Two imprisoned Armenian archbishops have urged fellow clergy to return to canonical order and demanded a synod with their direct involvement.

Archbishops Mikael Ajapahyan and Bagrat Galstanyan, in a statement released from detention, called on dissident church figures to return to canonical structures and raise their concerns within internal ecclesiastical bodies.

“Our appeal is for the dissidents to return to the canonical domain and raise their concerns within the church’s internal domain and forums.

We appeal to the Catholicos of All Armenians and find it necessary to convene a synod to discuss the current issues and prepare the agenda for a National Ecclesiastical Assembly. At the same time, we insist that the participation of the three unlawfully imprisoned bishops be ensured,” the statement said.

“We pray, hope, and express our conviction that the Catholicos of All Armenians will remain firm and unwavering, and that under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, our Holy Church will overcome this trial of evil,” it concluded.

On November 27, a group of senior clerics — archbishops and bishops — issued a statement accusing Catholicos Karekin II of covering up an incident involving Archbishop Arshak Khachatryan, backed by video evidence. They also claimed Karekin II had betrayed his oath of office. Prime Minister Pashinyan met with them and welcomed their stance. By November 29, they had called for Karekin II’s resignation.