Civil Contract faction secretary Artur Hovhannisyan said Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s statement about alleged plans to relocate the Mother See cannot be unfounded.

Speaking to reporters in parliament, Hovhannisyan addressed Pashinyan’s remarks regarding information about moving the Mother See out of Armenia, Factor.am reports.

According to him, any statement made by the authorities, especially by the prime minister, cannot lack justification.

“If we have stated that a certain circle within the Mother See and among senior clergy is attempting to relocate the Catholicosate from the Republic of Armenia, along with the treasures of Etchmiadzin, then we possess very substantial information on the matter. Whether that information has matured enough to turn into a criminal case or legal proceedings, I do not have an answer to that at this moment. We will all receive that answer if such a thing actually happens. But as to whether there are grounds for making such a statement — there are grounds, and quite serious ones, and you will learn about them in due time,” he said.

He recalled earlier controversial statements that were initially met with skepticism.

“I remember when discussions began about certain senior clergy. The same questions were raised — whether there were facts, what are you saying, people were shocked… After some time, all the facts came to light,” Hovhannisyan noted.

Earlier, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan expressed the view that the purpose of organizing a Bishops’ Assembly of the Armenian Church in Austria was to move the Catholicosate and the treasures of Etchmiadzin out of Armenia.

On February 14, it became known that Armenia’s Prosecutor’s Office had initiated criminal proceedings against Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II on charges of failing to execute a judicial act in the case of the former head of the Masis Diocese and had imposed a travel ban on him.