Poetical analyst accuses Pashinyan of interfering in church affairs

Armenian political analyst Suren Surenyants accused Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan of interference in the internal affairs of the Armenian Apostolic Church, warning that the dispute risks deepening a broader political and social crisis.

In a social media post on Monday, Surenyants said Pashinyan’s recent public comments about Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II and the church’s internal governance could not be dismissed as personal opinion.

“This is a direct intervention in the church’s autonomy and is in clear contradiction with Article 17 of Armenia’s Constitution, which stipulates that the church is separated from the state and is independent in matters of internal governance,” Surenyants wrote.

The analyst compared the government’s approach to the Soviet-era repressive tactics, arguing that the prime minister’s accusations against the church leadership have shifted over time without a consistent legal or moral basis.

“The prime minister first accused the Catholicos of violating the vow of celibacy, then labeled him a spy and now blames him for creating a so-called ‘uncanonical situation’ within the church,” Surenyants said. “This sequence of accusations does not reflect principled conduct, but rather a predetermined political objective to place the church under state control.”

Surenyants also criticized Pashinyan’s record in office, saying it was “at the very least perplexing” for a prime minister who has violated the Constitution and failed to implement the government program adopted in 2021 to seek to “restore legality” within an institution that is formally independent of the state.

“In this context, the discussion about the church’s canon law is secondary,” he wrote. “The real issue is the authorities’ desire to establish control over an institution that has so far not been subordinated to political will.”

According to Surenyants, the dispute raises questions about the future of independent public institutions in Armenia.

“The question today is not the church’s canon code,” he said. “It is whether autonomous public institutions are still allowed to exist in Armenia without being governed from the prime minister’s office.”

He warned that the standoff could have consequences for national cohesion, noting the historical role of the Armenian Apostolic Church.

“The church has been a key part of Armenian identity for centuries and such a conflict is extremely dangerous,” Surenyants said. “It risks triggering a crisis of law and identity.”

Surenyants concluded that any internal problems within the church should be resolved through its own rules and procedures, "not through a 'roadmap' proposed by Pashinyan."