Representatives of the Artsakh community expressed strong discontent over Bishop Vrtanes’s participation in a recent meeting with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.
Artsakh lawyer Roman Yeritsyan wrote: “The fact that Bishop Vrtanes of the Artsakh Diocese met with Nikol Pashinyan, shook his hand, and most painfully, bowed, evokes deep sorrow and anger.”
He continued: “To show such respect to the very person responsible for the political decision to hand over Artsakh, with all its monasteries, churches, khachkars, cemeteries, and sacred sites, to Azerbaijan, is not only unacceptable to me, but also deeply degrading for thousands of people of Artsakh.”
“Every such gesture today represents a blatant disregard for injustice and tragedy. Father Vrtanes, go repent for this sin and publicly ask forgiveness from all people of Artsakh,” he added.
Another displaced Artsakh Armenian, Davit Ghahramanyan, wrote: “To all those forcibly displaced from Artsakh, if after today I see anyone, whether a citizen or official, meet with Bishop Vrtanes, I’ll have serious doubts about your loyalty to Nikol.”
A group of senior clergy—archbishops and bishops—had previously released a statement accusing Catholicos Karekin II of attempting to cover up the actions of Archbishop Arshak Khachatryan, citing video evidence. They also claimed that Karekin II had violated his consecration oath. Prime Minister Pashinyan met with the signatories of the statement and commended their principled position.
