Speaking to reporters at the Mother See, Archbishop Arshak Khachatryan responded to a recent declaration by a group of bishops calling for his removal. He said he would comment only after the bishops personally confirm their signatures on the document.
Khachatryan suggested that people with influence are seeking to “destroy those whose views they dislike.”
“I’m not sure those bishops whose names appear actually knew what they were signing,” he said, adding that he was unaware of any expert examination or resulting report.
“If I’m directly involved and haven’t seen any forensic conclusion, how could people unrelated to the case have access to it?” he asked.
Asked what he would do if Catholicos Karekin II decided to suspend him, he replied: “Any decision must have a legal or at least logical basis. I see none in this case, and I don’t deal in hypotheticals.”
He argued that current events should be viewed as part of a broader campaign against the Church, not just a personal matter.
“I believe my role is being exaggerated. I’m just one of many bishops with a position and a stance, and apparently, some dislike it. But unlike me, those with resources and leverage are determined to eliminate dissent. Time will tell how things play out. My stance has not changed,” he stated.
When asked whether he might consider leaving the Church to calm the situation, Khachatryan replied: “Why should I leave? Any such decision must be based on legal, canonical, moral, or at least logical grounds. I don’t see any. Should I act just because others want me to? Do you think that’s right?”
Earlier, archbishop Arshak’s attorney Arsen Babayan wrote that even if a forensic report exists, it could not legally be shared with anyone outside the case, including bishops, and demanded that the Investigative Committee clarify the matter.
