Deputy parliament speaker says Armenian church leader must be 'defrocked'

Deputy parliament speaker Ruben Rubinyan sharply criticized Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II on Tuesday, expressing full support for defrocked priest Father Aram (Stepan Asatryan).

Rubinyan said he had learned that Catholicos Karekin II had allegedly pressured his subordinates to defrock Father Aram, calling the move “another anti-church step lacking justification”.

“This is yet another anti-church act. There is no justification, no reason,” he said. “Ktrich Nersisyan [the lay name of Catholicos Karekin II] must accept the fact that he is not a catholicos and cannot be one.”

The deputy speaker called for the removal of Karekin II and his defrockment.

“I suggest that Ktrich Nersisyan start packing his things, because he must not only leave the Mother See, but also be defrocked, and he will be,” Rubinyan said.