Armenian prisons deprived of spiritual care, cleric says

Armenia’s penitentiary system has been left without spiritual guidance due to what a senior cleric described as arbitrary decisions by state authorities.

Rev. Ruben Zargaryan, acting head of the Diocese of Masis, told reporters on Monday that even priests who had formal agreements with the government are no longer permitted to visit correctional facilities. “As far as I know, even those clergymen with signed contracts are not visiting prisons currently. Consequently, the penitentiary sector across Armenia has been left without spiritual care,” he said.

Zargaryan stressed that the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin has suspended prison ministry for well-known reasons. “This should be clear to penitentiary staff and inmates alike,” he added.

He criticized state institutions for bypassing their constitutional responsibilities and acting on political orders. “The penitentiary service is a state body, not a party structure. For the past 12 years, the church has operated there under contract, and before that through verbal agreements. We owe the existence of prison ministry entirely to the Catholicos of All Armenians, who initiated pastoral visits first to Kosh prison and later to other facilities,” Zargaryan said.

The cleric underscored the importance of spiritual service in correctional institutions, calling it a vital contribution to the state, society, and the Armenian people. “Now, due to some people's whims, this state structure has been left without pastoral service and spiritual care,” he concluded.