Chairman of the Republic party Aram Sargsyan has commented on the growing tension between the authorities and high-ranking clergy, saying he believes Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II will resign after the national elections, reports A1+.
“I think Catholicos Karekin II will resign after the elections. Right now, he’s simply waiting to see the outcome of the nationwide vote. If the former authorities manage to return, the Catholicos will be one of the key figures behind their success. If they don’t, he will step down,” Sargsyan said.
According to Sargsyan, the authorities would welcome the Catholicos’s resignation, whether it occurs before or after the elections. If it happens beforehand, the government will present it as another victory over the former regime, which could demoralize the opposition and strengthen the ruling party's campaign narrative.
“If that doesn’t happen, the latest rallies showed that the Catholicos is the one figure around whom all former authorities unite, regardless of internal rivalries. Nikol Pashinyan can then point to that and say, ‘Look who’s coming back if you don’t vote for me,’ increasing his chances of victory,” Sargsyan said.
He concluded by expressing confidence that the Catholicos will eventually resign, either due to internal demand from other Church members and bishops or by choice. The resignation, he said, is likely to come from within the Church itself.
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and ten bishops and archbishops who have demanded the Catholicos's resignation recently issued a joint statement urging support for reform within the Armenian Apostolic Church. Pashinyan read the statement live on Facebook, after which the clergymen signed it. He also announced the formation of a coordinating council responsible for organizing the Church’s reform process. The council can only expand through unanimous consent.
Archimandrite Goussan Aljanian, Vicar of the Armenian Church Diocese in Switzerland, welcomed the creation of this Coordinating Council and joined the initiative.
