Father Asoghik Karapetyan, a celibate priest, has expressed profound outrage and spiritual anguish over hostile attacks carried out against the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, the clergy, and the Catholicos of All Armenians by the current authorities and their agents, whom he accuses of being aligned with dark forces. The statement was posted on his Facebook page.

“With the power of the priesthood entrusted to me and in accordance with the divine command, ‘If you forgive anyone’s sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven’ (John 20:23), I bind and curse all those who, having sold their souls to the devil, have today—or may ever in the future—dare to invade the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, profane the Armenian Church’s sanctuary, raise a hand against the clergy and God’s Anointed, the Catholicos of All Armenians, and trample the sacred values of our nation,” he declared.

“May all those who blaspheme against God, the Holy Church, and the Nation remain eternally condemned. Cursed be you, cursed be you, cursed be you—with all your generations,” the priest wrote.

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan recently stated on Facebook that “the house of Christ has been seized by an immoral, anti-national group and must be liberated,” adding that he would “lead that liberation.”

The World Council of Churches has issued a solidarity statement expressing support for the Armenian Apostolic Church.