Georgian Armenians condemn RA government’s attacks on Church

PanARMENIAN.Net - The Armenian community of Georgia released a statement expressing deep concern and outrage over what they described as persistent and deliberate attacks by Armenia’s leadership against the Armenian Apostolic Church.

“We reject a style of governance that insults its own spiritual heritage, congratulates Azerbaijan and Turkey on holidays, while simultaneously allowing Azerbaijan’s religious authorities to claim the Etchmiadzin Cathedral as Azerbaijani,” the statement reads.

The community emphasized that the Armenian Apostolic Church is not merely a religious institution, but the backbone of Armenian identity—a living embodiment of national spirit, historical memory, and unity. For centuries, it has served as the foundation of Armenian resilience, rebirth, and survival, as well as the guardian of national conscience and soul.

They argue that targeting the Church at a time when Armenians are facing profound historical consequences—such as the displacement from Artsakh, the imprisonment of Armenian POWs and political figures in Baku, territorial losses, and a crisis of national dignity—amounts to striking at the core of Armenian identity.

“When a priest in Sardarapat reaffirms the Church’s consistent stance, the authorities respond with scorn and insults. When the Catholicos of All Armenians raises concerns about Artsakh’s cultural heritage on international platforms, he is met with accusations and slander,” the statement adds.

The community called this not accidental, but a deliberate policy—a coordinated effort to:

• Undermine and dismantle Armenian identity,
• Weaken the collective resistance of the Armenian people,
• Drain the content of national statehood.

“We declare: The Armenian Apostolic Church has been, is, and will remain the spine of our identity. We stand with our Church, our spiritual fathers, and the moral foundations of our people. We will not remain silent when the sacred is trampled,” the statement concludes.

This comes in the wake of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s controversial statement calling for the election of a new Catholicos, alleging that Catholicos Karekin II violated his monastic vow and fathered a child—claims Pashinyan said he could prove if challenged. He urged followers of the Church to unite around the agenda of “liberating the Catholicosate in love and Christian spirit.”