‘get rid’ of the Catholicos. But this very comparison reveals a fundamental ignorance and disregard for the essential differences between a church and a political party, between a Catholicos and a prime minister.”
He stressed that the Church is not a political body whose goal is to gain power or whose leader can be replaced due to public dissatisfaction or political pressure. Rather, it is a centuries-old spiritual institution with an eternal mission to lead people to faith, sanctity, and salvation—a mission based not on popularity or public demand but on sacred tradition, canon law, and enduring doctrine.
In contrast to political leaders whose legitimacy comes from elections and who serve temporary terms, the Catholicos is chosen through a canonical process involving both clergy and laity and serves for life. His role is spiritual, not political.
The prime minister is accountable to voters and can be removed from office. The Catholicos, however, is a spiritual shepherd, not an elected official, and his leadership is grounded in divine calling and ecclesiastical tradition.
Treating the Catholicos like a government official to be ousted under political pressure is not only immoral and sacrilegious, Poghosyan warns, but deeply dangerous. It constitutes an intrusion into sacred space under the guise of reform and represents a distortion of spiritual identity.
He further argues that undermining the Church's authority threatens Armenia’s national identity. Throughout history, the Armenian Apostolic Church has been a guardian of faith, culture, language, and memory—even when kings lost their thrones and during the Armenian Genocide.
Therefore, viewing the Catholicos as a replaceable official is as misguided as trying to substitute faith with politics.
Poghosyan concludes that the Church has its own structure, traditions, and canonical foundation. Any external interference—especially from political power—is a gross violation of constitutional order.
“If the authorities are genuinely concerned with national unity, spiritual values, and social stability, they must respect the Church's sovereignty and avoid imposing political frameworks on sacred institutions. History shows that politicizing faith leads not to revival, but to decay.
The Armenian Apostolic Church is not a party, and the Catholicos is not a prime minister. Only a state built on this truth has a future.”
In a previous post titled “Who rejects the Catholicos’ name rejects their baptism,” Poghosyan ended with the sobering line: “If not for yourself, at least think of your children.” He now asks whether those targeted by that message have learned, repented, or withdrawn their public attacks on the Church. His answer: “No.”
Hence, he warns, consequences are inevitable—be it during communion, weddings, baptisms, house blessings, or funerals.
At a recent press conference, when asked how he plans to “liberate” the Catholicosate, Prime Minister Pashinyan stated, “It will be liberated the same way Armenia was liberated from Serzh Sargsyan in 2018.”
