Former Armenian President Robert Kocharyan said he does not understand how celibacy relates to national security, opposing Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s stance. He made these comments in an interview with Channel 5.
“There are red lines this government has crossed without hesitation. I’ve thought about it a lot and still can’t understand the connection between celibacy and national security. I don’t see it. Nikol Pashinyan thinks there is,” he stated, as reported by Panorama.am .
Kocharyan further accused Pashinyan of dismantling Armenia’s armed forces under the guise of reforms and now doing the same with the church.
“We shouldn't have lost that war. Azerbaijan didn’t have such an advantage—I’m telling you this with certainty. Pashinyan ruined the army under slogans of improvement, and now he’s doing the same to the church.”
He also expressed skepticism about Pashinyan’s international standing: “I don’t think anyone serious abroad still trusts him. They don’t trust him; they’re just trying to use him—and doing so successfully.”
The full interview is scheduled to air on "Channel 5" on August 1 at 21:20.
During a press conference, Prime Minister Pashinyan, when asked how he plans to “liberate the Catholicosate,” said it would happen “just like Armenia was freed from Serzh Sargsyan in 2018.” He later called for a “Great Spiritual Gathering in Etchmiadzin’s central square.”
Also, Pashinyan outlined a proposed scenario involving changes in the Armenian Church: removing the Catholicos, appointing a morally upright priest as interim leader—who would be ineligible for the permanent role—and delaying new elections until a church statute is established under the Church Canon.
