Hayk Ignatyan, First Vice President of the Tashir Group and member of the Spiritual Council of the Armenian Apostolic Church, wrote on Facebook that if an assault on the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin becomes reality, “the entire faithful nation must become defenders of our sanctities.”
He further stated that Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan “is leaving no alternative.”
“The current Prime Minister of Armenia, remaining loyal to his anti-national agenda, has announced plans to launch an attack against the Mother See and the Catholicos of All Armenians. It is difficult to find words to describe this. It is also hard to believe that Etchmiadzin might be stormed not by Mongol-Tatars, Turkic-Seljuks, or Ottomans, but by our own compatriots—our fellow citizens.
If this threat becomes a reality, then we, Armenian Christians, the entire faithful people, must become defenders of our sacred sites. Pashinyan leaves us no alternative.
A severe ordeal awaits Armenia, but I am confident that with united strength and faith, we will overcome it,” his post reads.
During a press conference, in response to a question on how the government intends to “liberate the Mother See,” Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said: “We will liberate the Catholicosate the same way we liberated Armenia from Serzh Sargsyan in 2018.” He later called on the public to prepare for a “Great Spiritual Gathering at the central square of Etchmiadzin.”
