Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has responded to criticism from clergy members regarding his comparison of churches to storage rooms during a cabinet meeting by making several offensive statements on his Facebook page.

In one post, Pashinyan wrote: “Bishop, go back to banging your uncle’s wife, what do you want from me?”

In another post, he questioned the celibacy of bishops: “Is it necessary to confront the question of how many of our bishops are faithful to their vow of celibacy?”

He also addressed concerns about his marital status: “Some are upset that I’m not officially married. Half of our spiritual elite is in the same situation, and that doesn’t bother anyone.”

In a separate post, Pashinyan wrote: “What happens when it turns out that a celibate clergyman has broken his vow? He is deprived of his position, rank, and robe. Now, which is morally more honest: to resign voluntarily or to fall into the abyss of introspection, wondering whether there will be an investigation, whether the truth will be revealed?”

Anna Hakobyan, Pashinyan’s wife, joined in the criticism of the clergy. She wrote: “The country’s chief pedophiles have gone mad over the word ‘storeroom.’ Of course, that’s how it should be. After all, storerooms are the dark corners of the lives of black-robed maniacs. It’s in the storerooms that perversions occur, which no longer even provoke the wrath of the faithful. The faithful people, long resigned, carry the country’s chief perverted maniacs on their shoulders.”

She continued: “What are you doing in Switzerland? Who are you sending safely to their native land? Who are you immediately freeing from captivity? Do you know what spirituality is? What a surprise.”

Hakobyan concluded: “The country’s chief spiritual mafioso is clearly outraged that there’s talk about storerooms. Otherwise, why would they attack the elected leader of the state?”

During the cabinet meeting, Pashinyan stated that several churches he visited with the Minister of Education, Science, Culture, and Sports were in a deplorable state. “I officially tell you that our churches have been turned into storerooms. S-t-o-r-e-r-o-o-m-s. Wherever there’s non-state property, you go and see some added tiles, a bag of cement, old pieces of plaster, rusty pieces of rebar,” he said.

Bishop Hovnan Hakobyan, head of the Diocese of Gougark of the Armenian Apostolic Church, responded to the statement, noting that it “has caused the indignation of the faithful people.” He mentioned that an international conference dedicated to the preservation of the Armenian spiritual and cultural heritage of Artsakh is currently taking place in Switzerland under the leadership of the Catholicos.