Armenian opposition MP accuses ruling party of attempting to discredit church

Opposition lawmaker Lilit Galstyan on Thursday accused Armenia’s ruling Civil Contract party of attempting to undermine the Armenian Apostolic Church and overstep constitutional boundaries by interfering in church affairs.

Speaking during a parliament session, Galstyan, a member of the Hayastan faction, described the Armenian leadership’s anti-church campaign as “unconstitutional and criminal”.

She argued that Armenian law clearly establishes the separation of church and state and stressed that no government has the authority to impose a reform agenda on the church.

“No prime minister has the right to demand the resignation of the Catholicos,” Galstyan said, referring to the head of the Armenian Apostolic Church. “Such a demand is, in itself, unlawful and reprehensible.”

Galstyan also criticized the use of administrative resources against the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, calling such actions morally and historically indefensible.

Drawing historical parallels, she said the Armenian Apostolic Church had withstood attacks by various powers throughout history, including “Turkish nomads, Mongols, Stalins, and Berias”. The MP questioned the current government’s stance toward the church and the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF).

“The reason is obvious,” she said. “They are two pillars of our national identity.”