The former vicar of the Catholicos of All Armenians, Archbishop Aghan Ernjakyan, posted on his Facebook page his regret that a telephone conversation, which includes personal and family matters, has become circulated. He noted that believers’ questions have been addressed to him.
He asked the senior fathers of the Armenian Apostolic Holy Church and the Church’s relevant bodies to answer the questions that concern society and the faithful “while avoiding further discussion and misinterpretation.”
“In recent days a telephone recording appeared in the press, which became a cause for intense public debate. I regret very much that my telephone conversation with Archbishop Nathan Hovhannisyan, head of the Disciplinary Commission of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, which includes personal and family questions, has become material for circulation. Without discussing the authenticity of the recording, the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin issued a statement which, however, according to results was not exhaustive, and the questions of the media and thousands of faithful are still being addressed to me, from which I have gathered the following picture.
Has the subject matter of strictly moral, value‑system and institutional nature submitted to the Disciplinary body of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin received processing within that disciplinary body or not? If it has not, then why? If it has been processed, is there a record of discussion and decisions or not? And if there is, why did the Information System not link to those discussions and decisions days ago?
Now my request is to the high fathers of the Armenian Apostolic Holy Church and the Church’s bodies that, instead of following and leaving the responses entirely to me, they themselves answer the questions which trouble society and the faithful — avoiding new discussions and misinterpretations.
May God guard and aid our Motherland, our Holy Church and our dear people,” the post says.
Earlier, a recording circulated via pro‑government media featuring Archbishop Natհan and the now‑defrocked Aghan Yernjakyan, in which he complains that the Catholicos forces him and his family members to take part in protests against “symbol of sin” Nikol Pashinyan. A criminal case has been initiated under Article 236 Part 3 of the Criminal Code (obstructing or compelling the holding or participation in an assembly using official powers or influence, as well as materially incentivizing participation or non‑participation in the assembly).
