Defrocked priest Fr. Aram, now known by his secular name Stepan Asatryan, has responded to Archbishop Arshak Khachatryan, Chancellor of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, following his removal from clerical office. In a letter shared via Facebook, he formally requested documentation from the Disciplinary Committee’s sessions, including meeting minutes and justifications for the decision.
“I received your letter No. 1051, in which you inform me of the Patriarchal directive and subsequently outline several demands,” he wrote. “Regrettably, I first learned about the directive through Facebook, and only a day later received official notice via your letter from the Mother See. This raises a question: what happened at Hovhannavank during the delay in proper communication?”
He raised several issues:
- What procedures and internal regulations governed the committee meetings?
- Which specific canon law did he allegedly violate?
- Why did a committee bishop publicly call him “Judas” during the process, and what is the church’s stance on sacraments performed by someone so labeled?
- Why were his concerns dismissed as “disinformation” in the official summons?
- How could the directive state he “repeatedly failed to appear” when he had submitted written readiness to meet with the committee under clear terms?
He concluded by stating he would determine his next steps in ministry only after receiving full documentation of the disciplinary decisions and records.
“In response to a directive issued via Facebook, I respond on the same platform,” he added.
On October 21, by Patriarchal order, Fr. Aram Asatryan was officially defrocked and reclassified as a layperson named Stepan Asatryan. He has declared his intent to conduct Mass at Hovhannavank on Sunday, where Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has announced he will attend.
