Anna Grigoryan, a member of the opposition “Hayastan” faction, criticized the Armenian government during a parliamentary speech for only addressing issues related to the Church after 2024, claiming this shift followed an Azerbaijani directive. “Until 2024, these people said nothing. Ask them why. They have no answer. They only started speaking when an Azerbaijani order came down — to dismantle one of the last institutions protecting Armenian identity,” she said. Grigoryan condemned the government’s actions, claiming it has corrupted and destroyed everything it touched. She referred to the situation as a tragedy and mocked officials’ plans to attend a liturgy this Sunday led by a defrocked priest, sarcastically suggesting they swear allegiance to Kadyrov.
She also blamed current authorities for the displacement of Armenians from Nagorno-Karabakh, stating that now they aim to dismantle the Armenian Apostolic Church, which has stood for 1,700 years. “This is your style, to destroy everything tied to Armenian identity,” she said.
On October 21, by patriarchal decree of the Catholicos of All Armenians, Father Aram Asatryan was defrocked and declared a layman under the name Stepan Asatryan. Despite this, he announced he would hold mass at Hovhannavank on Sunday. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has said he plans to attend.
