Latest news with #KarekinII
LeMonde
28-07-2025
- Politics
- LeMonde
Armenian prime minister and church leader clash over opposing visions for country's future
Worshippers knelt before the altar and kissed the silver cross placed in a velvet case beside the Bible. A priest warned visitors: Photography had been forbidden for the past week. Outside the church, families dressed up for a baptism posed for pictures in the sweltering heat. Meanwhile, priests in black robes moved briskly back and forth. Their faces were tense. An unusual nervousness pervaded Etchmiadzin, the spiritual seat of the powerful Armenian Apostolic Church, which is now locked in an unprecedented confrontation with the government. On June 10, the head of government, Nikol Pashinyan, called on the faithful to overthrow the highest religious leader, Karekin II. Pashinyan has accused Karekin II of having a child, a poorly kept secret in Armenia. The Catholicos called for the prime minister's resignation after Armenia's defeat in the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war. On July 20, Pashinyan demanded the prelate's ouster again. "Karekin II has not yet left the patriarchate, thereby desecrating the sanctuary of our holiness," he wrote on Facebook. In his message, the prime minister called on his supporters to stage a mass demonstration outside the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, where the Catholicos resides, on the outskirts of Yerevan, to "liberate the patriarchate from him. We will do it together. Be ready," he said, without specifying a date. Since then, speculation has been rife about when he would act. Alleged coup d'état At the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, the prime minister's threats deeply angered worshipers, who were shocked to see him attack the church. Armenian identity and history are closely intertwined with this religion, which accounts for over 80% of the country's population and more than six million adherents worldwide. "The Catholicos is neither a saint nor a true believer, I admit," said Andranik Machourian, 35, who came to attend a baptism. "But Pashinyan has no right to interfere in church affairs." "He is destroying our values and our identity," said his neighbor. The prime minister was branded a "traitor" and a "figure of evil." Astvatsatur Amiryan, 55, was categorical: "The priority is to protect our homeland and our land. If he doesn't love this country, we have to get rid of him."
OC Media
09-07-2025
- Politics
- OC Media
Armenian Catholicos of Cilicia offers to mediate in ‘shameful' feud between church and Yerevan
Sign in or or Become a member to unlock the audio version of this article Join the voices Aliyev wants to silence. For over eight years, OC Media has worked with fearless journalists from Azerbaijan — some of whom now face decades behind bars — to bring you the stories the regime is afraid will get out. Help us fuel Aliyev's fears — become an OC Media member today Become a member Armenian Catholicos Aram I of Cilicia has offered to mediate between the Armenian Church and the government in their ongoing conflict. Aram I's statement was published by the Armenian Orthodox Church's website on Wednesday. 'It is a shame, a thousand shames! The current unhealthy and anti-national atmosphere created in the life of our beloved Homeland, Armenia', said the Catholicos of Cilicia. 'Unfortunately, the words of the Armenian language are not enough to describe my pain'. Aram I is the Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia in Antelias, Lebanon, the see responsible for Armenian communities in the Middle Eastern diaspora, functioning autonomously from the Mother See of Etchmiadzin in Armenia. 'The atmosphere that has recently emerged within the two nation-building and patriot-building structures of our nation, Holy Etchmiadzin and the National Assembly, is deeply shameful and condemnable to me', he said. Aram I goes on to say that 'mistakes, omissions, polarisations, and confrontations […] need to be discussed through specific processes and in a calm atmosphere, so that appropriate solutions can be reached'. He noted that he has not visited Armenia for about six years, and that he had 'thought a lot' about visiting to help 'calm the storm that has been created', but decided against it due to 'unfounded and ongoing statements' made in parliament that 'distort our moral, spiritual, and national values, as well as the arrests that are taking place'. Advertisement 'However, I remain committed to coming to the Homeland at any time and consulting with Karekin II, Catholicos of All Armenians, Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan, and other responsible officials, so that we can seek viable solutions to get Armenia out of the difficult situation it has created.' Tensions between the Armenian Church's Holy See in Etchmiadzin and the government have been at an all-time high for months, with the two exchanging insults and accusations since late May, when Pashinyan claimed that churches in Armenia were being turned into 'storerooms'. The accusations further escalated, with Pashinyan, his wife, Anna Hakobyan, and senior members of the ruling Civil Contract party regularly accusing high-ranking clergy, including Catholicos Karekin II, of breaking their celibacy vows. Pashinyan has since regularly demanded that Karekin II admit that fathered a child. In June, at least 15 were detained as part of an alleged coup plot against the government, including two high-ranking clergymen — Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan and Archbishop Mikayel Ajapahyan. The authorities claim that Galstanyan's anti-government movement, Holy Struggle, spearheaded the plot to overthrow the government. He was arrested on 25 June for allegedly plotting 'terrorist attacks and a coup d'état'. Ajapahyan, who was wanted for making public calls for usurping powers, surrendered himself to the authorities on 27 June, after police attempted and failed to apprehend him at Etchmiadzin Cathedral as supporters of the church prevented them from reaching the archbishop.
Al Jazeera
08-07-2025
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
In Armenia, a bitter dispute escalates between PM Pashinyan and the church
A confrontation between Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Armenia's top Christian clerics seems to be deepening, polarising the deeply religious South Caucasus nation of 3 million. St Echmiadzin, the Armenian Apostolic Church's headquarters, has been 'taken over by the anti-Christian, immoral, antinational and antistate group and has to be liberated', Pashinyan wrote on Facebook on Tuesday, adding: 'I will lead this liberation.' The dispute escalated late last month, with bells ringing tocsin over St Echmiadzin on June 27. Usually, the loud and alarming sound signals an event of significance, such as a foreign invasion. But on that parching-hot June day, the noise rang out to signal the detention of a top cleric who, according to Pashinyan, was part of a 'criminal-oligarchic clergy' that was involved in 'terrorism' and plotted a 'coup'. He said the 'coup organisers' include the Church's head, Karekin II, who has disputed with Pashinyan in a months-long personal feud. But the conflict should not be seen as a confrontation between secular authorities and the entire Church, observers said. 'It's a personal clash,' Richard Giragosian of the Regional Studies Center think tank based in the Armenian capital, Yerevan, told Al Jazeera. But some Armenians still described the furore in almost apocalyptic terms. 'We lost our statehood so many times, so being part of the Church was equal to being Armenian,' Narine Malikyan, a 37-year-old mother of two from Armenia's second-largest city of Guymri, told Al Jazeera. 'Attacking the Church is like attacking every Armenian.' The Church, whose doctrine differs from that of the Roman Catholic and Orthodox sees, has for centuries helped maintain the identity of Armenians while their lands were ruled by Iranians, Byzantines, Arabs, Mongols, Turks and Russians. 'The Karabakh clan' The conflict between Pashinyan and Karekin is rooted in the 2020 war between Armenia and Azerbaijan that ended a decades-old 'frozen conflict'. In the early 1990s, Nagorno-Karabakh, a mountainous Azeri enclave dominated by ethnic Armenians, broke away in a bloody war that uprooted up to a million. Moscow-backed separatist leaders from Nagorno-Karabakh became part of Armenia's political elite and cultivated ties with the Church. The so-called 'Karabakh clan' spawned two presidents who ruled Armenia for 20 years but were accused of corruption, cronyism and pocketing donations from Armenian diasporas in France, the United States and Russia. In 2018, Pashinyan, an ex-lawmaker and popular publicist, led huge protests that toppled the 'Karabakh clan'. He became prime minister with approval ratings of more than 80 percent. Some protesters back then flocked to St Echmiadzin to urge Karekin to step down as they lambasted his penchant for luxurious cars and lavish parties. 'An illegitimate child' Two years later, Armenia lost Nagorno-Karabakh in a 44-day war that proved the superiority of drone attacks and hi-tech stratagems. By 2023, Azerbaijan regained control of the entire Dubai-sized territory, while tens of thousands of its residents flocked to Armenia. Karekin blamed Pashinyan for the defeat, even though observers have argued that the responsibility lies with his predecessors's miscalculations. Pashinyan struck back. He claimed that 73-year-old Karekin – who was ordained in 1970, studied theology in Austria, Germany and Moscow and became the Church's head in 1999, broke his vow of celibacy to father a child – and should, therefore, vacate his seat. 'If Karekin II tries to denounce this fact, I'll prove it in all necessary ways,' Pashinyan wrote on Facebook on June 9. He did not specify the details, but Armenian media 'discovered' that Karekin's alleged daughter is a medical doctor in Yerevan. Karekin did not respond to the claim but accused Pashinyan of dividing Armenians. 'The anti-clerical campaign unleashed by authorities is a serious threat to our national unity, domestic stability and is a direct blow to our statehood,' the grey-bearded clergyman, clad in a ceremonial robe adorned with crosses, said on June 22 at a ceremony at St Echmiadzin. A day later, a priest called Pashinyan 'Judas' and claimed he was circumcised. Pashinyan retorted by offering to expose himself to the priest and Karekin. A failed detention On June 27, dozens of intelligence officers interrupted a conference in one of St Echmiadzin's tawny, centuries-old buildings to forcibly deliver another Pashinyan critic, Archbishop Mikael Adjapakhyan, to an interrogation. But priests and parishioners summoned by the tocsin fought them off – while critics compared the incident to the 1938 killing of Armenia's top cleric in St Echmiadzin during the Soviet-era crackdown on religion. Hours later, Archbishop Adjapakhyan volunteered for an interrogation, telling supporters that he 'was being persecuted illegally'. He was arrested for two months – along with 14 alleged 'coup organisers,' including another archbishop, Bagrat Galstanyan, opposition lawmakers and 'Karabakh clan' figures. The coup was supposed to take place on September 21, on Armenia's Independence Day, according to its plan leaked to the daily. Also arrested was construction tycoon Samvel Karapetyan, who made his estimated $3.6bn fortune in Russia and owns Armenia's main power company. Karapetyan had threatened Pashinyan, saying if the conflict with Karekin is not solved, 'we will take part in it all in our own way.' The arrests were 'a move by the Armenian government to preempt any potential Russian interference in the coming [parliamentary] elections that are set for June 2026', analyst Giragosyan said. 'Pashinyan is hard to negotiate with' Those opposed to Pashinyan's Civil Contract Party have accused him of siding with Azerbaijan and Turkiye. But Baku has its qualms about Pashinyan. 'Pashinyan is by far not a peace dove,' Emil Mustafayev, chief editor of the Minval Politika magazine based in the Azeri capital, Baku, told Al Jazeera. 'He is hard to negotiate with.' However, after the loss of Nagorno-Karabakh, Pashinyan 'began to take heed of Baku's position', Mustafayev said. 'Of all possible options in Yerevan, he's the least problematic partner one can have a dialogue with, no matter how complicated it is.' Analyst Gigarosyan agreed. 'Pashinyan is the best interlocutor [Baku and Ankara] could hope for because of predictability and also because he's looking to turn the page,' he said. 'He's not looking for revenge.' And even though Pashinyan's current approval ratings are well below 20 percent, his party may become a political phoenix and win the June 2026 vote. Armenian opposition parties are either centred around two former presidents from the 'Karabakh clan' who are deeply mistrusted, or are too small and splintered to form sizeable coalitions and influence decision-making in the unicameral, 107-seat parliament. 'They're likely to win,' Giragosyan said of Pashinyan's party. 'Not because of a strong degree of support, but because the opposition is hated and feared more.'
Euronews
27-06-2025
- Politics
- Euronews
Armenian PM says he is not circumcised in ongoing duel with church
Armenia's Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has implied he is willing to have his penis examined to settle an argument that he is uncircumcised amid an ongoing dispute with the head of the country's main church. Pashinyan made the proposal in response to Father Zareh Ashuryan, the spokesperson for the Patriarch of the Armenian Apostolic Church Karekin II, who implied that the head of government was circumcised, therefore not a Christian. "I believe that our Apostolic Holy Church must immediately cleanse itself of those false 'believers' who are traitors to the nation, have dishonoured the memory of their ancestors, broken the vow of baptism and replaced the seal of the Holy Cross with the sign of circumcision," Father Ashuryan said. Pashinyan responded in a post on Facebook, saying he was ready to accept the challenge and prove he had nothing to do with being circumcised, a religious practice not common among Christians in the country. "Let him finally answer the question: did he break the covenant of partisanship or not? Does he have a child or not?" Pashinyan asked in his post, repeating a claim he had made in June in which he accused Karekin II of breaking his vow of celibacy and fathering a child. The church released a statement at the time accusing Pashinyan of undermining Armenia's "spiritual unity" but did not address the claim about the child. Claims of a coup plot This isn't the first time this week that Pashinyan and the Armenian Apostolic Church have gone head to head. On Wednesday, authorities arrested a prominent cleric, Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan, along with 14 others, charging them with orchestrating an alleged plot to overthrow the government. Armenia's Investigative Committee said in a statement it had filed criminal charges against the group, which they claim had "acquired the means and tools necessary to commit a terrorist attack and seize power." Galastanyan's lawyer described the charges as "fiction". In total, 14 individuals were arrested in connection with the alleged coup plot, but only Galastanyan was named publicly. The Investigative Committee said it carried out over 90 searches and recovered evidence that included firearms and ammunition. In a post on Telegram, Pashinyan wrote that authorities had thwarted a "large and sinister plan by the 'criminal-oligarchic clergy'" aimed at taking control of Armenia. Disclaimer: This article has been updated with further clarifications provided to Euronews by the Office of the Armenian Prime Minister.
BBC News
26-06-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Armenia's PM Pashinyan offers to expose himself in escalating Church row
A bitter standoff between Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and the Armenian Apostolic Church has seen mass arrests, allegations of a coup plot, and an extraordinary offer by Armenia's leader to reveal his private parts to prove he is a this week, Pashinyan told his 1.1 million followers on Facebook he was prepared to expose himself to the head of the Armenian Church and his spokesman, to prove they were wrong that he had been media became his preferred means of communication after he came to office after Armenia's so-called Velvet Revolution of faces pivotal elections next year and the Church has become a prominent anti-government voice since Armenia was defeated in a 2020 war with neighbouring Azerbaijan. His extraordinary offer last Monday followed a Facebook post by a priest in the southwestern town of Masis who alleged Pashinyan had been circumcised, comparing him to Judas and implying that he was not Christian."I believe that our Apostolic Holy Church must immediately cleanse itself," said Father Zareh Ashuryan, "of those false 'believers' who have betrayed the nation, dishonoured the memory of their ancestors, violated the baptism, and replaced the seal of the Holy Cross with the sign of circumcision."The confrontation between Church and state began at the end of May when the prime minister accused the head of the Armenian Apostolic Church, Catholicos Karekin II, of breaking his vow of celibacy and fathering a child, demanding the church leader's Church released a statement accusing Pashinyan of undermining Armenia's "spiritual unity" but did not address the claim about the media subsequently circulated photos and names of Karekin II's alleged daughter, while Pashinyan established a "co-ordination group" to organise the election of a new Church leader - despite constitutional provisions guaranteeing separation of Church and state. When Karekin II returned from a trip to the UAE last week, hundreds of supporters gathered at Yerevan airport chanting Vehapar (Pontiff).He called for unity and restraint, saying they would "overcome this difficulty" crisis then escalated on Wednesday, when security services detained 16 people, including Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan, a senior cleric who leads the opposition Sacred Struggle movement. They face allegations of plotting terrorist acts to seize the others detained are an opposition member, a former MP, a businessman and a Investigative Committee alleges the group planned to establish 250 "assault" groups" of 25 members each to carry out attacks and cause mass disturbances, and that "a large quantity of items and objects intended for criminal activity" were found during the archbishop led major anti-government protests last year and a court has now ruled that he should spend two months in pre-trial detention. He faces charges of planning terrorism and attempting to overthrow the lawyers have dismissed the allegations as "political persecution".The arrests followed the publication of what government-affiliated media claimed was a detailed opposition coup plan, allegedly involving the Church, recently detained Russian-Armenian billionaire Samvel Karapetyan, and two former presidents - Robert Kocharyan and Serzh Pashinyan shared a montage of the photos of the four men and said that the event would remain history as a "failed revolution of crooks". Samvel Karapetyan, who holds dual Russian and Armenian citizenship, is one of the richest men in Armenia, with an estimated wealth of $4bn (£2.9bn).He owns the Tashir Group, known across Russia for its pizza brand. It is a conglomerate that operates real estate as well as the Electric Networks of Armenia – a major energy distributor in the one of the most prominent benefactors of the Armenian Apostolic Church and the recipient of high Church awards, was arrested after he made a public video pledging his support for the Church."I have always stood with the Armenian Church and the Armenian people. If the politicians do not succeed, we will intervene in our own way in this campaign against the Church," he after the statement, law enforcement officers conducted searches in Karapetyan's mansion, he was arrested and later charged with publicly calling for the seizure of has denied all the charges against spokesman suggested that the billionaire had decided to use a "classic manual received from the north" – a clear reference to prime minister later announced his intention to nationalise Karapetyan's Electric Networks of Armenia (ENA) and he told a cabinet meeting on Thursday the government would start taking control of it."We must do this swiftly and effectively," Pashinyan Karapetyan's arrest giant billboards with his photos appeared in Moscow – and Russia's Armenian diaspora expressed support for the foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said that Moscow was "closely monitoring" the situation around "Russian national Samvel Karapetyan" promising to provide him necessary assistance to ensure that his legal rights were respected.
