Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has published a roadmap for the reform of the Armenian Apostolic Church following the proposed removal of the Catholicos. The plan, shared on his Facebook page, includes structural, legal, financial, and political reforms aimed at reshaping the church's governance.
The roadmap includes the following steps:
- Election of a Locum Tenens (temporary head) according to existing mechanisms within the Church.
- Adoption of a new Statute for the Armenian Apostolic Church, covering:
- Ethical standards and enforcement mechanisms for clergy,
- Financial transparency and related safeguards,
- Guarantees for the Church's apolitical stance,
- Compliance with Armenia’s tax legislation, with state mechanisms ensuring that all taxes paid by the Church are refunded to it,
- Full access to social protections for clergy, including pensions, income tax benefits, healthcare, and social credits — systems currently inaccessible due to the lack of formal compensation structures.
3. Election of a new Catholicos in accordance with the new statute.
Pashinyan stated that the statute must be adopted by the appropriate ecclesiastical body, and the government is willing to provide advisory support in drafting it upon the Locum Tenens’ request.
This is the third time in recent days that Pashinyan has addressed Church matters. On December 7, he suggested that Armenia’s national anthem should be played in all churches before Sunday liturgy. On December 8, he proposed that the national flag be displayed at or inside all churches in Armenia, noting that this is standard practice in many countries.
Pashinyan attended a service on December 7 at the Yot Verk (Seven Wounds) Church in Gyumri. However, local clergy refused to serve the liturgy after his request to omit the Catholicos' name from the service. Security forces sealed the church, and later, the service was conducted by Fr. Mkrtich Mushadyan from the Armavir Diocese.
