Fr. Andreas Tavadyan, former spiritual pastor of the Ghazanchetsots Church in Shushi, said he cannot take a definitive stance on the actions of Bishop Vrtanes and other clerics involved in the ongoing crisis within the Armenian Apostolic Church, citing the unclear nature of the situation.
Speaking to Aysor.am , Fr. Andreas emphasized that he does not support calls for the resignation of Catholicos Karekin II and has not demanded anyone’s resignation. “I’ve received a blessing, and I’m serving. Who am I to ask for anyone’s resignation?” he said. “But again, I can’t say anything because I don’t know what’s going on.”
He stressed that preserving the Church is his top priority: “I fundamentally disagree with destabilizing the Church. As for the rest, I’m not informed enough to say whether it’s just or unjust.”
Fr. Andreas added, “Maybe in the end, it will turn out they are right, or maybe that they never had the right to wear a clerical robe at all.”
Cautious not to rush to judgment, he noted that things often appear one way and then prove otherwise. “Today we call someone a traitor, and tomorrow we find out they weren’t, or that they were. That’s why I can’t give any clear explanation now. Everything is hidden behind curtains. May God grant that things are resolved and the Church remains stable.”
He declined to criticize Bishop Vrtanes for meeting with a state official perceived as responsible for political decisions that led to the surrender of Armenian religious sites in Artsakh to Azerbaijan.
“I don’t know the motives for that meeting, so I can’t answer that specifically or continue or deny the narrative. Maybe I’ll have something to say in a few days, if I learn the truth. But for now, if I don’t know, why should I speak nonsense?” he said.
A group of high-ranking Armenian Church clergy, including archbishops and bishops, have issued a statement accusing Catholicos Karekin II of concealing Archbishop Arshak Khachatryan’s alleged misconduct, as shown in recently circulated videos. They also claim the Catholicos has broken the sacred oath of his position. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has met with them and expressed support for their stance.
